Manjit Kaur Tangri

Albuquerque, NM

May 31, 1945 – July 23, 2021

Manjeet Kaur was born in Faridkot, Punjab, and spent her formative years in several North Indian cities, most notably, Faridkot, Jalandar, Hissar and Chandigarh. She trained as an architect, first at Chandigarh College of Architecture, and later at Harvard Graduate School of Design. The longest stints in her urban design career were in Minneapolis and Albuquerque, where she left her mark on the urban landscape.  

Manjeet felt the most important transition in her life’s journey was the Khalsa initiation in 1988 when she formally committed herself to the Sikh way of life.

Manjeet seemed busier in retirement than when she worked. She not only travelled extensively in North America and Europe, but also around the world from Patagonia and Machu Picchu to the Alaskan glaciers. Her lifelong commitment to progressive politics, environmental activism and social activism manifested in generous donations to various political campaigns and non-profit endeavors. She also volunteered extensively with organizations as diverse as the Osler Symposia, Endorphin Power Company, Albuquerque Sikh Gurdwara, Bhai Jaita Foundation, Baba Iqbal Singh of Baru Sahib, Baba Seva Singh of Khadoor Sahib, and more recently farmer unions in India. 

Manjeet Kaur’s determination was memorable, and idealism contagious. Her adventurous spirit, commitment to the environment, principled life and devotion to Guru Nanak and the Sikh way will continue to inspire those who loved her across the world.