Muzaffar Iqbal Sheikh

Born in Sargodha, British Raj in 1940, to Faisal Din and Mehboob Begum Sheikh, Muzaffar had memories of riding with his family in a wagon during their migration to Pakistan after the Partition of India in 1947. Raised in Rawalpindi, he received his formal education in schools in Pakistan starting at Catholic elementary school followed by Islamia High School. He graduated with degrees in political science and Persian from Gordon College, also in Rawalpindi, where he was a star member of the All-Pakistan Inter-Collegiate Debate Team.

As a young man, Muzaffar served as a member of what he called the Pakistani "border patrol," which was likely a branch of the West Pakistan Rangers. From 1962-1964, he was an Assistant Works Manager for the United States Agency for International Development in Quetta, Pakistan, where he acted as a liaison for American businessmen and politicians. He then emigrated to the UK for a time with some of his family, and then subsequently came to the United States to attend Cumberland School of Law where his uncle, Islam, had been a student and later a faculty member.

While at Cumberland School of Law, he met Linda Ann Cooke of Gadsden, Alabama, and they were married in 1969. He finished his legal studies with a JD from the Birmingham School of Law. He received his master’s degree in education from Samford University, and he furthered his studies at Hebrew University in Jerusalem and Emory University in Atlanta. Mr. Sheikh was a Fulbright Scholar to Israel in 1985, one of the highlights of his academic career. He was amused to find that he had attended Catholic, Islamic, Baptist, Presbyterian, Methodist and Jewish institutions during his lifetime.

Professionally, Muzaffar became a history teacher at Vestavia Hills School System in the school's founding year in 1970. He taught mostly World History but also Alabama History, American History, Business Law and Civics. From 1988 to 2005, he coached the Girls' Soccer team, winning the 6A state championship in 2001. He was also the sponsor of the Radio Club.

In 1978 he opened the Middle Eastern Bakery and Deli on 10th Street South near the UAB campus, and his brother Waheed moved to Birmingham to help him with the bakery. They were the first distributors of pita bread to grocery stores in the Birmingham area. He closed the bakery after a few years to focus on his family and teaching career, but he always had a passion for cooking and baking traditional Pakistani food.

"Mr. Sheikh" was well known by his students, and he spent his own time mentoring them and advising their parents during both fortunate and challenging situations. Students and parents would greet him for decades in his community of Vestavia Hills and throughout Birmingham whenever they saw him, and many would keep in touch with him well after his retirement. He also developed great friendships with many of his colleagues. For many years he tore tickets at the football games with his long-time friend and fellow teacher James Schroeder. After 35 years of teaching he retired in 2005. He remained active in the teaching community as a member of the Jefferson County Retired Teachers Association, and with his wife Linda he worked as an accreditation specialist for local and state Islamic academies as well as for schools across the state. He also served in his community as a poll worker and as the coordinator of an international food and dance festival during Vestavia's annual Dogwood Festival.

He loved his family, cooking and soccer at any level. He enjoyed videotaping and later digitally recording and watching every World Cup game, and he listened to a wide range of music including traditional and popular Pakistani music, American balladeers, modern film scores and classical music. He was passionate and well-read in world politics and current events, and he often expressed his opinions in letters to the editor of the Birmingham News and in civil discussions.

Muzaffar was noted for his kindness and friendliness with all people. He was proud to be an American, and he was proud of being a naturalized citizen. He was also proud to be a representative of the Muslim faith to many people who had never interacted with a Muslim, and he was asked to speak at many area churches to explain Islam and his faith. Wherever he went in the community, he would always welcome and befriend people from all religions and backgrounds. He accepted all people as equal and precious, and his diverse range of family, friends and colleagues from across the world are testament to his love of humanity.

Muzaffar is survived by his wife of 54 years, Linda Cooke Sheikh, and his sons Qasim, Shan (Lindsay), and Jamal (Emily), and daughter Sofia Smith and predeceased by his son Shezad Sheikh. He is also survived by his seven grandchildren and numerous cousins, nephews and nieces from his four brothers and three sisters.

A visitation for Muzaffar will be held Tuesday, May 21, 2024 from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM at Ridout's Southern Heritage Funeral Home and Cemetery, 475 Cahaba Valley Road, Pelham, AL 35124, followed by a funeral service from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM.