Man Mohan "Moni" Sawhney

He will be greatly missed by those who survive him: loving wife, Sharda Tandon Sawhney; brother, Ramesh; sister, Uma Bhandari; children, Anita (Greg Flynn), Ravi (Laura Alexander); grandchildren, Sophie, Marlo and Felix; and many nieces, nephews and friends.

He was preceded in death by brothers, Surinder, and Subhash; and sisters, Sudesh, Usha, and Bimla.

Moni thrived in a big family with his three brothers and four sisters. As the eldest son, he eventually became the family patriarch, a role he embraced with pride. He had fond memories of a colorful childhood in his neighborhood of Pahar Ganj: flying fighter kites on rooftops, escaping the Delhi heat in movie houses, street vendors selling fruits and treats, the constant traffic of friends coming and going, and an abundant variety of delicious food. He had vivid recollections of the Partition of India and the funeral of Mahatma Gandhi. As a teenager and college student, he could be found in coffee houses of Connaught Place, and in open fields playing field hockey and cricket.

During his college years the most talked about concern in newly independent India was how the country was going to feed itself. As food security is critical to social well-being Moni decided to pursue higher education in agriculture, earning a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture degree in 1956 from Delhi University at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute, and doctoral degree in Agricultural Extension in 1962. In 1960, during his graduate education, he fortuitously found an interesting job with the American Exhibit at the World Agriculture Fair. It was there that he met and fell in love with his future wife Sharda.

They married in 1962 and shortly after came to the United States in connection with a family carpet business needing attention. As it was clear that the business was in deep trouble, Moni decided to continue to pursue a career in academia. With his keen intellect and delightful charm, he quickly landed a teaching position in the Department of Sociology at NCSU.

While the backstory of his switch from agriculture to sociology is a little opaque, it is clear that he enjoyed an exciting and successful career at NCSU as it transitioned from a College of Agriculture and Engineering to a State University. The 1970’s was an age of collaboration and collegiality in academia. He cherished the camaraderie in Sociology and Anthropology and across disciplines, often teaching with colleagues in Design, Engineering and Agriculture. He won numerous teaching awards, was elected Chair of the Faculty Senate, and spent the last years of his career as Associate Dean of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences. Moni was an avid Wolfpack fan, and the NC State University Club became a second home.

Beyond the brickyard of NCSU, Moni raised his family on the 400 block of East Rowan Street where he provided a colorful childhood for his own kids and even the kids in the neighborhood. His magnetic personality attracted friends of all ages. Their home always had an open door and open table. It was a frequent venue for legendary parties featuring Moni’s famous pakoras and kabobs, and Sharda’s delicious samosas.

Among the original Indian immigrants of Raleigh, Moni and Sharda also guided and hosted many newcomers and became stalwarts and pillars of the growing Indian community. They also hosted visitors, from near and far, at a summer house they built on Topsail Island. While a fiercely proud American, and North Carolinian, Moni forever cherished the land of his birth. “I live in the South, but my identity is not Southern”.

As a sociologist, he appreciated the importance of social connection and community, and the bonds formed around the sharing of meals. His strong belief that public education was key to a successful democracy greatly influenced his politics and inspired his active affiliation with the Democratic Party. His graduate student mentee Gordon Smith was inspired to found Exploris, a children’s museum about the world, where a statue of Gandhi graces the courtyard.

Moni loved people more than anything else and would probably like to be remembered most as a loyal and helpful friend and mentor. He was a doting husband, father, grandfather, and uncle - to his family and community. Deeply engaging and curious, he enjoyed all types of conversation, from big ideas to friendly chit chat, especially about good food. While Moni had more faith in people and society than any particular divine power he was among the founders of the Hindu Society of North Carolina in 1976, helping establish the first Hindu Bhavan in Raleigh and later its current location in Morrisville, was actively involved with Pullen Memorial Baptist Church, and later Community United Church of Christ, the Rotary Club, and the NC State University Club - anywhere people created fellowship and community, and broke bread together.

A Celebration of Life will be held at the NC State University Club on Saturday, July 27 at 11:00 am.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the NCSU Sharda and Mohan Sawhney Endowment for Study Abroad, a scholarship fund close to their heart, https://go.ncsu.edu/sawhney

Arrangements provided by Brown-Wynne, 300 Saint Mary's St., Raleigh, NC.