Obituary of Mohinder Singh Johal
It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Mohinder Singh Johal on Tuesday, January 12, 2021, at 90 years of age.
Mohinder was born on October 1, 1930 in Paulani-Jandaiala, India and grew up at his family’s village, Parwa, in the State of Punjab, India. As a young man, he joined the Indian Army and was stationed throughout Punjab including Amritsar, Gurdaspur, Jalandhar and Dharamsala. After eight years, Mohinder returned to his village to take care of his family and attend to the family’s farmland. This was indicative of the great sense of responsibility for his family’s well being that he carried throughout his life.
In 1953, Mohinder married his wife, Sukhdev Kaur. They soon welcomed their children, Jasvir Kaur, Jagjit Singh, and Harjit Singh. Mohinder was always driven to provide a better life for his family and to that end, he immigrated to Germany in 1970 and then to Canada in 1973. He ultimately settled in Calgary, with the rest of his family joining him in 1975. Mohinder proudly received his Canadian Citizenship in 1978.
While Mohinder carried out many jobs over the years, his most important one was being the patriarch of a large and loving family. Over the years, many friends and family would turn to Mohinder for guidance and advice as they themselves made the same journey he did to create a better life for his children and grandchildren. Since his passing, many people have shared how Mohinder assisted them in their time of need.
Known for his sense of humour and relaxed perspective on life, Mohinder appreciated the simple things. He began each day with a thorough check of the weather on tv, always appropriately and well dressed for the occasion. Above all, he was a fine example for appreciating what was important to him – making time for his family and friendships without obligation, enjoying each meal with deliberate cause, and picking up the day’s news followed by a thorough rest to absorb the information. He often shared his words of wisdom with his eight grandchildren.
Mohinder led a happy and joyful life up to his final days. He will be forever loved and missed by his family.
Mohinder is survived by his wife, Sukhdev Kaur, his daughter, Jasvir Kaur Sull (Jaswinder Singh) and his sons, Jagjit Singh (Pritpal Kaur) and Harjit Singh (Seema). He is also survived by his grandchildren: Sweety Tumber (Gurpartap Singh), Ruby Sull, Angee Basran (Daniel Singh), Inderjit Johal, Aubjit Johal, Neha Johal, Kabir Johal, and Mira Johal. He is further survived by his great-grandchildren: Jayna Tumber, Sahaj Tumber, Devan Basran, and Emmet Basran. His sister, Daljit Kaur, also survives him.
Mohinder was predeceased by his father, Batan Singh, his mother, Dhan Kaur, and his five siblings.
A viewing only will be held on Sunday, January 17, 2021 from 12:00 pm – 1:30pm at Calgary Crematorium & Funeral Services, located at 3210 – 4th Street NW. Provincial restrictions will be in place.
The family expresses our deepest gratitude to the staff at the Peter Lougheed Centre for their care of Mohinder.