Brij Lal Walia

Brij L. Walia passed away peacefully at home surrounded by his family on February 3, 2026, following pneumonia leading to kidney failure. He was 89.

From humble beginnings in northern India, Brij brought himself to the United States, a country he came to love for its sense of freedom and opportunity, with less than $200 in his pocket.

He earned an engineering degree from Howard University in Washington, D.C., while working multiple jobs. He met and married Pushpa Kapoor (d. 2019) there and they had four children.

After working for Bechtel in Virginia for many years, Brij joined the Parsons Corporation in Pasadena, CA to become a Project Manager industrializing the port city of Yanbu, Saudi Arabia, beginning in 1979.

His family was able to travel the world with him and experience excellent educations, which he and Pushpa valued. He also enjoyed investing in real estate and the stock market. Brij was known among his friends for being an excellent bridge player and telling stories and jokes at parties with a twinkle in his eye.

In his final years, Brij became fascinated learning about the natural world through documentaries, sparking philosophical questions he finally had time to contemplate.

Brij is survived by his four children and eight grandchildren, all of whom miss him tremendously as a guiding force of life.

May he rest in peace, and may we continue to be inspired by his courage, tenacity, sharp humor and sense of possibilities.