METU 1971-1974, BS Architecture

Born: 5 April 1951, Married: 1 June 1984

Wife: Tallat Azhar, 2 children

Died: 7 December 2018 at Philadelphia, PA, USA due to cancer

Obituary of Jawaid Haider

Jawaid Haider, 67, of State College, passed away peacefully early this morning at Mt. Nittany Medical Center. At his side were his wife, Talat and their twin boys, Shuja and Asad. Born April 5, 1951 in Karachi, Pakistan, he was the son of Syed Akram Hussain and Amna Sultan. Dr. Haider is survived by his wife, Talat Azhar, who remains at home in State College. In addition to his wife, he is survived by his sons Shuja Haider, living in New York, and Asad Haider, living in State College. He is also survived by his two sisters and three brothers, and was preceded in death by one brother and one sister. He was beloved by family, friends, neighbors, colleagues, and students alike.

Dr. Haider, a Professor of Architecture at Penn State, received his Ph.D. in Interdisciplinary Studies at the Pennsylvania State University. His research interests included architectural issues relevant for children, intergenerational design, public space, architectural design education, and comparative theoretical perspectives in architecture. More recently his research interests expanded to include active living strategies in parks and recreation systems. His research explored how the design of an environment or space could be child-friendly and elder-friendly, and he sought to make spaces for all generations to share, and to allow people to better form relationships.

He received many awards and recognitions, most notably the Fulbright Senior Scholar Award to Australia, the College of Arts and Architecture Faculty Award for Outstanding Teaching, and the Inaugural Award for Faculty Outreach, "in recognition of exemplary leadership in applying scholarship in support of society." He was involved at every level of education, research, scholarship, and service. Most recently, he won the 2018 Distinguished Teaching Award from the College of Arts and Architecture Center for Pedagogy in Arts and Design, which "recognizes faculty members who have contributed significantly to the intellectual and artistic life of the college through their teaching."

He was a sought-after teacher and advisor for both design studio teaching and theory. As Principal Investigator of a major research project, "Planning and Design Strategies for Healthy Living, Parks and Recreation in Pottstown Area," he influenced both community design and healthy living. He published extensively and received major funding for his research, including grants from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and the Graham Foundation. Dr. Haider lectured and offered workshops throughout the world – in Asia, Australia, Europe, and the United States. As a faculty member and curriculum designer, Dr. Haider was instrumental in shaping the reputation of excellence held by the Department of Architecture at Penn State, especially in advanced architectural design and research of the thesis year of the Bachelor of Architecture program. He was the Coordinator of the thesis year level for many years and was influential in designing and developing the graduate programs in Architecture.

More recently, he served as Dean of Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture for two years. For his contributions to architectural education in Pakistan, he received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Institute of Architects of Pakistan. Locally, he had a rich involvement with Global Connections, the American Association of University Women and was the consultant for the design of the Discovery Center for Kids in State College. Dr. Haider's colleagues and friends recall his quick wit, wry humor, his ability to unpack any thesis topic, and his readiness to nurture a graduate student to endure long hours and finish strong. He loved spending time with his family, and vigorous discussion of national and international politics. He was known for sparring with the best on the tennis court, where he was famous for his strategic drop shots. He managed to teach up to the last week of his life and, realizing a wish he articulated to colleagues as, "to either die in the classroom or on the tennis court."

He enjoyed eating Szechuan food, watching the movies of Mel Brooks, and listening to Urdu ghazals. He had a sweet tooth and he was a rock. Steady and unflappable, he shook all of his friends and colleagues the year he shaved off his mustache.

Jawaid will be missed wholly and remembered fondly. Relatives and friends will meet for burial at Spring Creek Cemetery across from the Centre Hills Country Club at noon on Sunday, December 9, 2018. A celebration of his life will follow from 1-3pm, at the Nittany Lion Inn, 200 W. Park Ave, State College. Arrangements are under the care of Koch Funeral Home, State College. Online condolences and signing of the guest book may be entered at www.kochfuneralhome.com.

Arif Khan
Javaid had left us after fighting a tough battle with cancer for a better place.
Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi rajioon!
I am so sorry to convey this sad news.  I knew him since 1966 when his sister was friends with my neighbors and we developed a mutual friendship.  I told him about METU when I was coming to Turkey.  He was a very decent and righteous man. Though quiet in nature, he would always stand and voice his opinion for the rights of underprivileged.  
I saw him last July at a METU get together at my home, just 5 months back.  He had stopped the cancer treatment as he had real bad side effects.  He looked very good at that time and we had 3 wonderful days together talking all night long with old friends.  He looked so good and happy and promised that he will come again to the next METU get together. Little did we know that his days were numbered.
He has left very capable sons who will insha Allah carry on with his legacy.
May he rest in peace.  May he be given the choicest place in Jannah.
In shock, grief and sorrow...
Arif

Dr. Shershah

Jawaid was a great activist and supporter of our activities and a great friend of Kohie Goth Women Hospital.

Jawaid came back from Turkey with his friends Yadullah, Tanveer and Chairman. Jawaid’s sister Nasreen Zehra was joint secretary of NSF and Tanveer was brother of Ahmed Zaher Babar, then unit secretary of NSF at DMC unit.

They came to meet us at DMC canteen and immediately we became friends. Those days were the darkest days of Pakistan and Zia was destroying the country in the name of religion. We were part of campaign against government. With the help of Jawaid and friends we started a screen-printing press at Babar’s room. Every night the press would start at midnight and we used to print posters against Zia. Jawaid with other friends were responsible for pasting these posters at public places at Karachi. We did that poster pasting on regular basis despite the threat of police and military intelligence.

He was a great worker, honest, dedicated and a wonderful friend.

Our campaign failed because of rightist parties, and we dispersed after graduation.

Jawaid joined Dawood Engineering college as lecturer. After some time, he and Talat both left for USA where they both did Ph.D.

For a long time we did not meet but off and on we were in contact on phone. He was always talking with same college days spirit.

After going through successful treatment for lung cancer he came back to Pakistan and joined Indus as dean of Department of architecture. We had great time in Karachi. Along with Talat and Nasreen, he came to a musical evening at Sarwar's house and we had great time. He was fond of music, poetry, plays and literature. He was a very normal person and used to enjoy life and great things in the lives,

He visited KGWH few times and gave a talk at PMA on Karachi building disaster and its impact on human society. He was a great company. One day he called me and told me that he is going back to USA as his other lung had a different kind of new cancer. I talked to him regarding his treatment in USA. He was very clear about the diagnosis, treatment and complications of management. He told me that doctors want to try a very new cancer drug on him. He gave consent for trial despite the warning of very serious complications.

I talked to him few times about the medication and side effects. He was not very hopeful after first treatment and he stopped after a few days. He was not afraid of death at all. We joked about death, heaven and hell and at the other end of phone and I felt his great smile with bright shining eyes.

One day I called him to congratulate about the book his son wrote, and I forwarded a review about it. He was very proud of it. We made a plan to meet him and his son in New York, but we were not able to implement it.

One day he told me that his sister Nasreen is not accepting the fact that his time is short and is very depressed.

I told him ---YAR KOI BHEN APNE BHAI KAE BARE MAE BURA NA SOCHTI HAIE NA QABOOL KARTI HAI, PHIR NASREEN TO NASREEN HAI.  She was extremely loving, very special, very brave and a very concerned about anyone around her. You are so lucky to have a sister like her. I felt the same brightness on the other side of phone. He was very proud of her too and they both were a great team from school to college days till the end.

Once Talat and Jawaid invited me in their house in Khaybane Saadi. Talat cooked very good vegetables and daal that day. We had great time and discussed about so many things from books to buildings and from HEC to medical education

I can only imagine about this loss of Talat and it is not possible to hold my tears. I have no idea where he is now, but I know that he will be remembered whenever we will talk about science, logic, humanity and Karachi.

I will miss him

Shershah