Obituary of Rajen Dayaljibhai Raichura

Rajen (Raj) Diyaljibhai Raichura (82) peacefully passed away in his sleep in the early hours on March 3, 2024 at Bethesda Regional Health Centre (Manitoba, Canada).

He is survived by his former wife Agnes and their sons Ash (Nancy), Trevor (Yumi), and Jay (Emily), as well as six grandchildren. He is also survived by older brother Arvind, and many extended family members in Canada and the United Kingdom. He was predeceased by brothers Jayantilal, Vinay, and Ashwin. 

Raj was born on December 22, 1941, in Jinja, Uganda. He was raised there primarily by his mother and elder brothers, as he lost his father Dayalji in 1948. Upon completing high school in Uganda, he attended university in Poona, India, where he graduated with a degree in commerce. 

In 1967, he moved to Winnipeg, Canada, where Jayantilal had already established himself, opening Winnipeg’s first Indian restaurant, the Maharajah, on Sherbrook Street which Raj ran with his brothers for several years. He worked as an accounting apprentice, eventually studying to be a CGA and working for the Canada Revenue Agency as an auditor. 

He married in 1970, and lived in Charleswood, a new development on the west end of Winnipeg, where Raj’s three sons spent their early years. In 1983, Raj moved the family south of Winnipeg to St. Adolphe. He worked for the government until 1985, when he opened his own accounting firm. He set up offices in the nearby communities of Niverville and Grunthal, where he made many partnerships and friends. He sold his business in 2000 and retired in 2005.

Raj moved to Niverville in 1999, spending most of the year there while driving down to his winter home in Texas every winter until 2023. He regularly played and watched golf passionately, went for long walks, and socialized with the townspeople daily.  He also made social contributions, donating to the local Heritage Centre and providing scholarships for Niverville High School graduates, called the Raj Raichura & Co Inc Award.

A private family memorial will take place in the coming months. Please take a moment to remember Raj in your own special way. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the charity of your choice.

“Well, I guess I should make the tracks…” Safe journey Dad.