Vinay Kumar Dey
April 6, 2022
It is with great sadness that we announce the death of Vinay Kumar Dey (March 7th, 1941-March 28, 2022). He was son of the late Surendra Nath Dey and Nirupama Dey (Bose), and husband to the late Nirmal Dey (Sharma). He is survived by his daughter, Sujata (Jeff) and son, Anil and by his brother, Santosh and sister, Bhakti Dutta. Mr. Dey passed away Montréal after fighting COVID and a secondary infection surrounded by loved ones.
Mr. Dey was a compassionate father, brother, family man, and community leader. Born in Orai, India, the youngest of ten children, he was a proud Lucknow Bengali. He immigrated to Canada in the 1970 where he married his beloved, Nirmal. He lived in New Delhi, Golden, Revelstoke, Nelson, Montréal and Calgary. Mr. Dey spent his career at Canadian Pacific Railway first in the yards and then in the account’s office, and finally as EAP counselor. Active in the union movement, he was eventually elected to the national union executive of the Transportation Communications Union (now amalgamated with the Steelworkers).
Not content to be an accountant or retiree, Mr. Dey was a social justice activist and community builder. Named as 2003 Maclean Magazine’s person of the year or service, he ran numerous times for the NDP. He selflessly assisted other people and he felt most at home helping others. He was a chiefly involved with the Calgary Council of Indo Canadian Associations and the Southern Alberta Heritage Language Association, the Bangladesh Lions Club, International Avenue Arts and Culture, Amra Sabai, Results Canada, and many more. He was a passionate advocate of many causes, including anti-racism, multilingual education and combatting poverty. He often volunteered as well as worked with charities and non-profits into his final year. Passionate about cultures and respectful of different faiths, he was an avid traveler and in his final years, hung out with his children in Japan, South Korea, and Cuba. Determined to keep his large extended family united, he dreamed of having a large family reunion in India, a dream which didn’t materialize.
A funeral service will be held on April 23, 2022, 10 am MDT at Country Hills Crematorium. (11995 16 St NE) The service will be streamed for out-of-town visitors. In a sad irony, while he organized COVID vaccine campaigns to reach the South Asian community, it was that very illness that he succumbed to. Out of respect for the family’s wishes—as the family wishes no more needless suffering on our elderly and vulnerable– they insist that attendees be properly masked.
To view a live stream of the ceremony please visit the link:
us02web.zoom.us/j/89001989015
In lieu of flowers, please make donations to the International Avenue Arts and Culture, who wish to fundraise to make a mural in honour of him and the Indo Canadian Community, or to Vedanta Society of Calgary, Results Canada or the Calgary Drop-In Centre.
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Our most sincere sympathies to the family and friends of Vinay Kumar Dey April 6 2022..
Country Hills Crematorium and Funeral Services
Death notice for the town of: Calgary, Province: Alberta