Shanti Duseja Obituary (1922

On Tuesday, April 21, 2020, we lost a wonderful person who touched the lives of everyone lucky enough to know her. Shanti Duseja passed away at Princeton Medical Center in Plainsboro due to pneumonia caused by COVID-19 at the age of 97. She was a devoted great grandmother, grandmother, mother, aunt, and friend. She had a great heart and always cared for others more than herself. She was the daughter of Hundi Devi and Kanhaya Lal of Kin, India, which is now located in Pakistan after partition. She married Piara Ram Duseja when she was 14 years old, and enjoyed great prosperity while in Kin. After independence from the United Kingdom, British India was partitioned and Shanti and Piara Ram with their extended family traveled together over 840 kilometers to find a new home. Due to the violence of partition, many family members were lost. She did not lose faith, and worked to create a new life in New Delhi. She helped raise the children of her extended family who were orphaned due to tragedy in 1947. She started working at a young age, always providing for those who were less fortunate. She and her husband then moved to the United States to support her daughter and help raise her grandchildren. Although she was not able to complete college, she understood the importance of education, and ensured that her daughter was able to attend college and graduate school. She was talented at cooking, gardening and sewing, and enjoyed making art and singing. She was devoted to her religion of Hinduism. She held her child and grandchildren as precious, and sacrificed greatly to help raise them with unconditional love. She will be deeply missed by her daughter and son-in-law, Veena and Bishambar Dayal, who reside in Princeton Junction, NJ; her grandchildren, Munish Dayal of Santa Monica, CA, Geeta Dayal of Los Angeles, CA, and Rajeev Dayal of Great Neck, NY; her grand daughter-in-law Ashlesha Dayal of Great Neck, NY; and her two great grandchildren, Arjun and Rohan Dayal of Great Neck, NY. Funeral services and cremation will be conducted under the direction of Galzerano Funeral Homes of Bucks County on Saturday, April 25th at 11 am. Her ashes will be strewn in the Ganges River in India. Due to the current COVID-19 pandemic, we will be having an in-person memorial service at a later date. Please return for updates or call the office 215-945-8484.