CHEHIL, Dr. Dalip Singh

It is with profound grief that we inform you that our cherished father, Dr. Dalip Singh Chehil, passed away peacefully in his home with his beloved daughter by his side on December 29, 2020 at the age of 92. Dr. Dalip Chehil was born in 1929 in a village in Punjab, India, called Jaspalon. He was a child born with an ambition and drive to be the best human being he could be through learning, hard work, spiritual devotion, and healthy living. He dedicated his life to study, service and family. He lived his life with integrity, honesty, and humility. Having lost both parents in his youth, he was saddled with responsibility early and committed himself to ensuring that his siblings and the extended future generation of his family were secure and given access to a better life. He completed a Master’s degree at the India Institutes of Technology and was awarded a prestigious scholarship to complete his PHD in applied mathematics at the University of Wisconsin. He was joined in Maddison by his wife, Kuldip, who completed her Masters in Education there. They subsequently settled in Nova Scotia where they had their two children and he completed his career as full Professor in the Department of Engineering at Dalhousie University. He had a passion for teaching and dedicated countless hours to mentoring, motivating and supporting learners. He strongly believed in education as an avenue to individual and community empowerment. One of his legacies is the Dalhousie Guru Nanak Scholarship awarded to African Nova Scotian students which he was inspired to create to encourage children from within the African Nova Scotian community (where his wife began her teaching career) to enter engineering. In addition to his dedication to learning, teaching and his academic profession, Dr. Dalip Chehil was a pioneer of the Nova Scotia Sikh community and one of the founders of the Maritime Sikh Society. Above all, he was a gentle, selfless, loving and exemplary husband, father, brother, and friend. He helped a generation of his family immigrate to Canada while caring for and supporting the growth and success of his own family. He led by example and was an inspiration to his friends, extended family, community, children, grandchildren and multiple generations of students. He will always be remembered for his strength, courage, kindness, sensitivity, and generosity. He will be dearly missed. He was predeceased by his wife, Kuldip Kaur Chehil, and survived by his children, Sonia and Rick (Madhu); and his grandchildren, Anjuli and Arjun Chehil. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and travel restrictions, a private service will be held. A Memorial Service and Celebration of Life will be held at a later date once the pandemic restrictions are lifted.