It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved father, Dr. Harihar Prasad Johri, on May 5th, 2023 at the age of 86. Hari passed away unexpectedly and peacefully at home. He was a devoted friend and loving husband to the late Dr. Swami Piyari (Seema) Johri, and is survived by his daughter and son-in-law, Drs. Mira Johri and Andreas Warburton, as well as extended family in India, including Mrs. Jyoti (Dr. Sanjay) Saxena, Dr. Simi (Mr. Vivek) Saksena, Dr. Sonia (Mr. Naveen) Johri, and Dr. Nita (Dr. Deepak) Johri. Equally, Hari leaves behind a circle of true friends as important as family. He will be deeply missed by all who knew him.

Hari was born in Muzzafarnagar, Uttar Pradesh, India on June 18^th, 1936, and grew up in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, India. Born into an established family, Hari's childhood was marked by a reversal of fortune, with the family facing many hardships due to the untimely death of his father when he was only one year old. These early experiences gave him tremendous empathy for the plight of the poor and for the difficulties faced by women, particularly those raising children alone.

Hari will be remembered for three qualities: his tremendous determination and talent, his honesty and integrity, and his unfailing devotion to family. A brilliant student, Hari studied engineering at Delhi University in India and then in Canada at the University of Waterloo, where he completed a PhD in chemical engineering with a focus on operations research. Hari came to Canada for higher studies, but was quickly enamored by his new country, which aspired to be a society based on merit, transparency, and social justice. He began a career in the Canadian public service and rose to a very senior position as Director General of the Bureau of Management Consulting, before taking early retirement. He then flourished as an independent management consultant, working on national and global economic and environmental issues. Although he loved Canada, Hari never forgot his family or his birthplace. Hari and Seema together transformed opportunities not only for themselves and their daughter, but also for an entire generation of relatives and friends. Wanting to savour and contribute also to their country of origin, Hari and Seema eventually divided their time between Ottawa and Delhi. These golden years ended with Seema's death due to cancer in 2015. Shortly thereafter, Hari moved to the Classics on Riverside, finding renewed happiness in that warm, vibrant, and inspiring community. The family would like to thank all the friends who brought joy to Hari's life, and Farzana and Sadat Malik, for their loving care.

In all his dealings, Hari was known as a deeply honourable man. He was renowned for his generosity, kindness, high ideals, and his love of the arts and culture. A celebration of his life will be held at a later date. Although we are heartbroken at his loss, we take comfort in the words of one of his favourite poets, Faiz Ahmed Faiz.

Title: gham na kar, gham na kar

Author: Faiz Ahmed Faiz

dard tham jā.egā ġham na kar, ġham na kar

yaar lauT ā.eñge, dil Thahar jā.egā, ġham na kar, ġham na kar

zaḳhm bhar jā.egā

ġham na kar, ġham na kar

din nikal aa.egā

ġham na kar, ġham na kar

abr khul jā.egā, raat Dhal jā.egī

ġham na kar, ġham na kar

rut badal jā.egī

ġham na kar, ġham na kar

This pain will cease.  Do not grieve, do not grieve. 

Friends will return, hearts will find rest. Do not grieve, do not grieve. 

Wounds will heal  

Do not grieve, do not grieve. 

Dawn will break

Do not grieve, do not grieve. 

Clouds will burst, night will recede

Do not grieve, do not grieve. 

The season will change 

Do not grieve, do not grieve. 

Source

Rekhta https://www.rekhta.org/nazms/gam-na-kar-gam-na-kar-faiz-ahmad-faiz-nazms