Akal Purkh Singh Gill

November 13, 1938 - July 2, 2012

It is with heavy heart that we announce the passing of Akal Purkh Singh Gill. He was a devoted husband, brother, brother-in-law, father, father-in-law, grandfather, uncle, businessman and community leader. Akal was born November 13, 1938 in a small dusty village called Rajpur in Punjab, India.

As with most endearing stories he had humble beginnings. In 1963 he followed his father, Gurdit Singh (Harbans Kaur) who came to Canada in the 1950s who in turn had followed his sister and brother-in-law (Rukman and Battan Dhoot Beadall) in the 1910s.

India gave Akal his roots but Canada gave him wings! Akal went on to build a trucking company in Victoria, a flour milling company in Vancouver and real estate holdings on both sides of Georgia Straits.

In 1968, Akal returned to India and married his devoted wife, Lila. They maintained a loving and successful marriage for 44 years.

Being the consummate underdog and always gravitating toward the less-fortunate, Akal always tried to help those in need. He helped hundreds of people from India immigrate to Canada and the United States. These people and their off-spring and now their off-spring number in the thousands, populate all corners of North America.

Akal was an active member among his community of Sikh devotees. For several years he participated in the society that operated the Sikh Temple located on Graham Street in Victoria. His greatest joy was to help build a beautiful new Temple which opened in 2011.

Akal was the epitome of "hope" and "optimism". It was with this hope and optimism that he would not surrender to cancer. Akal was first diagnosed with cancer in 2003. In 2008 after having gone through several treatments his Victoria urologist had given up hope - but not Akal. Akal then sought and received treatment at the BC Cancer Agency in Vancouver. Akal bounced back in 2008 and 2009. In August 2010 the cancer had now spread to the brain. This time the Vancouver doctors had given-up hope - but not Akal. He survived another two years as a fully functioning and productive person. The doctors often told his family that they had not seen a tougher-guy or someone with nine-lives. We think it was his audacity of hope that sustained him throughout his life.

Akal is survived by his wife Lila Wati; sister: Pritam Kaur Dhari (Kushal Singh) and Malkito Bhondi (Jarnail Singh); sister-in-law: Parmjit Budwal (Gurcharan Singh); children: Jagdish, Nishi and Sukhjit Paul; children-in-law: Sonia, Vladimir Ivanov, and Jagdip; grandchildren: Priya, Aneel, Arjan, Philip and Arman.

Funeral services will be held Saturday July 7, 2012 at 10:00am at First Memorial Funeral Services at 4725 Falaise Drive Victoria, BC (250) 658-5244.