Naranjan Singh Dhesi

Due to CoVid-19 and our World Crisis you can view the Funeral Service by clicking onto this LIVE STREAM Link https://youtu.be/CnwcO7Xtyls

Slide Show Link  https://photos.app.goo.gl/mfKadyQX9KNezkyh9

In lieu of flowers please consider a donation to: The ALS Association or Khalsa AID: https://www.als.org/donate https://www.khalsaaid.org/donate

Post-Funeral Services at: Guru Nanak Sikh Society 1911 Hobart Rd. Indianapolis, IN 46203.

In Loving Memory of Naranjan Singh Dhesi

Naranjan Singh Dhesi, the son of Hazara Singh and Partap Kaur, passed quietly alongside his family on March 1st, 2021 at 3:39am in Avon, Indiana.

Professor Dhesi was born on April 1st, 1944 in the small village of Meda in Punjab. He grew up as a middle child alongside his two brothers and four sisters. His parents, Hazara Singh and Partap Kaur were farmers though they emphasized that their children pursue any path in life that they wished. This helped inspire Professor Dhesi to pursue a career path in education. In 1971 he earned his M.A. degree in Punjabi. Thereafter, he accepted his first teaching position at Bearing College in Batala.

On June 30th 1971 Professor Dhesi wed his wife Balbir Kaur Grewal who later bore two children; a son Jagroop and a daughter Jyothi. Soon after he began a new position as a Professor at Khalsa College. Naranjan was an active member of the Sikh community as well as a social and political activist. In 1979, he was promoted to the head of the Punjabi department at Khalsa College. Professor Dhesi went on to publish numerous research papers and news articles. He provided children with mentorship and educational opportunities within the Punjabi community. He was an educational visionary, disrupting how traditional Punjabi was taught in schools.

Professor Dhesi retired in 2004 and went on to become the director of the Sri Guru Granth Sahib Research Center in Fathegarh, Punjab. He dedicated his life’s work to publishing articles on Gurbani and Sikh Culture. He later would become the Dean at the Sai Technical Campus in Amritsar.

In 2010 Professor Dhesi moved to the United States and continued his work in social activism. He founded the Senior Citizen’s Society near Indianapolis and delivered numerous lectures at Gurdwaras across the country. Naranjan was a well known and revered figure throughout the Punjabi community.

Naranjan Dhesi is preceded in passing by his parents Hazara Singh and Partap Kaur, his sisters Surjit Kaur and Harbanish Kaur, his wife Balbir Kaur Grewal, and his son-in-law Manpreet Hundal. He is survived by his daughter Paramjot Hundal, son Jagroop Singh, daughter-in-law Raveen Dhesi, brothers Ram Singh and Ranjeet Singh, sisters Gurmeet Kaur and Kamaljit Kaur, and his grandchildren Amrita Hundal, Amanpreet Hundal, and Khushmeet Dhesi.

Professor Dhesi led a life that was full of enrichment and love. He was a beloved father, a doting grandfather, a caring brother, and a revered friend. He left an indelible mark on the world and will be missed dearly by all of those he touched.