1) Ashok Uncle was known for embracing both his Bihari and Indian Canadian identities, supporting various community events and sharing his insights with others. 2) He was actively involved in many community organizations and supported youth programs to pass on Indian culture to younger generations. 3) Ashok Uncle was dedicated to others, braving traffic to attend events even as his health declined, and was a father figure to many in the community who remember him fondly.

1. Honoring Ashok Uncle’sSpirit
I wasfirsttoldabout Ashokuncle asthe Bihari uncle whomarrieda Punjabi aunty.Ilaterchancedupon
himby accidentbecause Ihad befriendedVira auntyfor3 daysbefore realizingshe washiswife while
volunteeringforDiwali atHamiltonCityHall.He dubbedsome of mycookingasPataniyakhanaor from
Patna, Bihar whichtill date mostpeople hadnevergivenme the feedbackfor. (Onthe same token,he
alsosupportedmyHalloweenpartytreatstoo). He wasalsoone of the greatsupportersfordoingthe
Bihari potluckwhichhashad variationsof take off inour town. He alsotookme at 3 hours notice toa
Chhat celebration(Bihari ceremonyforworship of SunGod) inMississauga.Suchwashisreverence for
Bihar inspite of havingleftitover56 yearsago.
Beyondthat, Ashok Uncle,if not the Kumar family,isveryreminiscentof the highlevelof enthusiasm,
warmth,love,leadership andsense of welcomeone findsinmany HamiltonIndianfamilies.Uncle was a
leader,memberandsupporterinmanyareasinhisextra-curricularlife. He wasinvolvedinIndo-Canada
Society,HinduSamaj,Gandhi Peace Festival,SeniorSevaMandal,SAHAHAR,andIndianKidsBookClub
to name but a few.
Many of you may finditfunnythatI shouldmentionthe IndianKidsBookClubbutit’strue.Like some
othereldercommunitymembers,he wasverycommittedtosupportingactivitiesforyouthinthe 3rd
generationsothatthe Indianculture couldbe passedonmore successfullyeventhoughhisownblood
may nothave benefitedfromitdirectly. Ihave evenseenhimbrave 401 traffictodrive fromhissons’
placesinTorontoto get to our bookclubmeetingsontime evenwhenhishealthstartedgoinginto
decline.
Such washisdedicationandselflessness. Indeed,he wasagreat fatherfigure formanyof us. If there is
one thingfor whichIwill rememberUncle fondlyforthe most,itwill be hisinsightinto variousaspects
of life.Some of thiswouldbe happilysharedthroughtidbitsfromhislifeexperiences.
To conclude withone happymemory,itwouldbe forwhenUncle honoredthe joyinmylife whenmy
nephewHarrywasborn after13 years of my marriage.WhenIwas givingoutidlisandrice krispiesto
mark thisoccasion,he organizedall the seniorsinaline upto congratulate me.Ican’t tell youhow
importantI feltthatday. So it isthisspiritof Ashokuncle’sIchoose to honor- love of finerthings,party-
goingand zestfulness.