April 17, 2025
Manjeet Singh Dhatt, 1959-1970 passed away in his home in Wascott, Wisconsin of a heart attack. He taught Finance at the University of Minnesota in Duluth and lived a quiet life in his wooden cottage by the edge of a lake in rural Wisconsin.

MS as most of us would call him was a year my senior in school. He was brilliant in studies and excelled in field hockey. After school he did three years of college in NP. And captained the North Point College hockey team in 1974. Fr. K.L. George, past Rector of the college re-created the hockey badge for Manjeet in May 2022 that I carried from Darjeeling to the States for him. Yes he still had his old blazer!

MS loved his school and when we spoke on umpteen occasions he always reveled in the memories of our teachers, the playgrounds and all the activities we used to do. I would fill him up on the constant changes being made in school. Even though I knew he would never return to India (he had lost his passport in his previous home that burnt down and answered. “I can’t be bothered” when I asked if he was going to apply for a new one), he never gave up on his solid memories of our school.

From Los Angeles it’s a ways away to the midwest but the lonely life being of special appeal to me, I got to fly out there on four occasions to meet him. The first was by myself. Arriving at his cottage in the dark in winter had I not remembered clearly his directions of driving very, very slowly looking for that right turn into his driveway, my car would have slid right into the lake a few feet down. The second was with a few other North Pointers, Tamding Tempo ’62, Farhad Anklesaria ’71 and Ratna Das Pradhan ’79. We all had a ball and MS suggested that the next North Point reunion should take place in Wascott. We even went over to his favorite haunts to scout out accommodations! The third was with my wife, Jyoti. Could not resist introducing her to his place. During this visit we again hob-nobbed with his buddies, neighbors and friends. Went fishing, hiking, bar-hopping and ended up with Jyoti and Manjeet cooking an Indian lunch repast in his backyard for Donna and Jerry and their immensely large family – sons, daughters, grandchildren – that had by then become adopted family to Manjeet. As Donna says who adopted whom first she was of that not so sure. My last visit was just before Covid by myself. It is just the kind of lifestyle that suits me and I was glad to rub shoulders and chat about old times yet once again.

I have been in constant phone contact with him. He only carried a regular cell phone so no social media stuff for him. “I can’t be bothered with all that …………..” He’s venture. It was devastating to hear of his passing from Donna this morning and from Bangkok there is not much I could do. If O was in Los Angeles I would have probably flown out there instantly. Not much I could do then either but it would satisfy me to have done that.

Manjeet passed before his time. But I think he was happy. Never revealed anger or any emotion. Just carried on. I wish his soul a safe haven.