Saroj Hajela

Obituary for Saroj Hajela

Saroj Hajela (née Nigam), a woman of quiet brilliance, steadfast faith, and profound devotion to her family, passed away peacefully in Ellicott City, Maryland, on November 28, 2025, at the age of 89. Her life was one of deep purpose, sacrifice, and love—expressed not through public acclaim, but through unwavering commitment to those she held dear.

Saroj was born on September 18, 1936, in Delhi, India, to Rajeshwar Nath Nigam, a lawyer, and Durgawati Nigam, a homemaker. She grew up in a lively household of eight children, with three sisters—Ahilya Bai, Damyanti, and Indramohini Nigam—and four brothers—Om, Bishan, Mool, and Satish Nigam. She was the seventh youngest child, with only her brother, Satish, being younger. All of her siblings and her parents preceded her in death.

From an early age, Saroj possessed a determined and impish spirit. She was not drawn to rote learning or rigid classrooms and was known in her youth as something of a mischief-maker. Yet this independence of mind concealed a sharp intellect and an exceptional capacity for hard work. When something truly captured her interest, she pursued it with focus and tenacity. Decades after leaving formal education, she astonished her son by demonstrating facility with the binomial theorem—proof that her intellectual curiosity never dimmed.

She graduated from the University of Delhi in 1956 with a bachelor’s degree and was also a gifted singer, performing for nationwide audiences on All India Radio. Music was both discipline and joy for her, a reflection of her inner life and cultural grounding.

In 1958, Saroj married Dhaneshwar Hajela, then a rising officer in the Indian Army who later transferred to the Survey of India. In keeping with the customs of the time, she devoted herself fully to her family and home. This role, however, never limited her influence. It became the primary channel through which her intelligence, resolve, and generosity were expressed.

Because of her husband’s profession, Saroj’s life was marked by frequent moves. In 1960, she gave birth to their only child, a son, Dhananjay Hajela, in Shillong, India. She invested herself completely in raising him—maintaining a stable home across cities and continents while guiding his education with care, rigor, and fierce advocacy.

Her determination on behalf of her son was unmistakable. When she learned that corporal punishment was being used at his school, she immediately confronted the principal and teacher, making clear that she had sent her child to be educated, not beaten. She accepted no excuses. This combination of moral clarity and resolve defined her approach to motherhood.

The family lived in Hyderabad, India, and twice in Columbus, Ohio, where her husband pursued graduate studies in Geodetic Science at The Ohio State University, then the leading university in the world in that field. During these years, Saroj played a central role in nurturing her son’s academic development. His extraordinary progress—completing a bachelor’s degree by age 15 and continuing on to doctoral studies in mathematics—was inseparable from her guidance, discipline, and belief in him. Recognizing the opportunities ahead, the family chose to settle permanently in the United States. Saroj would live there for the remaining 53 years of her life.

A deeply religious woman, Saroj was grounded in the Hindu faith from an early age. Her spirituality was quiet, practiced, and woven into daily life—informing her values, her resilience, and her capacity for acceptance.

She was known for her irreverent humor, her kindness to those she loved, and her willingness to sacrifice without complaint. A gifted and inventive cook, she delighted in learning new dishes, often inspired by cooking shows, and many of her creations became enduring family favorites. Food, for her, was an expression of love. One dish in particular—her curry chicken—became beloved by her grandson and symbolic of the care she poured into her family.

Saroj’s capacity for self-sacrifice was perhaps most vividly seen in her care for her grandson, Neil, born in 2002. Though she herself weighed barely 90 pounds, when Neil was an infant and unable to sleep, she would walk with him in her arms—his small body nearly a quarter of her own weight—for up to an hour at a time, rocking him until he rested. He was, without question, the apple of her eye.

Her pride in him never wavered. When Neil joined Amazon Leo’s flight dynamics team and helped launch a satellite into orbit, Saroj watched the rocket rise and clapped and cheered with unrestrained joy. In her eyes, her grandson was simply the best.

In later years, Saroj faced declining health with characteristic fortitude. After suffering multiple strokes beginning in 2023 and enduring repeated falls, she continued to meet each day with quiet resolve until her passing.

Saroj Hajela is survived by her son, Dhananjay, his wife Manisha, her beloved grandson Neil, and numerous nieces, nephews, and their families. She was preceded in death by her husband in 2012, her parents, and all of her siblings.

She lived by simple truths and passed them on with consistency and love. One of her guiding principles—offered often to her son—was clear and unwavering: “Playtime is for play, and worktime is for work.” It was advice rooted in discipline, balance, and respect for purpose.

Saroj Hajela will be remembered with deep love, gratitude, and enduring respect—exactly as she would have wished.