Thank you Munni for the countless hours of your time, resources and skill, in fixing all our problems, be it computers, cars, plumbing, electrical, home appliance, etc.  Thank you for your time, research and patience in teaching Dad everything he wanted to learn on the computer.  And most of all for your selfless giving and caring to my family over the many years I and Mom and Dad have lived in Florida.  You were always there for us.  Thank you for your unconditional friendship which will never be matched by anyone I will ever meet in this life or the next hundred lives.  

You had a child-like heart that loved to explore and experience life, to make people happy, to make them laugh and forget all their problems.  It was your passion in life to uplift people and you had a hundred different ways of doing that.  

Munni/Ken, my buddy, thank you for the many fun outings, the laughter, the mischief, the goofinesses, the sillinesses, and the entertainment.  Perhaps there was some truth to all those jokes about you racking up brownie points in heaven with your endless seva, that you would be the CEO of all angels.  Much as you seemed to enjoy life and enjoy making people happy and lived every moment with such zest, the joys of the hereafter must be that much more powerful that your soul could not resist.  You are no doubt carrying on the soul work in heaven and making a place for us all.  Rest in bliss my dear cousin.

Our heartfelt sympathies are extended to the family and friends. May you find peace and comfort during this difficult time.

To my father in-law, we all will miss you terribly. I owe you a very big thank you, Thank you for everything you ever did for me and for treating me like a daughter. I will forever be greatful. I will never forget your silly personality and your warm welcoming smile. Thank you for being the best grandpa to Emmy. She will never forget all the great times she had at grandpa's house. I promise to look after Nadeem and rest of the family for you. I know you are telling heaven all great and funny stories of your life. Rest in peace and we will see you again someday. 
Love you!

Whenever I was on vacation in Tampa, Muni Uncle suddenly became my surrogate dad in that he looked out for me as well as my own dad would.  He advised me when I had relationship troubles, he met a potential boyfriend of mine and asked him every question in the book, he comforted me when we heard my parents were hurt in a car accident; he took me wherever I wanted to go, like CVS and Beall's.  When he took me out to lunch on his breaks, we would talk about anything and everything:  relationships, family, olden and golden days in India, religion, work, and life in general.  I am typically a quiet, reserved, introverted person, but only Muni Uncle knew how to draw me out, especially if we were at a large gathering.  He enjoyed making me laugh, he made silly faces, he told lots of jokes, and he would even make worms from wet straw wrappers.  I loved making him laugh by saying things in Hindi but with my American accent; and then I would think of two Hindi words that sounded similar and I would ask him how to say a particular sentence in Hindi, like "There is poop on the swing" (jula pe julab hai). I enjoyed his brand of silliness and he enjoyed mine, and we always acted younger than our ages.  Now, though, it's sometimes hard to laugh when all I want to do is cry.  But, I have my faith, the same one I shared with my uncle.  I believe everything happens for the right reason, and that God is good, and He has a plan for each of us.  I believe that the soul never dies, and that Muni Uncle is having a wonderful family reunion and enjoying a Paradise far greater than any of us can imagine.  I am just so very grateful that God gave us Muni Uncle, and allowed us to have him and enjoy him for as long as we did.

Dearest Kabir (Munni),
You were a rare individual. I did appreciate all your qualities every time we met. Yet now enough. You were Blessed with an inordinate amount of energy, and a zest for life and a love for people. I loved visiting Tampa for the superb hospitality and warmth we experienced from you. Now it will not be the same. You will be missed. I am committing to honor your memory by adopting some of your great qualities. I can never become you, but a little more like you. You have earned your place in heaven. Rest in eternal peace. God Bless. Amir.

Kabir, known to us as Munni,an endearing name family had for him, was a wonderful human being, who did not have the word 'NO' in his vocabulary for anything anybody asked him to do. he will be missed by us all terribly
We are all extremely saddened by this immense loss and pray that we all are granted courage by Almighty to bear this untimely loss. we feel that we have lost a precious gem and the link has been broken.  WE HOPE THE FAMILY WILL GET TOGETHER AND KEEP HIS MEMORY ALIVE  AND CELEBRATE HIS LIFE.  Goodbye and GOD BLESS.

Ken was a dear friend,always kind and helpful.He had a great sense of humor and loved life.Above all things he loved his family and friends.I am certain I do not stand alone in saying my heart is breaking for him,his family,and humanity as a whole for losing a person who made such a wonderful contribution to the world as we know it.Good bye dear friend.Love and prayers to your family .

Celebrating a life well lived. We will cherish the memories forever.

Thoughts and prayers go out to the Merchant family.  So saddened by the news of the lost of a dear man.  I will miss your stories and your laughter.  You were kind to many and helpful to all.  RIP my co-worker, my friend

Kathy, so sorry for your loss.  Ken will be missed by many, especially his Hood/Coke family.  He was a good man, and had an unstoppable smile.  God bless you and your family during this difficult time.

Ill be missing a dear friend. You touched our hearts so many times and so many ways.Peace for your family.   John and Joyce Pertinaci (Clearwater Florida)

Ken was a kind and gentle soul. My first manager as a working adult. I learned a lot from you and vividly recall several conversations with you that had an impact on me personally and professionally. Your family was your first priority and passion. 

Thoughts and prayers are with the Merchant family and friends.

Kabir in the thirty plus years I knew you as a co-worker, neighbor and friend there developed a constant.  You would knock at my door and I would respond "come in" and as the door opened I would ask "who is it".  Of course I knew. We would settle down with a cup of coffee and debate some issue we agreed to disagree on.  The next day we would do it over again.  I will miss you.

You will be missed dearly, enjoyed working with you, always smiling. My thoughts & prayers to your family and friends.

My heart is sad to hear of your passing Ken you were a kind and gentle man, leader and mentor. I am happy our paths crossed.

My heart goes out to you at this time and in the days ahead.

We spent alot of night time hours together,  making sure we got the job done. I will miss you Ken with all my heart.

Uncle Kabir I so loved talking and being around you. You always were smiling and laughing. One of the kindest people I have ever met. You were always so welcoming and I so loved that you helped me with my ESOL class for school. I thoroughly enjoyed getting to hear about you and your life in India. Family was always your priority and I cannot thank you enough for all the videos you took of our family moments. They are truly precious.  You are dearly loved and will be dearly missed. I will never forget your nickname for me....MTV.  Love you!

Dear Muni Uncle, Why did you have to leave us so soon?  We are all heartbroken without you.  You were my rock and my number one reason to want to move to Florida.  I love you so much.  You were my favorite uncle in the whole world, you were my mom's best friend and confidant, you were my dad's brother, you were Tech Help for all of us, and you are an inspiration to all of us.  In your last text to me, you said that "everything happens for the right reason".  I guess God thought your good deeds on earth were done and He needed another angel in Heaven.  So make Him laugh, and please look out for all of us.  Say hi from us to Grandpa and Grandma, and S. Bai.  "Bees dollar rakh" and Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman and the ice cream cone you sat on, and taking me to U of I, and surprising us in Chicago, and so many other amazing memories.  May your soul rest in eternal peace.  Please send us some sign that you are okay (though make sure the sign doesn't hit me in the face!  Haha!).  We will look after Kathy Aunty, Nadeem and family, and Seema.  I love you.  You will always be in my heart.  You will live forever in our hearts and minds.  Love always, Alisha

Your smiling face will be missed.  You were always smiling and usually recording something.  Enjoyed the times we were together at Mildred and Leo's house. My prayers and thoughts go to Kathy, Nadeem, and Salema at this time of sorrow in their lives.  They have great memories of you and that and the Lord being with them is what will get them through this chapter in their lives.  Sometimes we would love to rewrite the chapters in our lives, but that isn't possible.  We have to live each day as we get it and love our family because they are precious and we never know when the Lord will be ready for them.  Love all of you.  Sandy

You will be missed. Your videos of the family will live on as well as your kind hearted nature and warmth. You were always up for anything and always smiling. Thank you for you love. Rest in peace uncle.

OBITUARY

Kabir Noorallah Merchant

December 29, 1948 – May 22, 2015

Gonzalez Funeral Home

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