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— Deepi Brar
Many of you knew our mother, Rupinder Brar. We are incredibly sad to announce that she died on Tuesday night of a stroke. She was 79.
To those who knew her at her best, Rupinder was musical, artistic, stylish, and had a mischievous sense of humor. She loved vintage Bollywood movies, flipping through magazines, and making endless sketches of floorplans for dream homes.
And of course food — mangoes were a favorite, but mummy appreciated every type of sweet treat. Especially birthday cake, with the glow of candles lighting her excited face. We should all be so lucky to hold on to that childlike delight in simple pleasures.
Rupinder K. Sangha was born on March 19, 1944, the fourth child of S. Kartar Singh Sangha, a public prosecutor, and Bhagwan Kaur, a former teacher. She grew up with two sisters, Sukhdeep and Jaswinder, and two brothers, Jagdip and Tejinder and many close cousins. Growing up, they moved often for my grandfather's job but when he retired they came to Chandigarh, the new capital of Punjab.
She graduated from Punjab University in 1966 with a degree in music. After her marriage in 1968 she moved halfway across the world to Tucson, Arizona where I was born in 1969, and Anee in 1974.
In the days of letters and the rare long-distance call, it would have been so hard for a young mother to be a world away from her family. This was the era of the first moon landing, Woodstock, and Watergate, and there were just a few dozen Indian families in Tucson at the time.
I remember how my mother dazzled at India Club parties with her elegance and that joyful smile. Once, she even played sitar on local TV.
In 1976 we moved back to Chandigarh and her marriage was ended in 1981.
During those years we lived with my grandparents and became close with our extended families. Later, Anee and I returned to the US for school and careers.
In 1999 she moved to California to live with Ed and me, and never visited India again.
Her home and her family were her world, especially her only grandchild Zoya, and she was content.
We already miss her more than we had ever imagined.
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