1947-2025
Mr. Sultan H. Merchant, age 78, of St. Albert, Alberta, passed away April 11, 2025, in Edmonton, Alberta. He was born March 24, 1947, in Mumbai, India, son to the late Hyderali and Amina Merchant.
A gold medalist, he graduated first class - first from over approximately 2000 appearing candidates, from the University of Bombay. He met Shashi (Salma) Savarkar in 1966 and they married in December of 1969. Sultan and Salma immigrated to Canada in 1971, pinning their dreams on Sultan’s teaching assistantship while he pursued a Master’s in law at the University of Saskatchewan.
Sultan and Salma’s daughter, Sharmila, was born within a few months of their arrival in Saskatoon; their son, Sajid, was born a few years later in Regina. After several location changes, the Merchant family finally settled in St. Albert, Alberta, in 1987 where Sultan and Salma still lived at the time of his passing.
Sultan practiced estate law, which he thoroughly enjoyed, until his retirement in 2008. He and Salma then began travelling, visiting many countries such as Greece, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Monaco, India, Russia, and the USA. After retirement, he did some volunteering with the CNIB as well as other charities.
While Sultan found purpose in charitable acts, personally receiving gifts was more challenging. We were fortunate to learn many lessons from Sultan during his 78 years. So, if you’re about to recklessly tear that wrapping paper off of your gift with wild abandon, just stop! You can always reuse wrapping paper.
Other lessons? Ask for a better deal when paying in cash and always do your “level best.” Sing the song as loudly as you can even while butchering the lyrics, try not to drive the car to avoid putting kilometers on it, and lastly, that he will always be the family Uno champion.
Sultan truly enjoyed regaling people with his stories and sharing his vast knowledge of the law, particularly while enjoying bad beer or bad coffee. Closest to his heart was the role of doting grandfather, which he became in 2004 in welcoming his first cherished grandson. His heart grew a few sizes more with the addition of an adored granddaughter and two more grandsons for whom he held great admiration and awe. Sultan’s grandchildren were true lights in his life.
Left behind to celebrate his life and continue his legacy of hard work and excellence are his wife, Salma; daughter, Sharmila, and son-in-law Mark; son, Sajid, and daughter-in-law, Deepti; and his beloved grandchildren, Grayson, Shayla, Ari, and Ezra.
As per his wishes no services will take place. Burial has taken place.
In lieu of flowers or gifts, Memorial Donations may be made to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Canada (https://www.bloodcancers.ca/).
To share photos, memories, and condolences, please visit www.connelly-mckinley.com
Connelly-McKinley Funeral Home
Downtown Chapel
(780) 422-2222
