We are deeply saddened to hear about the passing away of Soli Uncle. This is a huge loss for the community in North America and all over the world. Soli Uncle was a huge supporter of Parsi Khabar right since inception nearly two decades ago. He would regularly correspond with us either thanking us for highlighting something, or pulling us up when the information was inaccurate. We will miss his readership and we will forever be greatful for his mentorship and for his service to the community in the years gone by.
In the passing away of Ervad Soli P. Dastur, the North American Zarathushti community has lost one of it’s leading lights. Soli Uncle, as he was fondly called has left a huge legacy and touched the lives of thousands he came in contact with.
On the request of the Dastur Family donations collected shall be used for the upliftment of Mobeds in Udvada and their housing and health and wellbeing needs.
Garothman Behest to Soli Uncle’s ruvan, and oGarothman Behest to Soli Uncle’s ruvan, and our condolences to JoAnn Aunty, his daughters Shirin & Anahita, his sons-in-law Marvin & Jimbo, his grandchildren Cristina (and Trey Cain), Allison, Taj, Zain & Nev, his siblings, nephews and nieces and the entire Dastur family in India.
As the youngest of 11 children Soli was in born in Tarapur, a small village, , to a priestly family from Udvada. he joined the M. F. Cama Athornan Institute, where he completed all the requirements for becoming Navar, Martab and Saamel and was initiated as a full-fledged Mobed in the Udvada Iranshah Atash Behram.
On completing his B. Chem. Eng. from the Bombay University, and M. S. and Ph. D. in Chemical Engineering from the Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois. Soli joined the Procter & Gamble Co. in Cincinnati in 1964 and after retiring in 1994, he worked as a partner in the Partnering Group for 5 years.
An active member of the North American Mobed Council (NAMC) Soli has been performing Mobed duties all over Florida and North America wherever requested. In 2009 he started and continued for 8 years the first ever annual all Florida Muktad Gatha prayers in Miami, has conducted Religious classes in Tampa, Orlando and Miami started a teleconferencing ZRC and conducted 17 Tele Classes. Soli has published 395 Weekly Zoroastrian Scripture Extracts (WZSE) with translation and audio recitations, distributed to over 900 people. He has contributed articles in WZO Hamazor and FEZANA Journals.
He was awarded the Outstanding Zarathushti Award by FEZANA in 2010 at North American Zoroastrian Congress, Houston, and the Distinguished Scholar Award in 2018 from NAMC at AGM in Washington DC and the Ervad Darab B. Unwalla Award for 25 years of dedicated service to ZAFat the 25th anniversary of ZAF.in 2019
Soli retired and lived in Bradenton, Florida with his wife Jo Ann of 54 years. They have twin daughters, Shirin and Anahita and five grandchildren. Soli was an avid tennis player and dabbled with the computer in his free time.
