Dr. M. Younas Kiani

Younas was born in modern-day Pakistan. As a young man in the 1940’s, Younas resided near New Delhi, India, when the war between Pakistan and India broke. Younas, with his parents and sisters, were forced into a refugee camp where he was exposed to disease, famine, and death. While imprisoned, Younas would stand in line for hours in the 100-plus degree heat to bring water, cupped in the palms of his hands, back to his family while never taking a sip for himself. Ultimately, the family made a harrowing escape, but shortly after returning to Pakistan; his mother passed away. It was at this moment that Younas decided to dedicate his life to medicine.

While on breaks from medical school, Younas would take time to mentor his future bride Aziz on what he had learned. Younas had an amazing way of taking complex topics and distilling them down so others could comprehend. His signature approach often involved a detailed explanation in lay terms, accompanied by an impromptu diagram often drawn on a scrap piece of paper or a serviette (the French word for napkin). Since Aziz also had a strong interest in medicine and helping others, we suspect this serviette-based courtship approach served as the impetus for their lifelong partnership.

Younas excelled as an adolescent in both athletics and academics, and this propelled him to further enhance his education in Canada and pursue a career in orthopedics. Even though he had never seen snow before, Younas took a position as the town doctor in an indigenous community in Canada’s harsh and desolate Northwest Territories to help pay off his medical school loans and support his family back in Pakistan. The perks of the job included a Volkswagen van, a snowmobile, and a husky named Nina for dog sledding. During his downtime in the winter, when the territories would experience 23 hours of darkness, Younas could often be found at the community center playing cards, chess, and indoor sports. In the summer, with 23 hours of daylight, he pursued his second love and enjoyed gardening at all hours of the day and night. He then decided to move south and worked in private practice in Edmonton, Alberta, before accepting a position at the VA Hospital in Iron Mountain.

Dr. Kiani served as the chief orthopedic surgeon at VA Hospitals both in Iron Mountain, Mich. and in Dayton, Ohio. While there, he dedicated 40 years of his career serving those for whom he had the ultimate respect, our veterans.

Dr. Kiani and his family have lived in Iron Mountain since 1975, and although he also resided in Dayton, Ohio, for a period, he always maintained his residence in Iron Mountain and considered Iron Mountain his home. He appreciated the slower pace of life and wanted his family surrounded by people who prided themselves on hard work, perseverance, honesty, and sincerity. He was actively involved in the community, and he, along with a core group of dedicated volunteers, helped spearhead the fundraising and creation of the Mountain View Ice Arena to ensure that the children of the area had access to an indoor space for both hockey and figure skating. In his early years, Younas served as the team “doc” for the Iron Kings Hockey team, and in his later years, he could often be seen enjoying local youth sporting events and lending a helping hand whenever anyone got injured.

Dr. M. Younas Kiani is survived by his wife, Dr. Aziz Kiani, and their four children, Talat (Arlene), Fouzia (Paul), Imran and Naveed (Vidya), and their six grandchildren, Jonas, Nicholas, Lauren, Aziza, Niko, and Sofina, who brought him so much pride and joy.

The entire family was able to get together earlier this year to celebrate Younas’ 90th birthday. Younas also served as a patriarch to his extended family.

Younas always led by example with an intense focus on service coupled with a “no excuses/no complaining” approach to life’s challenges. These are the characteristics he embodied and for which he challenged those around him also carry forward.

The family is thankful to both the Rahman Funeral Home in Detroit and the Jacobs Funeral Home in Iron Mountain for bringing Younas safely home.

A celebration of his life will be held in Iron Mountain this summer; the date will be published closer to the event.

You may leave condolences or tribute for Younas’ family online at www.JacobsFuneralHomes.com

The family has chosen the Jacobs Funeral Home, Iron Mountain, to honor Younas’ legacy of life.