'We really miss him': Man behind Windsor's Bangladesh Peace Clock laid to rest
Aziz Chowdhury, 77, left his mark on Windsor when he donated the Bangladesh Peace Clock in 2010 as a symbol of peace. And on Tuesday afternoon, he was laid to rest.
The former Windsor Public Library librarian died over the weekend. His family explained that he had had a lot of health issues.
Hundreds gathered on Tuesday at the Windsor Mosque to honour Chowdhury. Those who knew him said he was always devoted to his community.
'A great person'
"He is a great, nicest person I ever seen in probably all my life," said Saiful Bhuiyan, the president of the Bangladesh Canada Association for Windsor-Essex.
"He's a great person. We lost him, and we really miss him, and I know it's hard to recover his place when he is no longer here."
In 2010, he donated $30,000 to the city to build the peace clock, which is located on Wyandotte Street and Ouellette Avenue. He said he got the idea when he was walking downtown and saw people asking for the time.
Hopes for a community centre
His daughter, Salma Chowdhury, explained that her father was one of of the first Bengalis from Bangladesh to move to the city back in 1979, and that he's known by many.
She said that her father had always been dedicated to doing good for the community — such as helping grow and expand the Windsor Mosque.
"I think people that knew him, knew him well, and they know exactly how he was. He had a lot of good intentions and he was able to fulfill a lot of it," Salma Chowdhury said.
"He's done a lot. Even in his death, he's got scholarships and things in place back home. And we just hope that the man upstairs rewards him for that."
Among his hopes for the community, Aziz Chowdhury had wanted to build a Bangladeshi community centre where people could gather, Bhuiyan said.
He added that he would like to some day help make that dream a reality on behalf of his friend.
