Prakash Chander Chadha, D.D.S., 78, died Feb. 15, 2018, in India, at MAX Healthcare Specialty Hospital, New Delhi, with his wife, Maria, at his side.
Per Hindu tradition, he was cremated and his ashes were portioned and immersed in the Yamuna River, Agra.
Prakash was born on Oct. 19, 1939, to Ram Chand Chadha and Saraswati (Devi) Chadha, prior to Partition, in Lahore, India, now present-day Pakistan, but he always considered Agra his home. He attended college in Poona (now Pune), India, and then the governmental dental college and hospital in Bombay (now Mumbai), India, where he earned a degree in dental surgery in 1961 and a master’s degree in 1965. In January 1966, he came to the United States as a research assistant at the University of Iowa before moving to Milwaukee the following September as an instructor and graduate student at Marquette University’s School of Dentistry. It was here he met Maria Galgano, whom he married on Sept. 6, 1969, at St. Andrew Catholic Church in Delavan. Together, they led a private dental practice where he worked as a family orthodontist and pedodontist from 1971 until his retirement in 2015.
He was a civic-minded member of the community and a loyal Delavan-Darien Rotarian with near-perfect attendance for almost 30 years. A lifelong Hindu, he was also a devout member of the Radhasoami Satsang Association of North America locally based in Naperville, Ill. Prior to his retirement and beyond, he pursued numerous missionary endeavors in the United States and India. He firmly believed serving others was his life’s work.
He is survived by his wife, Maria; sons Jeet (M. Kathryn), Prameet (Amy) and Rajan (Summer); and grandchildren Clare, Andrew Rocco, Savannah and Addison. He is also survived by his siblings Amrit, Swadesh, Swarup and Neerja; many nieces and nephews; and countless friends. He was preceded in death by his parents; brothers Baldev, Krishan and Pannalal; and sister, Prem.
A celebration of his life will be from 1 to 4 p.m. May 5 in the Queen’s Table Room at Lake Lawn Resort in Delavan. Prepared remarks will be delivered promptly at 1:30 p.m. In lieu of flowers, memorials in Prakash’s name to Congdon Gardens are greatly appreciated.
Monroe Funeral Home in Delavan is assisting the family.
