TORONTO (BRAIN) — Longtime retailer and cycling advocate Murad Hassanali, who owned and operated three Giant/Liv stores, died in a hospital Oct. 26. He was 77.
Hassanali battled numerous health complications over the years, including pulmonary fibrosis and diabetes. An early discovery of pancreatic cancer allowed him to undergo a complex procedure to remove his pancreas.
He continued another 10 years enjoying his passions for cycling, travel, and photography. Visiting numerous countries and cities, Hassanali had a photograph vault with more than 200,000 pictures.
The three stores he owned — Giant Toronto, Giant Vaughan, and Giant Scarborough — are continuing to be operated by sons Jabir, Hassan, and Assif.
Hassanali was born in 1948, and it was in Zanzibar, Tanzania, that his passion for cycling originated. His entrepreneurial drive later brought him and his family to Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, and ultimately to Toronto in the late 1980s.
In addition to his three sons, Hassanali is survived by nine grandchildren.
