9:55 am. September 10th 2023. The day I never thought I would witness.
Kuljeet was diagnosed with glioblastoma in June of 2023. Glioblastoma is Grade 4 Brain Cancer. It’s terminal. It’s merciless. The cancer took a fierce and energetic soul in only 4 months. There were no side effects during radiation treatment but in late August, the cancer came back stronger than ever. Kuljeet passed away in the palliative care unit at Surrey Memorial Hospital. She was only 46 years old and survived by her parents, brother, niece and nephew. Here’s a very beautiful tribute by CBC:
Kuljeet was born in Mackenzie BC in 1977. Our dad gave her the nickname “Pupay” and that stuck for the rest of her life. She had a larger-than-life personality that resonated everywhere she went. She had no problems talking with anyone from all walks of life. Whether it was chatting with the bebeyah at the Mackenzie gurdwara on a Sunday afternoon, or babysitting kids when she was only 12 year old. Family and friends from Mackenzie always thought she was older than me. There was no denying when Pupay entered the room or building, she just had that type of presence. After graduating from Mackenzie Secondary School in 1995, this big personality was on its way to Vancouver to start her schooling at The Columbia Academy of Radio and Television Broadcasting Arts.
She made her broadcasting debut on News 1130 in 1998. I remember hearing her voice on the radio for the first time while in my car. Early on at News 1130, she did a late shift, and I would go pick her up from the station. It was exciting to see her career unfold early on, and she was ready to take on the world.
Kuljeet had a storied career in broadcasting ranging from morning shows on the radio and as a weather and traffic anchor on TV. She had her own Marketing company that included her favorite pastime; DJing. The word that kept coming up this week was “trailblazer”. She was an Indo Canadian girl from a small town, in Northern BC trying to make her mark in the highly competitive media industry.
What I truly admired about her was that she lived life on her own terms. She ruffled a few feathers, but she was going to do it her way. At a young age, she lived in Hollywood and chased her dreams. She visited Manhattan for an extended period and brought back stories for a lifetime. They say everyone should live in New York at one point in their lives, and she did. Now she was living downtown in a beautiful apartment overlooking English Bay. Same apartment that was decorated with pictures of all her nieces and nephews. She chased her dreams but also made a huge commitment to be in the lives of her loved ones. She made it all look too easy.
Her soul is now free. She will continue with her daily walks along the boardwalk by English Bay.
As much as we wish she could’ve lived longer, she lived with purpose, she lived with integrity and mostly she just lived. She didn’t aspire to make a living, she aspired to make a difference.
My Dad always says that each person’s timeline is determined before they are born. It is the Hukam of Waheguru, it is God’s Plan. Kuljeet filled that timeline with beautiful memories.
Here’s a picture from 2013. She was a staple in our house hold when she was on CTV morning news giving us traffic updates. It was amazing how the kids would react each time they would see her live on the air.
Here is the radio demo of her from her YouTube channel.
Live on location at PNE on CTV, she had an amazing voice and personality on air.
She did a brilliant documentary on Sikh Heritage Month in Canada
Funeral Service
References:
Vancouver broadcaster Kuljeet Kaila passes away after battle with cancer
Family, colleagues mourn death of beloved Vancouver broadcaster Kuljeet Kaila
‘She was a beautiful soul’: CTV News Vancouver colleagues remember Kuljeet Kaila, who died of cancer at age 46
