Our Beloved Papa Ji Mohan Narain Singh Kapoor

  April 13, 1927 - Sep 1, 2015

Mr Mohan Narain Singh Kapoor, the saintly patriarch of bay area's Kapoor family, was born on April 13, 1927 in Karachi, British India to Mr. Jagat Narain and Mrs. Shakuntla Bai. His father served as Subedar Major in the Indian Army, and his mother was a homemaker. He was the third sibling among six born to his parents.  After graduating with a First Division  under Punjab University from his high school in Rawalpindi, he won an expansive wrist watch through a challenge thrown by his older brother Mr Hari Narain Singh Kapoor. 

Mr Mohan Narain Singh was fortunate to get a temporary job of a clerk in the office of the Chief of Army Staff in the South Block of Central Secretariat New Delhi. Here, working with Britishers, he honed his English speaking skills.

Soon he qualified to join the Western Railways Government of India as a clerk on permanent basis. Not satisfied with his 9 to 5 job, Mr. Mohan Kapoor looked for some additional jobs and ventured into a local advertising business. In this business, he would send his hired boys on horse-driven cart with an amplifier and speakers run by portable auto batteries to make local business announcements in the surrounding villages. He would also provide loudspeaker services to wedding parties. Entire neighborhoods would be attracted to listen to film music provided through this business. At the same time, he would volunteer his speaker service every Sunday to the local Gurdwara and every Tuesday to the Temple for free of charge. This is where his journey of philanthropy started. There was no stopping to his zest for philanthropy. He often donated generous sums to Gurdwaras.

Newly weds Mr Mohan Narain Singh Kapoor and Mrs Pritam Kaur Kapoor

At the same time, he continued to upgrade his education while still working.  This was unusual for his times. He crossed a major milestone of his career by qualifying the Accountants Examination, which was equivalent to CPA examination, and successfully worked as Western Railways Divisional Accountant at various places including Bhavnagar, Bharuch, Rajkot, Baroda, Mumbai, Ajmer and Kishanganj Delhi. He was very proud of having audited major historical worksites of the Western Railways.

Having acquired Divisional Accountant level with generous perks of the Indian Railways, he did not want to resign his job to migrate to USA permanently. For the betterment of his family, at the age of 49 years, he decided to take leave from his plush job and go to USA. He promised himself that he will come back after collecting one lakh Indian Rupees. 

At the time of Shiv Dastarbandhi in Jangpura Gurdwara in Feb 1989

He had already raised his daughters Harvinder and Tejinder with lot of pampering and married them off into respectable families. Now Mr Mohan Kapoor was on his way to achieve something even bigger he had ever imagined.

The Colorful Personality

But the going was not always easy.  From a respectable white collar professional Accountant job in India, he started off with a dish washing job in a commercial restaurant on Fisherman Wharf in San Francisco. He borrowed airfare money from one of his new friends to get his son Jagjeet to the US in 1977, soon to be followed by his wife Mrs. Pritam Kaur, and eventually his younger son Charanjeet. The next 4 to 5 years were very tough, but all four working together eventually co-founded Stop N Save. He continued helping with the business until a very late age and would gladly offer to deliver urgent supplies even to distant stores more than 100 miles away.

Jagjeet and Charanjeet took over the reigns from him following his footsteps. The boys, young and charismatic, under his able guidance and experience roared ahead, solidified and  established a business empire in the San Francisco Bay Area. While Mr. Mohan Kapoor ventured into his life time quest for Volunteering Service. He was always searching for the needy persons to help them in Gurdwaras, Sanatan Dharam Mandir, Philippine senior center and many other places. He contributed time and money in establishing two of the Major Gurdwaras in San Jose and Hayward.

A minor heart attack at 65 could not deter his quest for traveling to long distances to Canada or India. On inkling of a suggestion, he would get on to the driver seat for the guests from India to give them tour of Bay Area and far away places while feeding them with drinks and eatables. The Lick Observatory on the eastern hills was his favorite, he will fill up his trunk with cold drinks and snacks and take almost every visiting guest to show the hill top Observatory. He will offer them drinks on the front yard while showing them the picturesque views of the Bay.

Shiv graduates from UC Berkeley and is flanked by relaxed grandparents

Mr Mohan Narain Singh Kapoor has bequeathed to his family a towering treasure of Supreme Wisdom Estate produced by his shear Hard Work, Service to the Needy and Philanthropy.  With his passing away, an impressive personality may have faded, but his ideal of hard work, philanthropy, and social service will be solemn lesson for humanity for years to come.

Frenendo, his care-taker often gave him rides in the city.

Fondly missed by his family and friends. Mr Mohan Narain Singh Kapoor can be clearly seen as a brightest sparkling Star in a clear night sky and showering his immense and infinite love to his friends and family.

Glimpses of Final Tribues: