Perhaps because dying is a reality doctors confront often, celebrated Sunday Nation columnist Yusuf Dawood did not fear discussing what ought to have happened after his death.
Dr Dawood, who will be cremated in London on Tuesday, spoke with his confidants about succession, his funeral, and his legacy, among other matters that most people avoid.
His son, Jan Dawood, said that the fallen surgeon one day handed a document to him and his sister. In it were meticulous details of how he wanted his final rites conducted.
“He gave my sister and me a letter and said, ‘Only open at the right time.’ Inside were instructions meticulously written out,” said Jan. “We have followed those instructions exactly.”
He went on: “It is very nice because he thought about it and made it very straightforward how to execute everything.”
And according to Abdulhamid Aboo, a Mombasa-based lawyer who was a long-time friend of Dr Dawood and an associate in Rotary Club circles, the surgeon was forthright on matters of death. “He wanted the people who knew him, people close to him, his family and friends to celebrate his life [after his departure],” said Mr Aboo. “In detail, he set out a programme for celebration after his death.”
Mr Aboo noted that Dr Dawood was particular that he wanted his funeral to end with a party.
Jan said they will hold the “kwaheri” party at a London hotel owned by family friends who hail from Mombasa.
“We’ve known them since 1961. So, they will host [the party],” said the son. “My father always liked partying. If there was a Tusker and some samosas, he would be very happy.”
Accommodating everyone
Mr Aboo noted that Dr Dawood wanted his final rites to reflect his lifelong policy of accommodating people from all backgrounds.
“He specified an inter-denominational funeral,” Jan told the Sunday Nation, noting that he and his sister, Jenny Tydeman, were listed as the primary overseers of the burial plans.
Dr Yusuf Kodwavwala Dawood displays his book “Eye of the Storm” during a past interview with Sunday Nation.
Dr Dawood, who died on January 29 aged 94, wrote the Surgeon’s Diary column that ran between 1980 and 2021. The cases he wrote about were true events drawn from his experiences as a surgeon. However, a few details of the characters would be distorted to protect the identity of the patients. Besides the column, he was also a reputable fiction writer who bagged many awards.
After his cremation, some of his ashes will later be flown to Kenya. He wanted his ashes to be dispersed in four places: his Muthaiga home; in the Indian Ocean by the Sarova Whitesands resort in Mombasa, which he visited regularly for holiday; in River Thames near the family home in London; and at the cemetery where the funeral will be held.
Tuesday’s funeral service will start at 4.15 pm UK time, which will be 7.15 pm Kenyan time. On the legacy, Jan said, the surgeon wanted the charity work he had been doing to continue without slackening. “[He wanted] his and mum’s legacy to live on through all the charity work they did as part of Rotary International and through our family MRD (Marie Rahima Dawood) Trust,” said Jan.
The MRD is the organisation that received the earnings from his column. All he ever earned from the Sunday Nation column went to charity.
Jan added that as death drew closer, his father took care of all aspects of his life to be the way he wanted them.
“He ensured all his affairs were in order and nothing was outstanding,” said the son.
Tribute site
Would you like to write a tribute to Dr Dawood? You can do so through the website yusufkodwavwala.muchloved.com.
Messages posted on the site so far paint a picture of a man who touched lives from many corners of the globe. Among those who have penned their tributes is Abdul Ghaffar Dawood, a younger brother of Dr Dawood. He writes that the surgeon took care of him when their parents died.
“He would provide invaluable insight when I needed advice. His encouragement helped me find my way to medical school. He was my rock and it is hard to imagine how I would ever have managed without him,” writes Abdul. “His wife Marie was his backbone, and he was completely dedicated to her. I admired their love and care for each other.”
“He was a picture of perseverance, determination and great mental strength. I feel so privileged to have met such a person!,” writes Gennai, a physiotherapist who attended to Dr Dawood as he battled with arthritis and other age-related complications.
And in Kenya, those who interacted with the surgeon are still reliving the memories, a month after the surgeon died. Among them is Mr Fred Mutiso, a former revise editor with the Sunday Nation.
“Dr Dawood was particularly strict about time. He was ever busy and never contemplated losing a single minute. Whenever he had business to do at Nation Centre, he would call in advance and plead to be taken fairly fast through security checks and other procedures. He would then share a joke that sometimes left you in stitches before taking the lift and jumping into his car to go back to his Nairobi clinic,” said Mr Mutiso. BY DAILY NATION