SAN JOSE; The funeral of S. Santa Singh Mann a well-known Sikh leader was held at the Chapel of the Oak at Oak Hills Funeral Home San Jose on Saturday March 31, 1990. A large number of his admirers, friends and relatives attended the last rites of their departed friend.
Mr. Mann died Tuesday of a heart attack at a Santa Clara hospital, where he was being treated for effects of a stroke suffered five years ago.
Mr. Mann was born in Ganganangar, India near the Punjab region, and briefly attended the University of the Punjab. He came to the United States in 1955 and obtained engineering degrees at the University of Arizona.
In San Jose he operated an auto dealership and dealt in Real Estate, becoming at one time the largest Indian owner of Real Estate in California, said a nephew Mohinder S. Mann of San Jose.
With other investors, he acquired the Lassen County property near Susanville, known as Moon Valley Ranch.
Mr. Mann owned a building at South 10th and San Fernando streets that for several years was used as a Sikh temple.
Because of his anti-India writings after the 1984 storming by Indian troops of the Sikh temple at Amritsar, Mr. Mann were held in low regard by Indian officials, his nephew said. When he flew to India not long afterward, he was not permitted to leave the airport.
When he applied for a visa earlier this year to visit his ailing mother, the Indian authorities stalled, and she died six weeks ago. The visa was granted on the day of Mr. Mann’s death, Mohinder Mann said.
Mr. Mann leaves his wife, Balbir K. Mann sons Sohan S. Mann, Babu W.S. Mann and Sahib R‘S. Mann, a daughter Eileen Mann, and a sister Kishan K. Rai all of San Jose. Also surviving are sisters Sama K. Raiand Prem K. Nagra both of Fresno, a brother Gurdyal S. Mann of Los Angeles and 30 grandchildren.
- Santa Singh Mann was a man of strong beliefs and firm convictions. Throughout his life he stuck to his principles and never deviated from his committed way of life. He always extended a helping hand to the new immigrants from India often finding them jobs and housing. He was a sponsor of 1986 San Jose visit of Mother Theresa the Nobel Peace Prize winning humanitarian from Calcutta,
World Sikh New pay homage and respects to Late S. Mann and prays to God for peace to the departed soul.
Article extracted from this publication >> April 6, 1990
