Gurmit Singh Dhaliwal

Gurmit Singh Dhaliwal, 96, of Fanwood, New Jersey, passed away in his home on April 17th, surrounded by loving family.
Gurmit was born in Sedha Singh Wala, Punjab, India to Gurbachan Singh Dhaliwal and Kartar Kaur Brar. He attended Forman Christian College in Lahore beginning in 1945 but was forced to leave due to the violence surrounding the India-Pakistan Partition in 1947. After briefly studying in Ludhiana, he enrolled in the engineering program at the Punjab Engineering College in Roorkee, India from 1949-1952.
In 1954, Gurmit married Surindera Kaur Sekhon in Patiala, India. In the early days of their marriage, they enjoyed taking rides on his motorcycle and going to the movies together. Over the next few years, as Gurmit's engineering work moved them around India, they gained a dog, several chickens, and a buffalo.
Gurmit and Surindera were happily married for 71 years and had three children together: Tripinder, Kiran and Avninder. While Surindera was raising the children, Gurmit pursued his Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Michigan. The family immigrated to the United States together in 1967 and settled in Elizabeth, New Jersey. They eventually moved to Fanwood, New Jersey, where they raised and educated their three children and continued to host immediate and extended family at their home.
Early in his career, Gurmit was instrumental in bringing electricity to rural parts of Northern India, including his village of Sedha Singh Wala. After he came to the United States, he was employed at several engineering firms, but spent the majority of his career at Foster Wheeler. After retiring from there, he continued to work as a consultant until shortly before his 80th birthday. He was involved in a variety of important stress analysis projects, including the development of retro rockets for the Apollo space projects, the development of artificial hip joints, and the integrity of nuclear waste storage containers.
Gurmit was a devout member of the Sikh faith. In 1973, he and other Sikh families in New Jersey founded the Garden State Sikh Association, and in 1979 the group decided to purchase land and build the Bridgewater Gurdwara, which still operates today. He traveled the world to attend spiritual gatherings with fellow Sikhs, venturing all over the United States, Canada, Mexico, India and Pakistan for meditation and prayer until the age of 90.
When not at work or engaged in worship, Gurmit loved being outside. For much of his time in the U.S. he was an avid gardener, tending to his vegetables and flowers carefully each summer. He loved his backyard swimming pool and all the entertainment it provided his children, grandchildren and any neighborhood kids looking to cool off. He took his health and fitness seriously throughout his life – even in his final months, he lifted weights while hooked up to his supplemental oxygen tank. He loved playing badminton and bringing his family together for a good meal (as long as there was some form of hot sauce or chili nearby).
His loved ones will always remember Gurmit for his incredible laugh – a laugh so loud, hearty, and contagious that it often silenced restaurants and left everyone in stitches and tears.
He is survived by his wife Surindera Kaur Dhaliwal, his nephew Parmpal Singh Sidhu (Veronica), his son Tripinder Singh (Alissa Koval-Dhaliwal) his daughter Kiran Kaur (Ajay Khanna), his son Avninder Singh (Kristy), and his grandchildren Meghan (Dominic Bracco II), Madelyne (Tyler Burke), and Reilly, Zachary, Noah and Jaxon Dhaliwal.
In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation in Gurmit's name to one of the causes that were close to his heart: Baru Sahib Eternal University (https://barusahib.org/donate) and Bridgewater Gurdwara (https://sites.google.com/view/gssabw/home).