Mohammed Ajmal Tareen

Ajmal was the architect of his own life from start to finish. The term "larger than life" applies aptly to him. He was like a force of nature; strong, jovial, feisty, opinionated and loving. He was incredibly driven, intelligent, and generous. He lived his life exactly the way he wanted, following no one's example but his own. From Italian shoes to Nordstrom's shirts to wearing the perfect tie, he had a style that was conservative yet polished and unique. He loved to laugh and tell jokes, sometimes coming up with his own creative stories and laughing so hard, one would start laughing with him before he even got to the punchline. In any social gathering, he had the loudest, brightest laugh of all.

Ajmal was born on November 1, 1945 in Bahawalnagar, Pakistan. He was the much beloved and youngest of the eight children of Chief Engineer Haq Nawaz and Sadiqa Tareen. Growing up, he moved around Pakistan, attending boarding school at Sadiq Public School in Bahawalpur and St. Patrick's college in Karachi.

His pioneering spirit of adventure is what brought him to the United States in 1963. He first attended the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor for his Bachelor's Degree in Mechanical Engineering. Ajmal then decided to choose a very different career path; he received his MBA from the Wharton School and his PhD in Economics from the University of Pennsylvania. He was mentored by Nobel Laureate advisor, Lawrence Klein, focusing on Money Supply and its Macroeconomic Implementation.

Ajmal was thrilled to join the International Monetary Fund in Washington, DC, in 1980. For the next 30 years, he enthusiastically traveled on "missions" to several countries around the world. He learned to speak Spanish, visited 6 continents, and met with several dignitaries and heads of state, while working on economic policies. He served as the IMF Resident Representative in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea from 1999-2002, and lived for some of that time in Brisbane, Australia. He often referred to his career as his "dream job", stating that he loved every single minute of it. He worked at the IMF until 2009, retiring as a Senior Economist.

Ajmal had a life-long love affair with cars. From fixing them to driving luxury cars, his heart was in it. Ever a foodie, Ajmal always enjoyed going out to dinner and coffee. He was also an avid carpenter, building decks, bookshelves, TV stands, and installing fences. He excelled at maintaining his home. Real estate was another huge passion - he spent hours searching for the perfect house.

After retiring from the IMF, Ajmal decided he wanted to build his dream house in the South. He moved from Bethesda, MD in search of this vision first to Austin, TX, Bluffton, SC, and finally to Jacksonville, FL. He built his custom home in Jacksonville and enjoyed the process immensely, involved in every minute of the planning, building, and installing. He was very proud of the home he built.

Ajmal's biggest joy in life was his family. He was married for 50 years; his wife, Huma, supported him throughout his education and career. He loved spending time with family and celebrated their victories. His biggest pride and joy of all were his three children. He doted on them and wanted to give them the world. He did whatever was in his means to provide his family with the best life possible. He was always there to support and encourage them, never letting them settle for anything less than the best. He fought for each of his children to become someone and instilled his drive, focus, and ambition into each of them.

Ajmal is survived by his wife, Huma, daughter, Shamyla, sons, Adnan and Aizaz, and daughter-in-law, Kelsey. He is also survived by one older brother and one older sister, two sisters-in-law, and many devoted nephews, nieces, cousins, colleagues and dear friends around the US and the world.

To quote one of his favorite songs by Frank Sinatra: "I did it my way." Ajmal will be missed forever by all who knew and loved him.