Local businessman and entrepreneur passes away

 This is a supplemental material to the Appointments & Disappointments series I'm working on.

Kathmandu July 30. Post Report.

Local businessman and philanthropist [name of my character's father] has passed away due to health complications. He was 47 years old, and spent the final moments at his house according to the information provided by his family. He was suffering from congenital heart disease as well as diabetes, and had gone to Singapore on four occasions in the last year seeking medical treatment.

Mr. [businessman] has been referred to as the exemplary Nepali entrepreneurial spirit by several government Ministers. He started with a single grocery store below his family house in Sinamangal, and now his business empire covers 52 medium sized stores all over the country. His stores are known for providing high-quality supplies at reasonable prices. He liked to compare his business to the German grocery store chain Aldi, and claimed he was working on driving other national chains out of business through sheer competition.

He was known as a honest and kindhearted man, and donated millions of rupees every year to various philanthropic causes. He had been involved most recently in the construction of old people's homes in Kathmandu and Chitwan. In various public ceremonies he proudly proclaimed that he was there to serve, and would eventually donate all his net worth to philanthropic causes.

More recently, Mr. [businessman] was actively seeking arrangements to expand his business to various other countries. News of his interest not only in other South Asian countries but also in South East Asia, West Africa, and Latin America, had been circulating in the business community. While it is not clear what stage the international plans were at the time of his expiration, it is understood that his organization has been acting robustly even without his presence as of late.

According to sources, his family has been getting more intimately involved with the business, and are likely to take the major role in it going forward. His wife, Mrs. [businessperson] who currently heads the Investment branch of the organization is widely considered to be the likeliest to succeed in leading the grocery chain.

He is survived by his wife, two sons, and his parents.

He will be greatly missed.