Surjit Sidhu's Obituary
Surjit Singh Sidhu was born in Village Malla, Punjab, India in a family with meager means. He was blessed with ambition and God given light. After finishing 4 grades available in Malla, he received scholarship to attend school in Jagraon, 9 miles away. He lived in a hostel at a young age and saved enough money to buy a milk buffalo for the family. He finished his education in India with a B.S. in agriculture with the financial help from a generous village elder who took a liking to a bright young man. He did work in Agriculture extension area and helped many farmers improve their crop yields. He worked with U. S. Agency for International Development and helped them establish Punjab Agricultural University in Ludhiana. His quest for education was not complete. He parted with his family and arrived in U.S. to post graduate education in Agricultural Economics. He completed his Masters in Agricultural Economics at Utah State University and Ph.D in Applied Economics at the University of Minnesota.
Surjit Singh Sidhu spent the rest of his work life as an Economist either teaching in the developing world such as University of Dar es Salaam or as an Economist with International Fertilizer Development Center in Alabama. While there, he worked with USAID and spent 4 years in Sudan and 3 in Bangladesh advising the Agricultural Ministries on agricultural and fertilizer policies. He had projects in many other countries. He retired in 1995 at age 65.
Surjit Singh set up an Education trust in his village as a tribute to those who helped him with his education. Each year two high school graduates who show promise and need a helping hand get scholarships to advance their schooling.
Surjit Singh is survived by wife Sachiko, two sons, Bhupinder , Preetmohinder , daughter-in-law Rebecca and two granddaughters, Annika and Savita. He is very fond of his many nieces and nephews. His many enduring friends reside on all continents.
His life’s passion and deep commitment to Gurbani kept him sustained in this life. He looked forward to Sundays to be with Sadh-Sangat.
At age 50, he developed a love for the game of golf that lasted his lifetime.
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