My Father's Eulogy

My sister and I share the news of the peaceful passing of our father, Gursarn Singh Uppal, on July 29, 2025, surrounded by his family. When I think of my father, the one word that comes to mind is integrity. He was the greatest man we have ever known. He was a peaceful, gentle, and wise individual. He taught us to accept life with all its trials and tribulations and live every moment in chardikala, or happiness. Above all, he had a pure heart, he loved his family deeply, and he was committed to our welfare and prosperity. He spoke less, listened well, and was thoughtful about everything he did.

A devoted soul, he lived life with kindness, humility, and strength. Shani was one of 5 children. He was born in Rawalpindi, Undivided India, to Major Dr Dhian Singh Uppal and Sant Kaur Uppal.

He and his family moved to Agra, Uttar Pradesh, just before India’s independence in 1947. He frequently spoke about his young adulthood, and when he did, he recalled his studies and his family. He was very close to his siblings and parents, and he did exceptionally well in school, often ranking first in his class throughout his education.

Shani’s early experiences shaped the values he carried throughout his life: a deep commitment to learning, a devotion to family, and a steady, generous presence in every community he called home. He earned a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from Illinois Institute of Technology. In 1972, he married Tejinder Kaur Sodhi, and they began their life together in Chicago. There, they found their place in a warm community of fellow Indian immigrants. Shani and Rana eventually settled in Livonia, Michigan, and then Troy, Michigan, where they raised their two daughters. During this time, they were pillars of the thriving Punjabi community, helping to establish the only Gurudwara in MI.

Shani was the first in the Uppal family to come to America, and he promised his father he would uplift the Uppal family. He helped his and Rana’s entire family emigrate to the United States. He was proud to see his whole family thriving.

Above all, Shani cherished his family. He was a loving husband, father, and grandfather. He was a steady presence in his children’s lives, who idolized and adored him. Although he wasn’t able to have enough time with his granddaughter Mia, his first question every time he spoke to Jessica was, How is my baby Mia?

My father’s biggest struggle was slowly losing his eyesight to a disease called Retinitis Pigmentosa. However, all the while he was losing his eyesight and eventually going blind, he never let that stop him from achieving his dreams and goals. His goal was to educate his daughters, and his dream was to help settle his entire family through education and hard work. He went to a school for the blind, was able to have an amazing leader dog for years, and learned how to use talking computers in order to continue to be high performing in his career, which he loved. Even after he was completely blind, he won awards for his management and engineering work. Even though my father’s eyesight decreased over time, his wisdom only continued to increase multi-fold.

Shani was a deeply spiritual man. Even after he could not read, he would listen to audio recordings of the Guru Granth Sahib, the Sikh Scriptures, and listen to the meanings in Punjabi. He could recite and translate almost any verse by heart. He lived his spirituality; he taught my sister and me that seva and simran, service and meditation, were the two pillars of Sikhi and life.

Shani also had a great sense of humor as well even though he was generally quiet. Once, when I was little, I asked him, Where did I come from? He said, I bought you at Kmart. So we went to Kmart one day and I said, Dad, Dad, where did you buy me from? He said, Just hold on, I’ll show you. He took me down the diaper aisle, pointed to a box of diapers with a picture of a baby on it, and said, Right there, I bought you for 99 cents. I was amazed that there were babies in those boxes, and I was only 99 cents.. I also remember once asking him as a kid why he had a couple of scars on his face. He looked at me and said, I was in a bull fight. I asked him if he won, even though that was a silly question; if he didn’t win, he wouldn’t be here. He later told us that he had boils on his face, and a terrible surgeon removed them and left scars.

Shani’s deepest commitment was to Rana, whom he loved with unwavering devotion up until his last breath. Even in his final moments, when he could barely whisper, he asked his children to make sure that Mom was always taken care of. He reminded me continuously, never raise your voice to your mother. You can all ask my mother if that actually worked.

Shani’s kindness, subtle humor, wisdom, and generosity are blessings that will remain with his family and friends always. He is survived by his wife, Tejinder Kaur Uppal, his daughters, Nina and Jessica Uppal, and his grandchild, Mia Kaur Peters. We are grateful and cherish the time we all shared with him and the values he instilled in us. We have peace now knowing that he is with Waheguru eternally.