Pundit Dr. Atishchandra Chunilal Maniar

It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of our father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, Atishchandra Maniar, on February 15, 2023.

Atishbhai was born on January 21, 1926 in Unjha, Gujarat, India. He is predeceased by his wife of 66 years, Veerbala; father Chunilal; mother Icchaben; brother Sunderlal; sister Suryakanta Gandhi; and great-grandson Jackson Dinanath Maniar.

He is survived by his son, Jayesh (Tara); daughters, Jayshree (Surinder) Pal, Nina (Jyoti) Vasudev, Sheila (René) Roy, and Patrica (Shawn) Meyler; grandchildren, Dipesh (Nicole), Rajesh (Kenzie), Seema Pal, Reena (Steven) Taylor, Pranai Vasudev, Kartik (Sandra) Vasudev, Mya Roy, Liam Roy, Priya Meyler, and Cullen Meyler; great-grandchildren Cole Kumar Maniar, Ruby Procyshyn, and Brennan Taylor; and sister Tara Sampat.

Dad has always believed in serving people and bringing communities together. He was a founding member of the India Association of Manitoba, Hindu Society of Manitoba, Gujarati Cultural Society of Manitoba, and Manitoba Hindu Seniors Inc. In addition to his successful career in the medical field, he advocated for many organizations such as the North YMCA Seniors Club. He was a notary public providing free service to anyone who needed it. He volunteered to help seniors file their taxes. He worked with the Winnipeg Police Department to interpret and advocate for people from India and recently, they made Dad an honorary police officer. Atish was a Pundit and for over 25 years performed Hindu ceremonies and helped people as needed. Dad had a variety of interests. Dad loved public speaking. He was an active member of Magic Circle 7, a group of magicians dedicated to performing magic and teaching youth how to perform magic tricks. He was an avid fan of making 8 mm movies and won several awards for films he directed. He was a passionate bridge player and took every opportunity to play. Dad was awarded several medals for community service by HRH Elizabeth II.

A heartfelt thank you to the dedicated staff of the 4th floor-Unit 1 at the Seven Oaks Hospital for providing comfort in the last days of Dad’s life. A special thank you to all the Home Care workers and the staff at Shaftesbury Park Retirement Residence who cared for Dad over the past few years.

A memorial service will be held on Sunday, February 26, 2023 at 2:00 pm at Thomson “In the Park” Funeral Home, 1291 McGillivray Boulevard. A Shanti Path will be held on Sunday, February 26, 2023 at 7:00 pm at Dr. Raj Pandey Hindu Centre, 999 St. Anne’s Road. Officiating: Pundit Venkat Machiraju.

For those unable to attend the memorial service and would like to view online, click the "Join Livestream" button below.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to a charity of your choice.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.thomsoninthepark.com for the Maniar family.