Balbir Kaur Palak

She is lovingly remembered by her husband Didar Singh, children; Navdeep, Monica (Brent), Seema (Marvin), Vikram (Mickey); grandchildren; Uma, Iyla, Nayan, brothers; Harmail (Manjeet) and Iqbal (Rajinder); sister; Ravinder (Kuldip), aunts and uncles, nephews and nieces, cousins, in-laws, extended family, and a host of wonderful friends whom she considered her chosen family. She was predeceased by her parents, Ajit Singh and Chanan Kaur Rai.

Balbir was born in her maternal village of Tuto Mazara and grew up in Khan Khana, India. As the oldest of four children, she was a natural leader who took it upon herself to contribute her gifts to her family and community. She was an avid student who excelled at school, an accomplished seamstress and good thinker who could always map out the best way forward. Her drive to improve the lives of those around her is what inspired her to continue her studies and become a well- respected and much loved school teacher. She taught for many years and had a positive impact in the lives of her students, especially girls whose rights she always championed and fought for.

She met and married her life partner Didar in 1972 and they immigrated to Edmonton, Canada in 1974 with their first child Navdeep. It was an adventure in a new land with a new language and culture to learn. Balbir knew the value of community and how important a village was to developing roots and stability. With open mindedness and resolve she committed the best of herself to make a home base. The years that followed brought the arrival of daughters Monica and Seema and son Vikram.

Her life revolved around the children’s education, helping other family members settle in Canada and contributing to the greater community through her work. Her home was always open to anyone who needed a warm meal or a place to stay, all with a side dose of wisdom and warmth. Although she never formally taught in a school again, she ran the classroom of her own kids and their many friends who were always fixtures in her home. Many of the friends she met from the time she arrived in Edmonton became her family and they all worked hard to build a good life for themselves and others.

She was a smart, solid and loyal presence to those lucky enough to be around her. Known for her intelligence, insight and strength, she was an open minded and progressive woman who based her thinking on equality and fairness. Truly a trailblazer who was ahead of her time and influenced others around her to look at things from a more conscious and evolved perspective.

Getting her children educated, married and paying forward the opportunities she worked so hard for was her greatest achievement but it is us who receive the greatest gift of her living her values so powerfully.

A cancer diagnosis in 2011 didn’t slow Balbir down as she had retired from work life and was awaiting the arrival of her beloved grandchildren Uma, Iyla and Nayan. These three were her greatest delight in life. She nicknamed them her’ medicine’ and they were integral to her staying healthy and happy for another decade as she continued to make life better for her family, friends and community.

While the last few months did slow Balbir down, she did so with her characteristic strength and wisdom. That along with her dedicated commitment to her faith helped kept her spirit strong. A special thanks to the excellent care that was provided by Dr. Paul Humphries and the AHS palliative home care team, Dr. Xiafou Zhu of the Cross Cancer Institute, trusted pharmacist Shamas Arshad and legendary qi gong Master Michael Shen – all of whom helped her pass away comfortably at home with her signature grace and dignity.

She was a great lady who will be greatly missed.

If family and friends so desire, memorial tributes may be made to the Edmonton Food Bank as feeding the hungry was a cause she cared deeply about. https://www.edmontonsfoodbank.com/donate-now/