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Shangara Singh an Engineer and Philanthropist Passes Away After Cardiac Arrest
NRI Whose Life Can Inspire Us
He Stand Up For What He Believe In

Glowing tributes were paid to Shangara Singh ji by NRI Community Leaders

Los Angeles, Oct. 08, 2018
NRIpress.club/Ramesh/ A.Gary Singh Grewal

NRI Shangara Singh, an engineer, Philanthropist and Sevadar of Sikh Temple Riverside, California passed away in July, 2018. On the tenth day, the relatives and friends of the family gather for the “Bhog” ceremony, at which the singing of hymns started 10am -1pm. at Riverside Gurdwara on Aug. 04, 2018

He was born in Khudda village, about 10 kilometers North of Urmar Tanda of the District Hoshiarpur. In 1974, he migrated to California,USA

Three decades ago, in Riverside Gurdwara Project, he and his team members- Sudagar Singh Gulshan, Dr. Gurnam Singh, Ujjagar Singh Jhajj, Manohar Singh and Jaswinder Singh Grewal raised funds to buy piece of Land, conceptual Plans, County Approval, Selection & Purchase of materials, Hiring Architect and Contractors. He was always there to oversee the project as an engineer,

Shangara Singh has left behind his life partner Surinder Kaur and a son Captain Dr Herb Singh, daughter in law Sheila and two beautiful granddaughters Sophie and Sonia.

Glowing tributes were paid to Shangara Singh ji by:
Amrik Singh Sidhu an Engineer Joginder Singh Sandhu, Education and Business Mann Dr. Bashir Darbara Singh's Kirtan
 
Dr. Herb Singh S/O Shangara Singh: urologist in Austin tribute his father

Dr. Herb Singh is an urologist in Austin, Texas and is affiliated with multiple hospitals in the area, including Seton Medical Center Austin and St. David's Medical Center.

He received his medical degree from Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and has been in practice between 11-20 years.

He is one of 32 doctors at Seton Medical Center Austin and one of 21 at St. David's Medical Center who specialize in Urology

 

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Amrik Singh Sidhu introduced Gurinder Singh to honor the deceased along with his own words:

By Gurinder Singh: (Press copy of Gurinder Singh's address/ tribute to Shingara Singh)

Yun to kai ate hain, zindgi main, basrne ke liay, Chand aate hain,
kuch karke dikhate hain, Ak nai misaal chodh jate hain
............Gurinder Singh

Today, we are sitting together, in the presence of our Supreme Living Guru, Shri Guru Granth Sahib ji, to remember and pay tributes to Sardar Shangara Singh, a fellow Sevadar of this Sikh Temple Riverside. When I reflect upon his attributes, deeds and achievements over his life time period, I end up only to one conclusion that he has left a legacy tremendously rich with full of inspirations. We can relay his stories to our children and can be proud to say that he was amongst us and a part of Riverside Sikh Sangat.

Click Video And we simply can never forget that his legacy is embedded solidly in the land where we visit almost once a week with feelings of awe, love, reverence and great respect.

Saad Sangat Ji, sometimes without thinking we take everything for granted, but just go back about three decades, this was not even our land. A few dedicated Sikhs got together, one of them was Shangara Singh who contemplated the need of a Gurdwara, a place of worship in Riverside. Thereafter Shangara Singh spearheaded with full vigour to fulfill a dream of a Gurdwara in Riverside

I met Shangara Singh first time in 1986 when I moved from Houston Texas to Palm Springs California. This was the nearest Gurdwara about 60 miles from my Palm Desert home. It was noticeable that all the members of the management team were very dedicated individuals. Their families along with their children were participating in this endeavor of building the Gurdwara and doing Sewa in whatever fashion & form they could do.

Because of the scarcity of funds they couldn't even afford professional Raggi Jatha for doing Kirtan & Path. Many a times in Sunday Assemblies, I noticed, Gulshan Singh Sodager & Shangara Singh doing Kirtan together. This created a great impression on me, that not only they were good technical professionals, they were seriously religious and could perform religious ceremonies by themselves. .

In the Khudda village, about 10 kilometers North of Urmar Tanda of the District Hoshiarpur, a young lad of six years who was eldest male in the family, was working along with his mother, ploughing fields in a very traditional way, pushing pair of oxen, dragging hoe, tilling to prepare land to do seeding for the next crop. This young lad was Shangara, working willingly & diligently with his tiny hands, no grudging whatsoever.

The time was very tough, primitive living, no electricity, no piped water, no bathrooms, no kitchen as we know, cooking was done over the wood fuel. Shangara learnt very quickly the tough, surviving rules of life, ie; Diligence, Work hard with your heart in , Solid Determination, Patience, Sharing and Faith in Waheguru. And that is what he practiced throughout his life.

A wise man who was a relative of the family, saw talent in young Shangara and pushed him to go to School. From ordinary village school to engineering Diploma to engineering degree and then in search of job, he traveled a lot from Punjab to Rajasthan and then to Bihar.

He almost lived for five years in Ranchi Bihar working in Martin & Black, a speciality Steel Manufacturing Plant. There in 1973 he met his wife Surinder Kaur whose father was in Foreign Service and had travelled abroad to Burma & Thailand. The family encouraged him to move to USA. So in 1974, following the lead from her brother, they migrated to US California.

American living is way different from the Indian style, yet fundamental principles of life are just the same. Shangara Singh started from the scratch once again. He was a very willing worker, wherever he found the the job he didn't hesitate, he worked, anything, may it be Janitorial, Lawn mowing or any Handyman position. Finally he found a technical job of his line, with Kaiser Steel of Fontana. That was the real beginning and he made his reputation as an excellent worker.

He was extremely happy when he became US citizen in 1979. Thereafter Shangara Singh was offered positions in the most prestigious Defence companies of the United States notably Rohr Inc, McDonnell Douglas, Rockwell International and Lockheed Martin. These companies performed highly sophisticated, technically most advanced engineering work, in the design and manufacturing of defence and aerospace related equipment. Being the most strategic, highly secretive and classified, the personnels assigned must obtain tough security clearance which was mandatory and required. Shangara Singh worked on B-2 Bombers and Spacecrafts projects. This clearly indicated that Shangara Singh was way sophisticated & technically advanced, and he truly was, a patriot of high integrity and reputation.

Imagine, isn’t it remarkable that the same young lad tilling in the agricultural field in the remote part of India, progressed & ascended to become an engineer in the most reputed Engineering companies of the United States.

After retiring from Lockheed Martin, he started his own private business of Investments and Development Works. He bought several properties in the states of California and Texas. Each and every property he acquired, he made immense improvements to make it like Brand New. People who bought his properties were very appreciative and they often competed to own his improved homes.

My personal first interaction with Shangara Singh was very interesting. In 1991, the Gurdwara Management Committee asked me to design the Nishan Sahib Pole and obtain Riverside County approval as I was the practicing engineer in the Inland Empire. Shangara Singh was coordinating with me, it was not merely the steel pole, it was the Chola & Furla Sahib design which should be so tough to withstand 120 miles per hour Santa Ana Winds. I found him very knowledgeable and practical and he was like a trouble shooter. I was very impressed with his foresight & input and when the time came of installing, he was right there next to me watching every small technical detail. He was very creative with a genuine technical genius mind.

He had a very strong faith & conviction on religion. He believed in sharing and went out of the way to help anyone in need. He was trustworthy and had a very high integrity. He safeguarded Gurdwara property and funds with utmost frugalness & care . Some may not have liked his toughness and approach, nevertheless he was very steadfast.

Our Riverside Sikh Sangat definitely misses him. A member who was always in Chardikala is gone but he has left behind solid deeds and characteristics which we can dwell on and learn from his inspiring life.

The family is very proud of Shingara Singh Ji, his heritage and allegiance to Sikhism.

I pray to the Almighty Waheguru to bless the family courage, strength and wisdom and bless them the spirit of Chardikala. I also pray & encourage them to continue ascending with the same acceleration as Shangara Singh did and always stay connected with your roots.

So Saad Sangat ji, let's celebrate the Chardikala life of Shangara Singh with a big bold Jakara, the sound, the goonj of which reaches upto the Rooh of Shangara Singh wherever he is, to carry this message that we thank you, we love you, we will remember you, forever.

BOLE SO NIHAL, SAT SIRI AKAL. Respectfully with my best Regards, Gurinder Singh August 4,2018

The passing away of a Sikh is no cause of grief or sorrow, for one submits to the Will of God. After the Bhog, Ardaas and a Hukam, Karah-Parshaad was distributed among those present. Langar was also served.