Pawan Jit Singh

Pawan Jit Singh passed away on February 28th, surrounded by the family and friends he loved so dearly. He lived a life defined by kindness, curiosity, and an unshakeable belief in the goodness of the people around him.

Born in 1948 in Punjab, India, Pawan was the oldest of four children. His early years were shaped by a deep sense of responsibility mixed with a sense of puckishness. He studied hard and was a dutiful eldest brother to his younger siblings, Kiran, Anil, and Suman who he would drive around on his bike, play cricket with and scold when they didn’t work hard enough in school. A natural scholar, he graduated from Punjab Engineering College at 20 at the top of his class, and came to the United States where he earned a masters and a doctorate in engineering from the University of Rochester by the age of 24. Ever the lifelong learner, he found time to earn a MBA from Wharton in 1989 while raising a family and working full time. He also enjoyed educating and mentoring others, something that started in school, amplified during his professional career, and gave him great joy in retirement.

In 1975, he returned to India and fell in love with Sandhya. They married that same year and set off together for the United States, ready to build a life from the ground up. That life grew immeasurably with the arrival of their sons, first with Vinay in 1979, and then Vijay in 1989. Becoming a father was, by his own measure, among the greatest things that ever happened to him.

Pawan carried his belief in hard work into everything he did. He spent much of the first half of his career at Ingersoll Rand, rising to the Head of Engineering for the company’s Waterjet division. In 1993, he founded his own company, PeriscopeIQ, a software technology company built with patience and integrity, which he ran for nearly 30 years and that continues to operate today. Outside of work, he loved traveling, seeking out the best restaurants and wine, playing tennis, keeping up with the news, and above all, being with his family. In his more daring years, he was an avid skier and a novice rollerblader.

In 2018, Pawan and Sandhya made Florida their permanent home. He embraced the chapter with characteristic enthusiasm. He fell in love with pickleball, started a bridge club, and found a spiritual community at the local Transcendental Meditation center. What he enjoyed most was bringing people together around his passions and theirs, and had a gift for building communities.

Pawan is survived by his wife of 50 years, Sandhya; his sons, Vinay and Vijay; his daughter-in-law, Ellen; and two grandchildren, Lydia and Vivian, all of whom he loved beyond measure. He will live on in their hearts, in the quiet encouragement they hear when they need it most, and through the love that shaped who they are.

In honor of Pawan, please consider making a donation to Transcendental Meditation Palm Beach  or United Friends School.