Dr. Keshoolal Choitram Bakhru

Keshoolal Bakhru was born in Rohri (Sind), formerly India, on August 13, 1933. He was the eldest of six children: Nanik, Hassaram, Rani, Ramesh, and Manohar. He received his B.Sc. degree with honors in Physics and his M.Sc. in Physics from Banaras Hindu University in June 1952 and 1954, respectively, and served as a Lecturer in the university’s Science College.

From August 1955 until August 1960, he was a member of the Research Staff at the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research in Mumbai (Bombay), India, where he was engaged in the development of the first general-purpose digital computer in India. In 1960 Kesh came to New York to join Columbia University as a Fulbright Scholar. That same year, he met his future wife, Shiela Komer, to whom he was married from 1969 until her death in 2009. He earned both an M.S. degree and an E.E. degree in Electrical Engineering from Columbia University.

Kesh joined the Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn in September 1965 and was appointed a Special Research Fellow. He completed his Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering there in 1972 and served briefly on the faculty of the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn. Their first daughter, Kumari, was born, and the family moved to San Diego, California. Their second daughter, Tanya, was born in 1979.

Upon moving to San Diego, Kesh joined the faculty of Electrical Engineering at San Diego State University. Shortly thereafter, he began a 35-year career at Cubic Defense Systems. While working in industry, he continued to teach graduate engineering courses at San Diego State University, UC San Diego, and the University of San Diego. In 2000, he was named Engineer of the Year by the San Diego County Engineering Council. He was also an IEEE Fellow and was active in its Professional Activities Committees for Engineers, K–12, and STEM education, and served as a long-term member-at-large of the section. In his later years, he continued to work, well into his 80s, as a consultant for MicroUSA.

Dr. Keshoolal Bakhru was a trailblazer—the first in his family to immigrate to the United States and a pioneer in his field. He contributed to research and development in Electrical Engineering and held several patents. He was deeply committed to mentoring students and colleagues. Kesh was a regular attendee of the San Diego Hare Krishna Temple and a member of Soka Gakkai International. He was known for his quiet politeness and hospitality, often preparing his special tea for guests and sharing stories of his life in India and his journey to the United States. He valued education above all else and was a dedicated scientist and researcher.

Kesh adored his grandchildren and found great joy in watching them play and grow. He is survived by his daughter Kumari; son-in-law Louis; granddaughter Trillian; daughter Tanya; daughter-in-law Tina; and grandson Finn.