Mrs. Kamla Bhagowalia had a long, successful, happy and healthy life as a loving wife and homemaker, faithfully supporting her husband, Mr. Balbir Singh Bhagowalia, throughout their 59 years of marriage. She supported him in his storied career which included roles in engineering, technical consultancy and senior executive positions in six companies and organizations across five continents. She accompanied him in extended travel and stay in Asia (India, Iraq, Indonesia), Africa (Egypt), Europe (United Kingdom/UK), South America (Brazil), and finally, North America (United States of America/USA).
Kamla emigrated to the US with her husband in 1991 to be near their immediate family. They both became proud US citizens in 1996, living in the USA in Sterling, Virginia and Cary, North Carolina, adjacent to their family.
Born in India in December 1937, to the late Mr. Mul Raj Puri and Mrs. Winifred Pitter Puri, Kamla completed her High School and College education in India. Kamla graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree from Maharani College, University of Rajasthan, Jaipur, India in December 1957. She was active in athletics and loved sports, music, art, and literature, and was fluent in three languages.
Although humble, self-effacing and introverted, she often recollected myriad vignettes in her life story to family. A couple of interesting snippets include meeting with Guru Paramahansa Yogananda (Author of “Autobiography of a Yogi”) in high school; accompanying family to visit the royal palace with the world-famous Maharani Gayatri Devi and playing and placing “second” in the Queen’s state badminton competition; and being the first “lady in a sari” in some parts of the UK during her stay in 1957-1960, often mistaken for her likeness to celebrities. Kamla was family oriented, always comporting and representing herself proudly in her American identity and Indian heritage with equal grace, humility, manners, and decorum. Kamla could move effortlessly with people from all backgrounds including top diplomatic circles. A strict vegetarian, maintaining great health throughout her life, she always liked to write, draw art while sipping her “few cups of Darjeeling tea/chai” every day. She had a particular respect for Mother Nature, care for the planet, and an affinity for all animals (“all God’s creatures great and small” as she called them). This was especially true of birds, dogs, the royal Bengal tiger (India’s national animal), and the iconic royal peacock (national bird of India).
In addition to her parents, who passed many years prior, Kamla was preceded in death by her husband Balbir Singh Bhagowalia, eldest sister Pushpa Nijhawan, older sister Mukta Bakshi, and older brother Raj K. Puri.
Kamla, a devoted wife, loving mother, and proud grandmother is survived by her eldest son, Sanjeev “Sonny” Bhagowalia; daughter-in-law Daisy M. Bhagowalia; daughter, Vanita B. Sehgal; son-in-law Ishan Sehgal; grandsons, Rajeev K. Bhagowalia, Sanjay K. Bhagowalia, granddaughter Aneesha S. Bruton, her husband Hampton H. Bruton, her elder sister Sheila Lal, and her younger brothers Taj K. Puri and Anil K. Puri.
In accordance with her wishes, a private service will take place.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in her memory to the Asher house (https://www.theasherhouse.com), a non-profit that “rescue animals that have been discarded or unwanted providing them with a life of comfort, love and adventure” or the ASPCA® (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals® (https://www.aspca.org), a non-profit organization dedicated to preventing animal cruelty.
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