world sikh news G O O D B Y E , F R I E N D O F S I K H S Feb 4-10, 200911

Papua/New Guinea, University of this great teacher, scholar and California Santa Cruz, and Senior friend of the who held University International. Khalsa in very high esteem. He In 1957 he moved with his family regularly donated money to Sikh to Ghana for seven years, where he San Jose and other Sikh set up a program of Religious institutions. Studies at the university in Accra. About four years ago, a young In 1964 he accepted the post of Sikh professor from Amritsar Professor and Head of Religious wanted to go to France and Canada Studies at Makerere University in to study French in order to better Uganda. understand the Adieu to a Dr. King was Franco-Sikh rela- one of the tions. She did not very few schol- have the financial ars belonging resources to pay to the old for the trip. school of Somehow the learning in the news made to Dr. world with a King. He gener- deep knowl- ously donated edge of money for that Christianity, cause. It is anoth- Scholar Islam, er matter that her Jainism, and trip did not mate- r. Noel Q. King, a towering We are rialize due to uni- academician, scholar, his- among other versity bureau- torian, and a saintly per- religions. He celebrating the cracy. During my Dson, who illuminated the wrote eleven research work on academic and literary circles for books and life of this great Miri and Piri and almost half a century, quietly published Sikh struggle, I passed away on February 1, 2009 at chapters in teacher, scholar visited him typi- his home in Corralitos, California. many other cally about once a Noel Q. King was the fifth son of books. He was and friend of month for three Mary and William King. His family the Patron of years. Later, I met relations with the span Sikh Review, the Khalsa who with him 3 or 4 almost two centuries. His great the oldest Sikh times a year. I was grandfather worked for the Khalsa academic mag- held Khalsa in always treated Army in during the rule of azine in like a family Maharaja in the first English, pub- very high member in his part of the 19th century as a horse lished from home. doctor. His father William King Calcutta. esteem. He About three was an engineer with the Indian Dr. King months ago Postal and Telegraphs department joined regularly (October 2008), I who laid telegraph lines through- University of received an e-mail out northern India and up into California at donated money from his assistant Tibet. Dr. King’s family stayed in Santa Cruz in Michael India until the 1940s. 1967 where he to Sikh Harrington indi- The young Noel King moved started a cating that Dr. with family from place to place department of Gurdwara San King’s health was experiencing multi-cultural living. the History of rapidly failing Like his elder brothers he was sent Religion Jose and other and he urged his at an early age to Bishop Cotton’s where he friends to see him school in Simla in the foothills of taught history Sikh institutions because his doc- the Himalayas. He grew up virtual- and compara- tor did not give ly bi-lingual in English and tive religion until his retirement in him very much time. The message Hindustani (a mixture of Urdu and 1991. On his retirement, the Noel Q. was honest to the core, but it hit me ), the lingua franca of the King Lecture was established in like a thunderbolt. I went to see . He frequently spoke 1992 to honor the popular teacher him the next day. He was quite with me in Hindustani. and respected scholar. This annual weak. He was commissioned into the lecture is presented by the My last visit to him was only British army as a Second Committee for the Advancement of three weeks before he passed away. Lieutenant and was already in uni- Religious Studies at UCSC. Dr. By this time he was quite frail, but form when he married Evelyn in King was instrumental in provid- he was still as graceful as ever in December 1943. After qualifying as ing foundation courses and a com- his manners and conversation. He a parachutist and being entitled to parative framework for those inter- asked me about my family,my book wear the coveted red beret of the ested in religious studies major as project, job and other Panthic mat- Parachute Regiment, he spent the well as those students who just ters. rest of the time in war in the 56th wanted to learn about religion in His eldest son Francis King , a airborne Division Development an academic setting. He guided former Diplomat in the British Unit analyzing enemy air drop many students in their research on government, too has a close rela- methods, devising defenses against Sikh history and supervised theses tionship with the Sikhs in several it and researching methods of sup- and dissertations on topics related countries. plying ground troops from the air. to Sikh history. He was the only Francis was a British diplomat Dr. Noel Q. As the war in Europe drew to con- Western scholar who stood with in New Delhi when Indira Gandhi clusion, he was posted to the the Sikhs through thick and thin was killed in October 1984. Tens of King, a Sikh Indian Army to Manipur and then and fearlessly wrote against those thousands of Sikhs were massa- at Chaklala aerodrome which even- who tried to distort the Sikh histo- cred in Delhi alone and their tually became ’s ry in the name of academic women violated in a government scholar par International Airport. research. He was honored for his sponsored carnage which contin- As an army officer in India, he services to Panth at the Vishav ued for several days. A Sikh family excellence and was also in charge of security of Sikh Samelan (World Sikh lived next door to his residence. certain passenger trains for some Convention) in Amritsar in 1995 Francis helped in saving Sikh lives a world time that moved from Punjab and organized by Shiromani Gurdwara and honor. other parts of Northern India. He Parbandhak Committee and Dr. King’s first preference was told me that, he at one time, provid- received recognition from always to stay with a Sikh family renowned ed security to a Sikh leader Master Jathedar Sri Akal Takhat Sahib. whether it was in the US, India, while he was travelling He personally guided two Sikh Africa, Canada or some other historian, has on a train. Dr. King served in India, students Tarlochan Singh Nahal country because he trusted them Burma, and Europe. Dr. King fin- and Dr. Raghbir Singh Bains) who greatly and always felt comfortable ished his first degree in history received doctorate degrees in in their company. passed away. and then a degree in Theology. He Sikhism in North America. He spoke several languages graduated First Class Honors, spe- I met with Dr. King in 1992 for including Punjabi, Hindi, Urdu This is a tribute cializing in Early Church History. the first time at San Francisco in and Latin. His first wife Evelyn He received an M.A. degree in his- an academic conference. I was died in April 1972 at age 49 due to tory from Oxford University. In impressed by his scholarship and brain tumor. Some time later, he by 1954 he got his Ph.D. in late Roman deep understanding of history and married Laurie, who is a well- early Byzantine history and theology and realized that he was known novelist. Dr. Tarlochan Patristic Theology from the not an ordinary scholar. Dr. King Noel is survived by four children University of Nottingham. was a soft-spoken person. from his first marriage, Francis Above: Dr. Noel Q. King speaking Dr. King taught in several uni- Scholarly terms and Latin phrases and Jerome (sons) and Clare and at Gurdwara Sahib Fremont, Singh Nahal versities all over the world includ- describing deep theological con- Naomi (daughters), who between California, October 2006 ing, Punjabi University Patiala, cepts and unique historical events them have produced Noel’s 11 Dev University came out of his mouth effortlessly Grandchildren. They in turn have Right: Dr. King and the author at Amritsar, University of Ghana, and his demeanor and presence four Great Grandchildren. From Dr. King's home on Dec 13, 2008 University of Nottingham, Oxford created a unique aura that was his second marriage to Laurie University, Makerere University both uplifting and captivating. King, he has two children – Nathan (Uganda), University of We are celebrating the life of and Zoe.