Balbir Sandhu

1936 - 2013

Balbir "Bill" Sandhu

December 1, 1936 - June 13, 2013

KEIZER - With a twenty-pound suitcase, fifty dollars in his pocket and far from fluent in English, Balbir "Bill" Sandhu of Punjab, India, landed in Centralia, WA in 1957 to begin life as an international student. He often said he couldn't walk the three blocks to college without someone offering a ride; his turban and beard attracted great curiosity, and everyone wanted to meet him and learn about his culture.

After graduating with a degree in business administration at Portland State University, he married Portlander Joanne Wood on June 19, 1965, and is father to Erik Sandhu (Jennifer) of Las Vegas, NV, and Ryan Sandhu (Karyn) of Sherwood, OR. Known as "Baba" to his five grandchildren - Charles, Carolyn, and Julianne Sandhu of Las Vegas, and Noah and Clara Sandhu of Sherwood - he is most remembered in the kitchen, serving up Indian chai or rolling out perfect rotis and delectably-spiced Indian chicken, dals, and subji. Nothing pleased him more than to cook and feed his family and friends.

Bill spent his professional career in insurance, retiring in 2002 after 16 years as Insurance Compliance Officer for the State of Oregon. Many Oregonians were protected by his vigilance in keeping health insurance companies in line with complex rules and regulations; co-workers relied on him as the 'walking encyclopedia' for his ability to memorize and interpret health insurance laws.

In retirement, Bill returned twice to India, visiting his family in Punjab. He was most happy serving others, whether making chai for INDUS (India-US Friendship Association), counseling seniors on health insurance decisions with SHIBA, taking veterans to the VA Hospital in Portland, or ushering at St. Mark Lutheran Church, where a memorial service will be held on Monday, June 17, at 3:00 pm. He delighted in watching his grandchildren grow up, which brought him great pride. His beautiful smile lit up a room. He passed away after several months' battle with CIDP, a rare autoimmune nerve disease, and cardiac problems.

Bill's parents, Karnail Singh Sandhu and Channan Kaur Dhillon of Punjab, and brother, Jagmail Sandhu, of LaVerne, CA, preceded him in death. In addition to family named above, Bill is survived by step-mother Ranjit Kaur Mangat Sandhu of Jalandhar, India, and siblings Kuljit Kaur Hundal (Joginder) of Sacramento, CA; Harinder Kaur Boparai (Kashmir) and Ravinder Kaur Sandhu of Jalandhar, India; Parmjit Kaur Grewal (Kuldeep) of Surrey, U.K.; Bhupinder Singh Sandhu (Gurpreet) of Jalandhur, India, Sarbjit Kaur Virk (Nirmal) of Albany, OR, as well as many nephews and nieces.

In lieu of flowers, family suggests donations to St. Mark Lutheran Church or Oregon Shakespeare Festival. Arrangements by Virgil T. Golden Funeral Service.