Tributes have been paid following the death of a well regarded businessman and community volunteer.
Yakoob Dassu, who lived in Leicester with his family, passed away at the age of 70 on Saturday, October 24.
He was known for his decade’s-long contribution to the city’s business community and his philanthropic character.
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Family, friends and associates described him is “unpretentious”, “calm” and “a good listener”.
Mr Dassu was born in Malawi and moved to Leicester where he spent most of his adult life.
In his earliest years in the city, he lived with his young family including his two brothers and their respective families – a total of 15 people.
In 1978, he and his brothers started Arc Fabrics, which still operates as a textile manufacturer in Leicester.
When the Covid-19 pandemic hit he put all of Arc Fabrics’ manufacturing capacity into making PPE, donating £18,000 worth of kit to the NHS and care workers.
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His children, nephews and nieces were all brought up in the business and today remain committed to continuing his legacy of social responsibility, diversification and expansion.
Throughout his life, according to his family and friends, Mr Dassu embraced businesses opportunities with “the eagerness of a child who had found a new toy”.
In a tribute to him, his family said he put his “heart and soul into every new opportunity”.
Mr Dassu’s friendly demeanour has been described as “disarming” which alongside an unshakeable determination earned him respect from customers, employees and contemporaries alike.
To many people in Leicester, he was seen as a pioneer and acted as a mentor to budding entrepreneurs who he supported throughout his lifetime.
As his business grew, so did his reputation.
He served the Leicester Asian Business Association (LABA) for eight years as a director was elected president for two years.
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He was also a board member of Leicester and Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership and was also part of the city’s former Chamber of Commerce.
The father-of-three was still actively growing his business, which currently employs more than 150 people.
He was also the chairman of Care Perspectives, a specialist provider of residential care for children, centred around mental health.
His most recent accomplishment was helping to set up a seamstress training centre for underprivileged women and donating an ambulance in Gujarat, India.
Community leader Suleman Nagdi, who was a close friend to Mr Dassu for almost 40 years, said: “Yakoob was a man loved by all who met him and was well-known for his extremely soft and kind nature.
“I will miss his smile, positivity and the way in which he made others happy. I cherish the good times we shared including the meals we had together.
“Yakoob Bhai (brother) was kind and caring and dedicated a great deal of time to voluntary and community causes, his generosity in terms of time and money was carried out with little fanfare.”
He was well-known in the wider Muslim community and dedicated time to his local community – including voluntary work as a trustee for the Muslim Burial Council of Leicester (MBCOL).
Sikander Sattar, MBCOL chairman, said: “As well as his dedication to his family and to the community he was very personable. We also know that he had his own health problems and other challenges. Despite all of this and his business commitments, he was still able to find time and space to give back to our community and to be such a champion.
“His support and influences in MBCOL’s work will be missed and remembered.”
LABA patron and city businessman Jaffer Kapasi OBE said he wanted to pay tribute to the man and the contribution he made to the Leicester business community.
He said: “I will cherish his memories and his support for voluntary organisations like MBCOL.”
Aside from his many passions, family was always central to Mr Dassu’s values. He was described as a “proud and honoured” father, uncle and grandfather to his large family – the youngest of whom he would insist on feeding every night.
Mr Dassu leaves behind his wife, Faiza, from whom he was described as “inseparable” for nearly 50 years, his children, Zunaid, Tasleem and Aniz and his six grandchildren.