It is with heavy hearts that we honour the passing of our patriarch, beloved Papi ji. By almost all, Shakti Nandan Sharma, was regarded as 'Papi ji', respected Father, and by close friends as Pandit Ji.
Papa ji was born on November 4th, 1926 in the village of Kharaudi, near Mahilpur, District Hoshiarpur, Punjab, India. At the age of six, he lost his father to the plague, and throughout his life, he lovingly held his Mother, Vidya Wati, who was widowed at the age of 24, with great respect and admiration. His paternal Grandfather, Kishan Chand, operated a confectionery shop and raised Papi ji dotingly and protectively, providing him with every opportunity while staying extremely watchful over his health and wellbeing. Despite a very protected environment, Papa ji was afflicted with typhoid fever and malaria as a child. Growing up his closest companions were his four maternal uncles.
Papi ji enrolled in elementary school at 4 ½ yrs age and then completed high school in Nadalon. After completing his education, Papi ji gained employment as the Highschool’s tuition fee collector and later as Bank Auditor from the Cooperative Bank in Mahilpur. He was married in Dec 1944 to Kamla Devi from village Sahri. They settled in Nadalon and their family grew.
In 1959, at 33, he was sponsored by his maternal Uncle Ganesh Das and Aunt Shanti Devi to migrate to Canada. His journey to begin a better way of life began. Initially, he took a leave of absence from his employer and hoped to make enough money to return home and to start up his own transport business. He arrived in Prince George on November 14th, 1961, as one of the first pioneers with Indian origins. In 1962, he formed a close bond with Wayne Thompson and began a very prosperous career, working as the accountant of Thompson Construction Ltd. As one of the leading construction companies of that era together they built hundreds of houses, apartments, and schools throughout Northern B.C.
In 1963, the morning after JFK was assassinated, struck by the fragility of life, Papi ji went straight to the immigration office to apply for his family to join him in Canada. His wife, Kamla Devi, and children, Parshotam (Kumar), Surrindar, Jiwan, Ravindar, and Jasdeep, arrived in Prince George on February 4th,1966. His mother joined them in Canada in 1967 until her death in 1987. After a short 4 years together in Canada, Kamla Devi, unexpectedly and quickly succumbed to terminal cancer. Papa ji was only 43 and this loss would be one of the greatest he endured. He was pressured by many, including his own mother to remarry, but his answer was "I am not alone, I have five kids".
Papi ji lived in Prince George for over 60 yrs, but never in all of his years of living in the North, did he shovel the snow, cut the grass, or even paint the house! He was a true believer in delegation! In the 1970s, Papi ji became President of the Prince George Hindu Cultural Society (PGHSC), and alongside his lifelong companions, they formed a tight-knit community to preserve Hindu traditions for their children.
Papa ji’s passions included socializing with family and friends, and he could always be counted on to vividly recount stories of his early life in India and Canada, and from his travels around the world. This included many trips to faraway destinations such as Trinidad & Tobago, Qatar, London, Alaska, Mexico, New Orleans, Las Vegas, New York, Hawaii, Hong Kong, and Singapore. Also, he made annual trips to visit family in Toronto, California, Seattle, India, and Bahrain. His fondest memory of travel in India was the week-long luxury Palace on Wheels train ride. In Canada, he was pleased to have visited each province at least once. As a keen philanthropist, the PGHSC established an annual scholarship fund for graduating high school students. In 2021, Papi ji made a final donation to the Spirit of the North Healthcare Foundation to be directed to educational tools through the Northern Clinical Simulation Centre at UHNBC. By far his keenest hobby was following his personal investments with daily 6 AM calls to MD management where he kept the advisors accountable and on their toes. He also stayed mentally sharp by keeping up to date with current events by watching nightly CBC news and reading voraciously the Citizen newspaper and Time magazine. Lastly, his memory was razor-sharp, he could perform complex calculations in his head with ease, and he possessed an absolutely phenomenal recollection of specific times and dates of important events in his own life that allowed him to publish his memoirs in 2007. It is ironic he died on Pi day 3.14.
Papa ji was a lifelong believer in the importance of living a healthy lifestyle that included good eating habits and regular exercise. In his younger years, he enjoyed long walks around Prince George and took pride in striding past younger kids. In India he rode a bicycle as part of his lifestyle, whereas in Canada he vowed never to ride a bicycle again! In the past few years, he took to using his walker around the neighborhood and finally a reclining stationary bicycle. He maintained strict routines for his medications and proudly monitored his lab results with precision. He wasn’t afraid to get multiple opinions before making his final decision when it came to his health. Lastly, the one habit he absolutely abhorred his entire life was smoking!
Papa ji’s life is a tribute to principles he held very dear to his heart, honesty, integrity, gratitude, and perseverance. His message to you would be to embrace life to the fullest: be kind, thoughtful, work hard, and be grateful. OM NAMAH SHIVAYA
He is preceded in death by his - Paternal Grandfather: Kishan Chand, Father: Dina Nath (d.age 24 in 1934), Maternal Grandfather’s nephew Chachi ji: Pandit Gian Chand (d. 1983), Mother: Vidya Wati Parashar (d. 6/25/1987), Wife: Kamla Devi Sharma (d. 6/29/1970).
Papa ji will be dearly missed by his children: Parshotam Kumar (Parmod Bala Spolia), Surrindar (Ashok Angl), Jiwan (Mohinder Angl), Ravindar (Renu Bala Spolia), Jasdeep (Aneelam Nair);
Grandchildren: Purnima Kumari Sharma-David (Gregory David), Deepak Angl (Nina Pasricha), Anand Kumar Sharma (Karen Sihota), Arun Angl (Kaitlyn Langford), Shobha Kumari Sharma (Sagar Saxena), Jayanth Angl (Emily Nicholas), Sheila Angl (Matt Clark), Rajeev Kumar Sharma (Shivani Bista), Shelly Renu Sharma, Mila Renu Sharma, Ajay Nair Sharma, Shonit Nair Sharma, Shay Nair Sharma;
Great grandchildren: Samanyu, Saranya, Rohan, Jia, Alexis, Austin, Miles, Cameron, Ashton, Janav;
Uncles & Aunts: Benarsi Das Mama ji & Santosh Mami ji Parashar (Seattle), Shanti Mami ji Parashar (Ganesh Das Mami ji d. 1977) (Vancouver), Sudershan Mami ji (Om Prakash Mama ji d.1990 ) Parashar (Seattle), and their extended families.
Papa ji made great friends and family all around the world, and he will be missed and fondly remembered. Our gratitude to each and everyone one of you for the significant role you have played in his life. His blessings remain with all of us. Let us honor his legacy, and raise our glasses in our Papi ji’s own words, “to good health, happiness, and prosperity!”
On Saturday, March 20th at 10:00am - 11:00am Pacific Standard Time (Western CANADA), we invite you to join us in celebrating Papi ji's life; to bear witness to the Vedic tradition, an eulogy, and our farewell. This link will only allow you to watch the service LIVE.
SHARE OBITUARY
v.1.8.18