© the eyeranian

For Fred Kasravi

In the summer of 1986 or maybe 87, I was taking one of those self-improvement courses in Toronto that was held in a fancy Toronto hotel over a two weekend schedule. It's the last place you'd expect to meet an eyeranian, as we are all just perfect and see no need whatsoever for improvement, particularly if you must pay a pretty penny to be improved.

As I was sitting right upfront on the second row of the first session of the first Saturday, I watched this middle-age man with his teenage son come up and with much fan-fare and noise take over the two seats right in front of me on the otherwise empty front row. They caught my attention even more than the cute girl that was sitting a few seats away to my right, as I noticed they spoke a combination of Farsi and English, or Farglish.

It was obvious the man had brought the son along to learn something and he was trying to tell him what he could expect. Then he said something to the tone of "you've got to meet the people around you" and with that the son turned around to look at our row. When our eyes met, I just simply said "Salam". With that, the man jumped from his seat in obvious bewilderment and asked in a non-believing voice "You are Iranian???", to which I replied "of course". We spent our first break after that to get to know one another that morning and he invited me to lunch later and I found myself at his dinner table with his family that very night. Something clicked between us and we just enjoyed each-other's company.

That is how I met Fereydoun Taghi-Zadeh Kasravi or Fred Kasravi as he was known to most his friends, along and his younger son Mehran. Fred's famous "Never Better" slogan was born during that exact same course, as was our long friendship. The very next day, Fred took me along to my first political gathering in Canada. It was a Liberal Party BBQ attended by everyone from the various ministers and public officials to business and community leaders. Everyone knew Fred on first name basis and he could get away jokingly telling Toronto's then Mayor (and future Federal Cabinet Minister) Art Eggleton that no blonde should be mayor of a multi-ethnic city like Toronto. I was impressed immediately.

Over the next 13 to 15 years, we always kept that friendship. I helped him in his various non-profit ventures like saving the HMCS Haida battleship, Kidney Foundation and Christian Children's Fund, became an officer of his Ontabia Corp., participated in his functions at Royal Ontario Museum and Ontario Place and stuck my nose in his work at Confederation Life, Real Data/Teranet and others. We also spent many days together with more mundane stuff; just hanging out at his favorite barbershop in downtown Toronto, shopping for that perfect bow tie, running everyday errands or just hanging out at his office, which I spent days at trying to organize and get all his frames hung perfectly and in order.

He'd often introduce me as his son, and in fact to this day there are people in Toronto that know me as Mr. Kasravi's son. I often introduced him as my uncle, although at time he was much more than that. Fred always insisted on paying for my wedding "on a big ship" when I'm ready and tried to do it too when I came close to getting hitched once a long time ago.

When I decided to run for office, he was the first person outside of my parents I told, naturally. He was my introduction to Canadian politics and although we eventually worked within the framework of different political parties, we shared some similar views. He'd always say in confidence that if it wasn't for business practicality, he'd never work with the Liberals (he was often their single largest fund-raiser) or how much he hated the banks that bottle ordinary people's blood and should all be nationalized. But the next day he'd be the perfect aristocrat at a dinner held in honor of one royal family member or another, a King or some head of state.

He was very excited about me running. Loved that I ran as a New Democrat and even attended my nomination meeting, despite the expressed concern by my Liberal Party opponent. After the election, he continued to be supportive. He called me shortly after this article came out from Ottawa to tell me (very excitedly) how he'd heard a Senior Minister repeat my exact line with reference that "Trudeau Liberals are dead, gone forever." and to say keep up your work.

When I first moved from Canada, his first email to me said "Why did you leave? I was going to make you the Prime Minister one day". I explained that was never my intention and that I had too big of a mouth to ever be even elected. His last two messages to me came over a year ago. First one was forward of a note his son (whom he was always very proud of) had written him, along with an article about him. The last one dated March 30, 2003 simply said "Dear Pedram, I thought I'd share this with you. Fred" along with a copy of his actual Honorary Doctorate from Royal Roads University.

I heard only last week that he was severely ill and tried unsuccessfully to contact him, but today my mother called to say he has passed away. I owe a lot to Fred as a person, a mentor and a great person whose qualities always outshone his shortcomings. Even when I was not in constant touch with him, his presence was always felt and I knew I could count on his support. I will miss him greatly and hope his legacy of charity and helping others continues with the many fans he made during his time. Goodbye Fred.