Balwir Cheema

CHEEMA, Balwir Singh

Balwir Singh Cheema peacefully passed on September 6, 2025 at the age of 95. He was born in Gujjarwal in the District of Ludhiana in Punjab, India on January 17, 1930 to the late Kharak Singh Cheema and Kuldeep Kaur Cheema (sans Grewal). He was the oldest of four siblings. Upon completion of high school in Lahore, he began his studies at Khalsa College Rawalpindi. A year before the India/Pakistan partition, the family relocated to Shimla. Balwir finished his studies at SD College of Shimla with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and a Masters in Economics and Political Science. The beauty of this city is where his love for the outdoors began and continued throughout his life. After several years of teaching in Shimla, he married Gurmeet Kaur Cheema (sans Bains). In 1958 he embarked upon a voyage of a lifetime. He came to the United States to pursue a Doctorate of Philosophy in Economics at American University in Washington DC. During this time, Balwir juggled working at the Indian Embassy, completing his dissertation and adapting to a new culture. Upon completion of his PhD, Balwir took a position at Allegheny College in Meadville, Pennsylvania. His journey continued when he accepted a tenure track position at Wittenberg University in the Department of Economics. This opportunity allowed him to exchange ideas and knowledge with others in his field and travel to various countries. His passion for travel continued even after his retirement. Springfield was his anchor and hometown for the remainder of his life. As time passed, his desire to wander too far from home diminished. Throughout his life, Balwir was a pillar for his wife and daughters, the gateway for his extended family to America, professor, businessman, life coach, and dear friend and mentor to many. Balwir is preceded in death by his parents and his wife, the love of his life, Gurmeet. He is survived by his three daughters, their husbands, seven grandchildren, and great granddaughter. Funeral services will be held at 12:30 pm on, Saturday September 13th at Littleton & Rue, 830 N Limestone St, Springfield, OH 45503. In lieu of flowers, a memorial contribution may be made to the American Heart Association. www.heart.org. To leave online condolences, please visit our website at www.littletonandrue.com.