Dr. Arshad Majeed

Dr. Arshad Majeed, beloved grandfather, father, husband, and psychiatrist, passed away peacefully at the age of 88. Born in Sialkot, Pakistan, he lived a life defined by intellect, cultural curiosity, and service to others.

Arshad studied medicine at the prestigious King Edward Medical College in Lahore, Pakistan. After taking his best friend up on a dare, he impulsively asked Musarrat Nazir, a famous young ‘Lollywood’ film actress, on a date. A few years later, they were married, with plans to start a family and move to North America.

They first landed in New York state, where Arshad was doing his residency. Musarrat gave birth to their first child, daughter Zeelaf, in 1962. Two years later, during another residency in Boston, they welcomed their first son, Azed.

The family then moved to Canada, where Arshad did his fellowship at McGill University in Montreal. Amidst the backdrop of Expo 67, Arshad went on to earn his specialty certification in psychiatry from the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. When the family moved to Ontario in the 1970s, Arshad taught at McMaster University, shaping the next generation of physicians. Arshad and Musarrat welcomed their third child, son Omar, in 1973. Arshad supported Musarrat when she decided to embark on a music career, starting MAM Productions to independently release her first studio album in 1979. Soon, Musarrat became renowned among music fans around the world for her catalogue of Punjabi and Urdu folk songs. The family settled in Toronto after spending a few years living abroad in Lahore, where Musarrat’s career blossomed.

For the better part of the next five decades, Arshad practiced psychiatry at Lakeridge Health in Oshawa, Ontario (formerly Oshawa General Hospital) where he treated patients from all walks of life struggling with depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and other conditions. Among the many lives he touched, one former patient wrote that Dr. Majeed had treated him during a severe depressive episode, and after 16 days of care, he left the hospital well enough to find steady employment that lasted 19 years. "He saved my life," the patient said. It was the kind of quiet, life-altering work that defined his career.

When he was not working, Arshad enjoyed a number of hobbies, including calligraphy and painting. He was an avid reader, a cinephile and had a deep love and appreciation for South Asian music, from classical ghazals to bollywood bangers. He also appreciated western music, amusing his children with his love for rock classics “Kashmir” by Led Zeppelin and “Losing My Religion” by R.E.M. He instilled in all of his kids a love of literature, favouring the writings of Franz Kafka, John Fowles, Graham Greene and Haruki Murakami. He was a doting and loving grandpa to his four grandkids. He loved to play games with all of them, especially chess, even though he was famous for losing nearly every game, always with a sheepish smile and good-natured shrug.

He will be greatly missed by his wife, Musarrat Nazir; his daughter, Zeelaf Majeed; his sons Azed (Tina) and Omar (Asmaa) Majeed, as well as his grandkids Ishmael, Amir, Django, and Sufjan.

A private service will be held on Thursday, May 28th, at the Kane-Jerrett Funeral Home at 6191 Yonge Street.