Ervad Yezdi Pestonji Framji Panthaki, is born on 27th April 1937 in the highly respected family, he was brought up & educated at the prestigious Athornan Boarding Madressa, Dadar with Avesta, Pahelvi and Persian, as languages from 1946 onwards and was ordained a pacca Nava Maratab in Pak Iranshah Atash Behram, Udvada, has spent more than 63 yrs in community service.
After university education, he took up the 1st job in 1958 in State Bank of India Pune and then switched up to a challenging job of marketing & sales with Gestetner International, head office London, rising to the highest position of Branch Manager.
By the virtue of being posted in states like Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Orissa southern states and Jharkhand and traveling in interior pockets, though in the job, he offered his voluntary services by performing religious ceremonies and rituals like Gehsarna funerals (at times with a laity or a dog including guidance for nahan) and sachkar because of no mobeds in interior, ashirwads, fareshta, jashans, muktad and day to day prayers for the community.
Having travelled extensively in Iran, England, Scotland, Japan, China, Korea he has interacted with international community making innumerable new friends.
IRAN, he visited with WORLD ZARTHUSTI CHAMBER OF COMMERCE GROUP with President Kersi Limatwalla and led them for prayers at all religious places including in a defunct Dokhma on a mountain top.
JAPAN, attended LIONS INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION as District Chairman Communal Harmony and Peace at OSAKA & stayed at Tokyo, Kyoto & Kobe and participated in INTERNATIONAL PARADE with 57 thousand delegates.
CHINA, Beijing only member to scale THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA TOP from the group.
KOREA , at Seoul went on the center field of FIFA stadium after the WORLD CUP FINALS .
At London permitted to step on the centre court of the Wimbeldon Lawn Tennis Tournaments club and collected the soil from there. Also allowed in Royal stands and presented with a souvenir by a museum executive, as he was serving a British company.
A feather in his cap was when in London he had the privilege to meet His Royai Highness The Prince Of Wales ; Prince Charles of England who warmly shook hands with his wife Gool, son Sarosh and him , having a long chat with Yezdi not leaving his hand shake that the Prince's security guards were jittery and wanted the Prince to leave his hand. This happened when the Prince was invited to inaugurate the "World War" Armaments exhibition in an open park and Yezdi took a chance to venture forward and clasp his hand which Prince warmly extended, an experience of a lifetime!!!
After his retirement from job in 1987 he has dedicated his life for various causes.
Initially he was helping Athornan Mandel voluntarily to govern the Dadar Boarding Madressa & then made the Chief Executive Officer a post created for him, successfully clearing the backlog of problems, streamlined the administration and working for amelioration of his Mobed Brothers under the WZO schemes from Mr Dinshaw & Bachi Tamboli & bringing massive funds.
Took control of Iran League as honorary secretary and conducted weekly competitions for about 300 participants for seven consecutive weeks and got sponsors to feed each participant at the prize distribution ceremony, also processed to get massive funds for future competitions.
As the secretary of the Cusrow Baug Karani Agiary Trust he organized religious lectures on every Hormazd & Behram Roj & successfully completed the sesquicentennial celebrations co-ordinating with the Managing Trustee Mr Bomi Hansotia and coming out with a first day cover with the help of our philatelist Vispi Dastoor.
He is a Trustee of Saronda Parsi Jarthosti Anjuman, Bai Pirojbai Bomomji Jeejeebhoy Trust, Rathaestar Mandal & Jarthosti Bhaibandh Mandli, Member of Federation of Parsee Zorastrian Anjumans of India (FPZAI), WAPIZ, Indo - Iranian friendship society, Wisdom.
As district chairman of Communal Harmony And Peace Lions International, he did massive work by bring peace at the time of riots between the communities. In his time a 24 hr cold drinking water pub was established at CST station platform, where lakhs of commuters have taken advantage of it.
He is a voracious reader and has spoken from different platforms on different subjects like religion, marketing and employment. He was a speaker at the WORLD ZOROASTRIAN CONGRESS FOR YOUTH held in 1987 on the subject " The Advent of Zoroastrianism in the 21st century" at holiday program of BPP.
From Gestetner he gave free services to BPP at WZC to all Parsi charitable institutions and Parsi schools.
He sacrificed his lucrative job to ordain both his sons Naver Martab in the interest of religion and community service on meager pension of Rs 309 per month. Twice a past master of Free Mason Lodge Zoraster and made both his sons past masters of the same.
He got elected as the President of Godrej Baug resident association and successfully launched number of new projects , the most successful of all during his tenure was bring the Holy Fire from Tawdi at Navsari and enthroning at the S.F. Jokhi Agiary at Godrej Baug in the sanctum sanctorium (Kebla) along with his 2 sons & with Ervad Aspendiar Dadachanji.
The Eco- park, a dream for the Godrej Baug residents was inaugurated by Mr Jamshcd Guzdar on the enthroning day in his presence.
On the sports front he was the very first competitor to win the "Mr Zoroastriaa" title in Body Building at Rustom baug at the ripe age of 68 from amongst the young participants and winners. He is also a title holder "Best Built Parsi" in the competition held at Parsi General Hospital during "Live Well Keep Well Week" in 1956 & Mr K.C. College title consolation prize.
Being a keen sportsman he took the Godrej baug teams for various competitions in different baugs.
Has fought two Bombay parsi punchayet elections against giants like Silloo Kavarana, Zarir Bhathena and the present team just to bring dynamic changes.
A truly multifaceted personality has directed and staged and acted in fullplays. Organized entertainment shows ghambars dances sports first monsoon games with late Kersi Patel Mahyar Dastur team flagged off time keeper for car rally, flown a glider and in helicopter, with instructer swum in deep seas canal pond, gone for shiakar with parties, seen live tigers panther wild animals on travelling, gone inside coalmines, mountanclimbing, compered shows, judged competitions, a good ballroom and contemporary dancer, won at club level organized all mobeds team to play inter faith cricket match at Brabourne stadium where actor Salmankhan persoally shook hands and congratulated Yezdi.
His message to the youth is
Dear youngsters you are a dynamic enthusiastic and forthcoming generation
My only advice is every morning when you get up first pray to God to grant you wisdom, strength and morality to self motivate yourself to achieve your goal of shining in the society and earn good name and fame for our community and world our ultimate aim is to meet God.