Qayum Karzai, who brought baby pumpkin in garlic yogurt to The Helmand restaurant he founded in Mount Vernon and who once ran for president of Afghanistan, died of a heart attack Thursday at his Glenwood home in Howard County. He was 77. “Qayum was the kind of man who always made you want to be your best self,” said a friend, Mark Kaplan, who leased Mr.
Karzai his Charles Street restaurant 35 years ago. “He was so gracious,” said Mr. Kaplan.
“You would sit with him and be in a calm space. He would make you feel at ease. Over time, his background came out and you realized his story .
“He was inspirational and worked unselfishly. He would have been a great leader of the Afghan people. He felt more than just a patron, you were a guest.
His quality was so high and the service so warm,” Mr. Kaplan said. Another friend, Stanley Heuisler said, “Legend has it Alexander the Great said ‘god must love Afghans because he made them so beautiful.
’ “It is a fitting tribute to the civility, compassion and spirit of Qayum Karzai. He was born into a world of complexities, and he carried them all with dignity, respect and honor. He was one beautiful human being,” Mr.
Heuisler said. Born in Afghanistan, he was the son of a tribal leader who later in life invested in real estate. Mr.
Karzai moved to the U.S. in the late 1960s with plans to train as a pilot in Texas.
He immediately found he suffered from vertigo and that his flying aspirations were over. His life changed wh.
