In Memoriam

Dr. Bikkar Singh Lalli, BA(Hons)’49 & MA’51 (Punjab University), PhD’66 (UBC)

Dr. Bikkar Singh Lalli (June 5, 1928, to Feb 13, 2019) was born in Kotli, in Punjab. He was the first in his family to do post‑secondary education, and received scholarships throughout his studies. During his 42‑year career, he taught at Punjab University, UBC, and the University of Saskatchewan. He received grants from NRC and NSERC to do research in mathematics, and he supervised seven PhD candidates and one MA candidate. A distinguished scholar, Dr. Lalli published over 150 journal articles in national and international journals, and he was an invited speaker at about 40 universities and research institutes worldwide. He was a visiting scholar in four countries. After retirement, Dr. Lalli moved back to British Columbia. He devoted his retirement years to championing education. Dr. Lalli was elected to the UBC Senate in 1999, where he served as a convocation senator for 18 years. He loved attending convocation and congratulating new graduates. In addition, he served on other boards and committees, including the Coalition to Eliminate Abuse of Seniors, City of Surrey Seniors Advisory and Accessibility Committee, Kwantlen Polytechnic University’s Foundation Board, and Simon Fraser University’s Komagata Maru Advisory Board. Dr. Lalli was a regular contributor to community newspapers, and often spoke on television and radio. Parents and grandparents approached him to seek advice about their children and grandchildren. A humble and soft‑spoken man, Dr. Lalli always took the time to meet them and provide thoughtful guidance and encouragement. Dr. Lalli also cared deeply about causes related to seniors. He wrote many successful grant applications for seniors’ societies. These resulted in a computer lab for seniors, wellness workshops and trips, as well as a health research study entitled “Wellness model for Indo‑Canadian seniors: a research report” (2000). He was recognized by several seniors’ societies for his contributions. In 2011, Dr. Lalli was awarded Doctor of Laws (Honoris Causa) by Kwantlen Polytechnic University for his community service. His beloved presence will be missed by family, friends, and all those who knew him. A celebration of life and Bhog (prayers) were held on Friday, March 8, 2019, at Gurudwara Shahib York Centre in Surrey.