Jagdish Raj Sarpal

Jagdish Raj Sarpal of Silver Spring, Maryland, left us on June 21, 2024, at the age of 82. Affectionately known as Jag, he was born on April 10, 1942, to the late Basant Ram Sharma and late Ram Rakhi in Pandher, India. The youngest of six siblings, Jagdish proudly immigrated to the United States alone in 1966 and lived in Houston, Texas; Medellín, Colombia; and Lawton, Oklahoma before settling with his young family in Silver Spring, Maryland in 1986.

Jagdish is survived by his loving family: wife Indu Sarpal (née Naval); children Deepak K. Sarpal (Priya Agrawal), Nisha Sarpal (Ayush Batra), and David K. Sarpal; and his precious grandchildren Milo, Nathan, Sonia, Monica, and Devika. He leaves behind beloved cousins, nieces, and nephews, and countless friends from around the globe.

Of his many and rich life experiences, Jagdish was most proud of two things: the accomplishments of his children and his long standing civil service as a mechanical/electrical engineer with the United States Army, Food and Drug Administration, and Department of Veterans Affairs, where he specialized in sustainable energy conservation measures. For his contributions to the federal government, Jagdish received the Presidential Award for Leadership in Federal Energy Management in 2004.

Jagdish is remembered for his storytelling. He regaled his family and friends with colorful tales from his boyhood in Fatehgarh Churian, his time in Colombia, and school days in DAV College Amritsar, Punjab Polytechnic Institute, University of Houston, and Houston Baptist University. Jagdish spoke English, Hindi, Punjabi, and Spanish, and could switch between languages, depending on his listeners. Besides his stories, his family will miss his endless support, his sharp wit, and most of all, his sense of humor.

Capital Area Food Bank
4900 Puerto Rico Avenue, NE, DC 20017
Tel: 1-202-644-9800
Web: https://www.capitalareafoodbank.org