Gurmeet Kaur Sidhu & Late Jagtar Singh Sidhu

Honoree: Jagtar Singh Sidhu

Donor: Gurmeet Kaur Sidhu & Late Jagtar Singh Sidhu

Jagtar Singh Sidhu was born on October 1, 1928 in Lyalpur, India, which is now known as Faisalabad, Pakistan. Nearly twenty years later, during the partition of India and Pakistan, he moved back to his family's original village Sidhwan Bet, Ludhiana District, in eastern Punjab, India. Always interested in higher education, Mr. Sidhu went on to receive his master's degree in chemistry from Aligarh University in Uttar Pradesh, India. In 1953, at the age of twenty-four, he left India for England where he attended Imperial College in London, earning a second master's degree in the science of food and drugs and a diploma in chemical engineering. While at Imperial College, Mr. Sidhu was very active in the Sikh Student Federation. This was just one way of expressing his many interests, including religion, history and Sikh politics. After finishing his studies, Mr. Sidhu remained in England and worked as a food quality controller.

In 1960, he returned to India and conducted forensic science work for the Punjab Police in Chandigarh as the Assistant Director of Police. Never one to stay in one place, Mr. Sidhu again returned to England in 1965. He met and married Gurmeet Kaur Grewal in 1967. They raised one daughter and two sons together. In 1975, the Sidhu family immigrated to the United States, settling down in Yuba City, California. They liked Yuba City for its rich Sikh cultural heritage, which they wanted to share with their children. In California, Mr. Sidhu returned to his Punjabi agricultural roots and began farming peaches, while Mrs. Sidhu continued her work as an educator with Migrant Education. In the late 1970s, he taught English as a second language to Punjabis aspiring to become United States citizens. Mr. Sidhu was an active member of the Tierra Buena Sikh Temple and was concerned about the lack of a community-based youth center for teenagers and the welfare of the Sikh community's elderly residents. He looked for ways to enhance the cultural activities of these groups. Mr. Sidhu's three children earned bachelors' degrees at the University of California, Berkeley and went on to work in professional careers. Mr. Sidhu sold his farm in 2004. He enjoyed reading, gardening and taking walks with his wife during his retirement. Jagtar Singh Sidhu peacefully passed away on May 29, 2007, surrounded by his family.