Gajanan Shambhu Pundit

In gratitude for the blessings that we have received from Gajanan (“Lala”) Shambhu Pundit - loving husband of Dewayani who predeceased him; father of Shirish & Manoj and their spouses Nilkanth & Sumathi; grandfather of Anisha, Shivani, Anushri, Aditi, Rita and Yogesh; youngest brother of Vasudeva, Srikant and Kishor; brother-in-law of Sudha and Avinash; uncle of Archana, Anjali and Amit; proud son of Shambhu and Sundara Verlekar; uncle of Deepak, Ruby, Babu, Gita, Jyoti, Lopa, Kavita, Medha, Kunda; and a cherished friend and father figure to so many.

Gajanan was born on June 8, 1931 in Sao Bartolomeu in Chorao, Goa and grew up in Mapusa. Continually in pursuit of higher education, Gajanan earned degrees of B.Sc., B.Ed. and LL.B. in India, and then embarked on an adventure to teach in Ethiopia in 1960.

Gajanan went back to India to marry Dewayani in 1961. They started their life together in Ethiopia where they were both teachers and where Shirish was born. Looking to relocate to the West, Gajanan and Dewayani secured teaching positions in McLennan, a railroad town in northern Alberta, where they settled in October 1964 and where Manoj was subsequently born.

After spending several years as a teacher, Gajanan wished to pursue his true passion, becoming a lawyer after attending law school at the University of Alberta. He was called to the bar in 1971.

Gajanan was steadfastly dedicated to his family, his community and his profession. He inculcated strong family values in his children and he loved Dewayani passionately. Education was foundational for him and he insisted that his children and grandchildren pursue academic excellence and professional careers. He was devoted to fostering the Hindu community in Edmonton and was one of the founders of the Hindu Society of Alberta and the Edmonton Raga-mala Music Society.

Gajanan was an accomplished lawyer. He would never tire of his work and served his clients with dedication, respect and resolve until the age of 81. He was generous to the wider community in taking on pro bono work for the underprivileged. A proud Canadian, he gained nourishment through Indian classical music, Hindu scriptures - in particular, the Bhagavad Gita which he loved to recite from memory. He spoke seven languages and loved poetry.

Amongst his greatest attributes, Gajanan treated every person he encountered with utmost dignity and respect and each was made to feel special in his presence. He celebrated the successes and achievements of others with the same zeal as those of his own family.

A celebration of life will be held at Hainstock's Funeral Home and Crematorium, 9810 – 34 Avenue NW, on Friday, April 8, 2022 starting at 2:45 pm and Aarti and Bhajans will be held at the BAPS Hindu Mandir, 3223 Parsons Rd NW, on Saturday, April 9, 2022 from 7-8:30 pm.