Raj had the strongest work ethic and was silently successful. He started his career working in cinemas, a family run business. Thereafter, he left to go to Manchester University which is where his love for supporting Man-U began. With his passion lying in retail, Raj then started running his own markets and shops, the most recent being Sports Zone and Total Clearance, which Raj & myself ran for around 25 years. Although he never needed the recognition, we were known in Erdington for nearly half a century and had served many generations. Our customers and staff members became our friends.

Hosting house parties to entertain guests was something Raj loved in the early days. What was his was yours...except his food! He absolutely loved food, especially when it came to eating Kulfi, an Indian ice-cream. He also loved playing sports, especially squash and badminton.

In 2008, he was unfortunately diagnosed with bowel cancer, which eventually led Raj to become a more quieter and homely personality, where he enjoyed playing chess, crosswords and solitaire on his computer.

Raj had so much to look forward to. We had booked a cruise for September 2020 to the Caribbean which sadly will remain a thought of what would have been. Nonetheless, I hold a vision of him on the beach with an ice cream in hand which warms my heart.

Myself and Deepak will miss Raj dearly. He was an amazing Husband, Father and Grandfather to Dylan, who he adored and was the love of his life. Our house seems empty without him but full of many happy memories.

Finally, we say our final goodbyes to Raj on Thursday 11th June. Unfortunately, due to the current circumstances, any flowers left outside the house won’t be allowed in to the crematorium. Instead, we have set up a Just Giving page for anyone who would like to contribute as an alternative to flowers. 🙏🏼