Pretipal (Palli) Singh Virdi passed away on April 18, 2019. He was born on March 22, 1935 in Multan, India, the son of Sant Singh and Prabh Kaur Virdi. Pret grew up in India moving from place to place as his father was a civil engineer in the Indian Army. He came to America via London in 1963 to continue his education, arriving in New York on the Queen Mary ocean liner. He met Maria Lory Po on New Year’s Eve 1966 and they were married later that Fall, they were married for over 50 years. They wed in Calgary, Alberta before taking a four-month honeymoon during which they traveled around the world visiting many places across Europe and Asia, including their home countries of India and the Philippine Islands. In 1969 Pret and Lory moved to and settled in Denver, CO where they raised their three children: Robina, Jeff and Melanie.
Pret is preceded in death by his parents, Sant Singh and Prabh Kaur; his sister Sital; and his brothers Partat, Pritam and Ranjeet. He is survived by his wife Lory; daughters Robina and Melanie; son Jeff; grandchildren Lily, Asha and Jasmine; and brothers Harbahjan & Joginder.
Pret had a strong passion for education, earning a number of degrees from various institutions around the world including Khalsa College in Amritsar, India (MA History), University of London and University of Northern Colorado (MA Economics). He went on to spend most of his career as a guidance counselor at Hinkley High School in Aurora, CO, positively influencing students for almost 30 years. Along with his career as a guidance counselor he was also a realtor and gift shop owner. He kept busy raising his family while also participating in many different past times including camping, skiing, fishing, golfing and international/domestic travel. In his later years, he received his greatest joy by spending time with his children and grandchildren, all of whom he was extremely proud of.
Pret was also very proud of his Indian heritage, Sikh religion and culture. One of his greatest passions was to grow and influence his religion and culture locally in the U.S. and specifically in Denver. In the early 70’s, with his brother Joginder, he successfully promoted and introduced the first Classical Indian Music concerts in Colorado, surrounding states and Canada. He was also instrumental in starting the local Sikh Gurudwara (temple), Colorado Singh Sabha, with a handful of other families and growing the community to over 100 families over the span of 20 years.
Pret’s mantra in life was to always be polite, patient and respectful. His friends and family describe him as a kind, loving and gentle man who was highly respected by his peers, community members, friends and family. He was a man of few words, happy to quietly listen to and enjoy the company of others – coming alive when speaking about his family, personal history or culture. His laughter and smile would light up his face and an entire room. He was deeply loved by so many around the world and will be greatly missed.
Memorial contributions may be made to The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research.
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