Vijay Lakshmi (Khanna) Bahl

1934 – 2025

With heavy hearts and deep love, we share the passing of our beloved wife, mother, sister, grandmother, great-grandmother, aunt, and friend, Vijay Lakshmi (Khanna) Bahl, who left us on July 23, 2025 at the age of 91.

Born in 1934 in what is now Pakistan, and having moved to Amritsar in 1942 right before the partition, her life spanned a century of upheaval, loss, migration, and joy. She was a woman who defied convention, endured great hardship, yet still found space for immense love, laughter, and sparkle.

She lost her mother at a young age and was separated from her siblings for many years - a trauma that shaped her but never defined her. She was raised by her Masiji, Shanti Devi Seth, from the age of 5 until the age of 12. Her father’s strict upbringing after this age was challenging, yet she found strength in the love of her family and the courage of her convictions. When she was told she would be married at 16, she dressed in black and threatened to jump from a balcony if the suitors came. She fought for her right to live life on her own terms, eventually marrying her beloved Pran Bahl in 1955. Their partnership spanning 70 years of marriage was one of devotion, mutual support, companionship, tenderness, and laughter. While they were opposite personalities in so many ways, their partnership was rooted in a strong foundation of mutual respect, shared values and a deep love. He remained her steadfast protector and bedrock of support and care.

Vijay was a woman ahead of her time, with a feisty and vibrant spirit. She pursued an arts education at Government College and then a Bachelor of Education after her marriage, insisting on becoming “something” in a time when few women had the chance. She emigrated to Canada in 1970 with her two young children, after her husband and sister’s family had begun building new lives here. She brought with her not only her resilience but her tremendous heart, humour, and glamour.

She had a big personality that was funny, formidable, and fashion-forward. She believed that everything you wear should match, loved Bollywood with a passion, had a childhood crush on Raj Kapoor and then an adult crush on Victor Newman. She sang beautifully and won awards in her youth for her performances. She danced joyfully at parties, often with her daughter Anju by her side, even auditioning together for a Bollywood film and being offered a role that she turned down.

Vijay was a family woman through and through. She was the proud mother of Anju (Rajesh Sethi) and Atul (Maria Vamvalis), and the adoring grandmother of Priya (Joti Minhas) and Rahul, and great-grandmother to Mila, who brought her incalculable joy. She loved her siblings Sawdesh, Jatindar, Prem, and Pran deeply, along with her many nieces, nephews, great nieces and nephews, and family friends. She nurtured these relationships with generosity and humour. Her husband’s younger brothers were like her children, and she knitted sweaters for them with great pride.

She loved a good trip to the Niagara Fallsview Casino, where she actually won, defying the odds at the slots as she did in life. Her favourite foods included tinde, moti chawal, chaat, and gol gappe. She brought people together through cooking, singing, and dancing. She was delighted by the little things, like the miracle of a dishwasher, and the big things, like her family's presence around her. She wasn’t one for doom and gloom. She brought lightness into rooms, laughter into tense moments, and joyful spunk wherever she went

Pluralism and respect were at the core of her values. Influenced by both her husband and Gandhi, she embraced all religions and rejected discrimination of any kind. She always had a kind word for everyone, whether in a waiting room, a restaurant, or at a family gathering. She had a special gift for making people feel good about themselves. She would tell you that you looked beautiful, handsome, and elegant. Her open heart and fearless spirit were rare and unforgettable.

In her final days at Scarborough General Hospital, after flirting with the paramedics who came to her aid, Vijay offered us the kind of truth that gets right to the heart of things. It was funny, spirited, and full of lived wisdom. She reminded us to treat immigrants well and support them, because she knew firsthand the pain and strength of starting over. She told us not to fight with each other and to be peaceful, because life, she said, “is too short, but also too long.” With classic bluntness, she noted, “People have brains, but they do not always use them.” She urged us to love each other, to protect children, but not to always tell them what to do. Her final reflections were honest and grounded, offered with the clarity of someone who had truly lived.  In those words, she gave us her last lesson: live with less hubris, more kindness, and don’t forget to laugh along the way.

Vijay’s life was extraordinary because she met hardship with joy. She will be remembered for her strength, glamour, sense of humour, and above all, her boundless love. Her soul lives on in the many lives she touched and the countless stories, recipes, and moments of playful humour she leaves behind.

She was, and always will be, our fierce light.

The family would like to thank the extraordinary care she received in the Palliative Care Unit at the Scarborough General Hospital in her final days. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Vijay Bahl’s honour to the Scarborough Health Network Foundation.