I received this message from a friend . I was fortunate enough to meet this truly inspiring person in his last days. Mr. Shrestha's life is an epitome of success. He is a role model for generations of Nepalese aspiring to make their mark in the USA. Despite his achievements, he was very humble and modest. He, along with his wife, were very welcoming to Nepalese students at the University and did their part in preserving and showcasing Nepali culture and heritage in a foreign country. Mrs. Shrestha has been true to her role as an 'Ardhangini' and was a source of his inspiration till his last breath. May his soul rest in peace!
Here's an excerpt of the original message:
Mohan N. Shrestha, 68, professor emeritus of Geography at
Bowling Green State University, and one of the first Nepalese to travel to the United States in pursuit of a PhD, died on September 14th, at St. Luke's Hospital after a lengthy illness.
Born in Kathmandu, Nepal in 1939, Dr. Shrestha was a modest man
of few words but much heart. He distinguished himself as an excellent
student early in his life, graduating from high school at the age of 13, and earning Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Education degrees at 17. By the time he was 18 he was supporting his extended family, which included his paternal grandmother, both his parents and his sister, on his lecturer's salary. Within four years, this family would grow to include a young wife, a son and then a daughter. In each
of the degrees he received in Nepal, he earned the position of
1st Class,First, these unequaled educational achievements earned him, in addition to his diplomas, three gold medals personally awarded to him by the King of Nepal.
In 1964, Mohan won a prestigious Fulbright Scholarship and
which allowed him to pursue a PhD in the United States. His first stop was Texas, where despite being a foreign student, he was required to take one year of a "foreign" language. He chose French. When he made a comment to his faculty advisor about having a bit of difficulty with the Texas accent, he was told that there was an easy remedy for that, and the next thing heknew, he was being transferred to a university in the Midwest! So when his wife and young children joined him the following year, it was on the campus of the University of Iowa in Iowa City that they made their home.
In 1967, while still in the process of finishing his
dissertation, Mohan accepted a teaching position at Bowling Green State University. A year and a half later, in 1969, he was awarded a Doctorate in Geography from the University of Iowa, and with his family, he returned to Kathmandu, Nepal to teach at Tribhuvan University, his graduate school alma mater.
In 1971 he was back in Bowling Green as an assistant professor at BGSU where he would spend his entire professional career before retiring in 2004 after 35 years of service. As professor, he taught graduate and undergraduate students, and his research focused on Computer Mapping, Weather and Climate, and Population Migration. He also
authored numerous articles, acted as editor of many journals,
and contributed chapters to textbooks. As one of the first geographers
studying the impact of deforestation and development in Nepal, he traveled widely and was a strong voice for sustainable development practices
In addition to his work at the University, Dr. Shrestha was
active in the Nepalese community, serving in different capacities in the Nepa Pasa Pucha, the Association of Nepalis in Midwest America, the Association of Nepalis in the Americas, and the Nepalese Americas Council. He was also a member of the Association of American Geographers, the Regional Science Association and the American Geological Society.
Those who knew Dr. Shrestha will remember him as a natural
teacher and well read scholar whose favorite TV show was the original Star Trek series. A good friend recently recalled her children saying he was a cross between Elvis and the Buddha. This insightful observation not only described his physical aspect, with his perfectly groomed black hair, coupled with youthful good looks and a serenity of expression, but also his intellectual breadth as a man
who was able to bridge eastern and western worldviews. He reveled in science, calling mathematics the "truest international language" while
at the same time drawing upon the wisdom of his own philosophical tradition and all the world's religions to not only inform the unfolding of his own life but to also pass on this knowledge to his children. However, all the infusion of philosophy did
not diminish his genuine enjoyment of all life had to offer,
like the companionship of good friends, spirited philosophical debate,
the unconditional love of his grandchildren, world travel and of
course, ice cream! He touched the lives of all those around him - his friends who span the globe, his students who went on to become teachers, doctors, statesmen and ambassadors, and of course his family, for whom he was a shining example of dharma in action - a man who sought nothing more in life than to follow his path, to spread his knowledge with an open heart, and to provide for the well
being and security of his family.
Dr. Shrestha is survived by his wife of 48 years, Vijaya Laxmi
Malla Shrestha; his sister Sharada Raj Bhandari (Kathmandu, Nepal); son, Dr. Mahesh Shrestha, daughter-in-law Dr. Nancy Rose Orendain, and their children, Ganesh (15), Reeta (11) and Ramesh (7) all of Gladwynne, PA; his daughter Deepika Shrestha Ross and her daughter Mayadevi (13) of Santa Cruz, CA.
Friends are welcome to visit the family before the service at
home, any evening after 7:30 pm.
Following Nepalese tradition, a memorial service will be performed after twelve days of formal mourning, on September 26, 2007, at
6:30pm at the Simpson Building, 1291 Conneaut Avenue, Bowling Green, OH 43402 (tel: 419.352.4611)
