Madan Gopal

Beloved Father, Uncle (Chacha), Grandfather, Great-Grandfather and husband to the late Pushpa Rani, departed peacefully, on Tuesday, April 12, 2011 at 7:20 a.m. at the Ottawa General Hospital. Born in 1922 in Simla (India), he was a diplomat with the Indian Foreign Service and was posted to Kuwait, Canada and Zambia and retired to Ottawa from his last posting in 1984. Madan Gopal was devoted to community service in Ottawa as a past president of the India-Canada Association, current Vice-President of the Mahatma Gandhi Peace Council of Ottawa and devoted member of many other Indo-Canadian associations in Ottawa. During the past 27 years, he pursued his passion of the dramatic arts by producing and directing numerous Hindi plays to raise funds for various Ottawa-based charities. He also found great pleasure in devoting his time at the Hindu Temple of Ottawa-Carleton. Most notably, he was lovingly known to many friends as "Chacha-Ji" and he was a well respected fixture at many festivals and functions celebrating Indian culture and religious events in Ottawa. His wisdom, knowledge and love of story-telling was always apparent. Survived by his daughter Madhu (Madan) and grandchildren Ashu (Jyothi), Puja; sister-in-law Bimla Rani; nephews Chetan (Satya), Shri (Meena); niece Rita (Kamal). He will always be remembered as Grand-Pa to Pankaj (Beenu), Vanita (Arvind), Sabrina (Sami), Selena (Tauseef), Shikha (Updesh), Swathi, Prince and Monica; and Great Grand-Pa to Rianna, Arya, Laith, Arav and Ishana. The family will receive friends at McEvoy-Shields Funeral Home, 1411 Hunt Club Road (at Albion Road) on Thursday from 7-9 pm and Friday from 2-4 & 7-9 pm. Funeral Service on Saturday at 10 am in the Chapel of the funeral home. In memory of Madan, kindly consider a donation to the Hindu Temple of Ottawa. Online condolences, stories and memories may be shared at McEvoy-Shields.com.