Vibha Nagrath Dhingra, age 74, of Nashua, NH, formerly of Winchester, passed away on March 27, 2019.
Vibha was born in her grandfather Lala Ralya Ram Nagrath‘s home on Keeling Road, New Delhi, India on September 21, 1944. Despite losing her mother, Jasmati Devi Nagrath, when she was only six month’s old and her father Inderjit Nagrath, when she was only four, Vibha had a happy childhood in her grandfather’s house. She and her older sister Abha, were lovingly raised by their younger brother Ranjit Nagrath’s mother Savitri Devi Nagrath and were lucky to have the love and care of a large extended family including their grandparents and many aunts, uncles and cousins.
Vibha attended boarding school in the foothills of the Himalayas from the age of four. She completed her elementary, secondary, and collegiate studies at the Sacred Heart Convent School in Dalhousie. Her lifelong love of nature and her indelible connection to the mountains began there.
In 1966, at the age of 22, she married Satish Dhingra and they moved, first to Canada, and then to the United States. While Satish pursued his master’s degree, Vibha got her green card and her first job, as a clerk in the computer lab at MIT.
Vibha and Satish welcomed their first son, Anand in 1969 and their second son, Vivek in 1976 and just six months later, Vibha became a citizen of the United States. After living in Cambridge and Belmont, they settled in Winchester, MA in 1978. When they separated in 1980, Vibha became a single mother. After being a stay-at-home mom for many years, Vibha worked tirelessly to support her sons. She never remarried, singular in her focus on her children and her desire to maintain her independence. In 1983 Vibha completed her MBA from Suffolk University.
Despite their divorce in 1986, Vibha maintained a cordial relationship with her ex-husband, until his death in November 2017. After a successful career in corporate accounting, Vibha retired in 2009 and moved to Nashua, NH. She spent the last year at Apple Valley Center in Ayer, MA where she made many friends among the staff and residents.
Vibha loved animals, especially dogs. She enjoyed international travel and learning about history; she loved to read biographies and discuss current events. She had a beautiful voice and enjoyed singing classical Indian music as well as hymns in English. In recent years, she spent considerable time in her garden. She loved plants and flowers and was especially fond of peonies. Vibha enjoyed a wide circle of friends from every chapter of her life. Her two grandsons were her pride and joy.
Vibha is survived by her sister Abha Gupta (née Nagrath) and her husband Promod Gupta of New Delhi, India; her son Anand Dhingra and his wife Holly (née Parker) of Nashua, NH; her son Vivek Dhingra and his wife Catherine (née Bingham) and her grandsons Nikhil and Rhys of Wakefield, MA; as well as many cousins, in-laws, nieces and nephews and countless friends.
Relatives and friends are kindly invited to attend a Memorial Service to be held at Costello Funeral Home, Saturday April 6th 2019 from 1pm to 2pm. Visiting hours will follow the service from 2pm to 5pm.