London, Jan 16 (PTI): NRI steel tycoon Lakshmi N Mittal paid tribute to his father, Mohan Lal Mittal, who passed away in London aged 99.
He said his “beloved father” died peacefully on Thursday evening in London, surrounded by his family; at the “incredible” age of 99 and only few months short of reaching his 100th birthday.
“My father was an extraordinary man, whose strong religious belief and work ethic stayed with him his whole life. He was born into a loving and modest family in a small village named Rajgarh, Rajasthan. Always someone to make the most of his circumstances, he believed that hard work was usually, if not always the answer,” he said.
The Arcelor Mittal chief said his father studied hard at school and had a strong affinity for commerce.
“He was a natural entrepreneur, with a vision that was in many ways well ahead of his time. He inspired us to be bold and extend our horizons beyond what was safe. Throughout my life I would seek his counsel and wisdom and even till his last days as his mental strength never wavered. I never stopped discussing business issues and challenges with him – he always encouraged me to be bold and ahead of time.
“For all his business success, he was a great friend to me all the time, remembering cherishing and celebrating all the important milestones in our lives. Family was everything to him, he is survived by 5 children and their spouses, 11 grandchildren and their spouses, and also 22 great grandchildren.
“He would always call and remember and when he could be present at each one’s birthday, wedding anniversary, graduation, you name it he was there.
“For those who knew him personally, he was incredibly charismatic and a great raconteur, and maintained many close friendships which had been built over the course of his very long life,” he said.
“We all love him, miss him deeply, and also we celebrate his extraordinary, very full life and his considerable legacy,” he added. PTI AK GSP GSP
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