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Passing of : Dara Phiroze Wadia
Dara Phiroze Wadia was born in Bombay (Mumbai), India, on March 7, 1943, the third of four sons to Freny and Phiroze Bomanji Wadia.
In his youth, Dara was a certified climber and mountaineer. He attended the Himalayan Institute of Mountaineering in Manali, India, and specialized in Ice and Snow Mountaineering. Dara was also a skilled motor rally driver and competed in many races all over India in his youth.
Dara attended the St. Mary's School in Mumbai, joined Tata Motors (formerly known as TELCO) as an apprentice, and spent his entire career at Tata Motors, rising through the ranks. His intuitive passion for engineering and problem solving was renowned amongst his colleagues. In the late 1970's he spent a significant amount of time in Zambia, Singapore, and the Middle East, setting up TATA's export production facility for their respective Governments. His expertise in marketing the TATA brand took him worldwide, representing them at trade shows and conferences. After more than four decades, he retired from TATA Motors in the early 2000s.
Dara was an active member of the Sethna's 18th West Bombay Scout group and frequently participated in Annual Camps in India and Canada. He credited a lot of his work ethic and values to his formative training as a Boy Scout. Over the decades, Dara continued his association with the Scout Group and eventually became an Assistant Scout Master in his retirement.
Dara’s pragmatic approach to life stood him in good stead throughout. He was the first one to stand up to help anyone and everyone. He was always there for his family, friends, and neighbors. His sense of community volunteerism was consistent throughout his life. Even in his later years, Dara would help at the Agiaries in Mumbai when he had an opportunity to contribute to his community's well-being.
The Zoroastrian faith and religion were an integral part of Dara’s life. He lived and practiced the Zoroastrian tenets and made sure to instill these same values in his three children, Pouroo, Lily, and Meherwan. And in due course, he inculcated his grandchildren Daryus, Vahishta, Rohan, Farha, and Karina with the same understanding and belief in the faith and the power of prayers.
Dara's moral ethic, work culture, and dedication to hard work and sacrifice for others set an example that his children inculcated from him. He always had a positive outlook in life, and even when the odds were stacked against him with a 20% chance of survival, he being a true fighter, beat cancer! He enjoyed several healthy and fun years with his family after that.
Post-retirement, Dara enjoyed spending his time between India, Canada, and the USA, where his three kids and five grandkids live. He had a passion for travel and loved going on road trips when the opportunity presented itself. Dara doted on his five grandchildren, and seeing them grow up was the joy of his life. Making it a point to be a part of all their precious milestones was something he cherished to the very sudden end.
Dara Phiroze Wadia, son of Late Freny and Phiroze Wadia; is survived by his ex-wife Shirin; daughters Pouroochisti (and Yazdi) and Lily (and Kaiomarz), son Meherwan (and Naomi); brothers Homi, Keki (and Gool) and Sam (late Behroze); grandchildren Daryus, Vahishta, Rohan, Farha and Karina; nephews Arzan, Behzad and niece Mehernaaz. Dara passed away in Frisco, Texas on Khordad Roj, Shehrevar Mah. 1392 Y.Z. January 18, 2022.
A funeral will be held at 10:00 a.m., Friday, January 21, 2022 at Turrentine-Jackson-Morrow Funeral Service, 2525 Central Expressway North in Allen, Texas. The service will be live-streamed at https://celebrationoflife.tv/blog/dara-phiroze-wadia. The family will receive friends on Thursday evening from 7:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m. at the funeral home.