PRAYER MEET

Rear Admiral Rakesh (ROCKY) Chopra VSM (RETD).

Sep 27, 1948 – March 29, 2025

Celebrating a distinguished service career and a life well lived

Remembrance To Be Held On

April 2, 2025 Wednesday | 3:30 pm

Venue:

Chinmaya Mission

89, Lodi Road, New Delhi

—•—

Marilyn I Vikram-Noopur I Varun

RSVP: 99719 72221; 9820238515

FROM VIJAY KHURANA :
While I put up details on the WhatsApp Group,” Young but Once” for those who did not possess this information, Rocky was admitted with acute COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease), diabetes and he had had a stent inserted a few years ago. The medical condition was, when he was admitted, bleak and in the previous few days at home he had been indolent, sleeping most the time and ignoring meals or any other activity. The family then admitted him to the Army Hospital Research and Referral on Sunday March 23, 2025. He was taken directly to the ICU given his precarious condition.

Rocky’s cremation took place yesterday, March 30, 20225 at the Lodhi electric crematorium with arrangements being made by the Indian Navy.

A prayer meeting for Rocky will be held onWednesday, April 2, 2025 at the Chinmaya Mission on Lodhi Road at 3:30PM. Details in the attachment to this mail

Several of you have sent comments and condolence messages over WhatsApp or separate mails. You may like to place them on this trailing page.

On a personal note, Rocky was a second generation naval officer. His father Devender Chopra was a Captain in the Indian Navy, his mother, Kamala, passed away early. For a while Rocky was the only child and developed his skills at being adept at making friends offering a lively disposition. He was never heavily academically inclined, though he did well in School (Curzon, 1958-1963),  but that scholarly attribute of character made itself obvious in the years to come. He collected a PhD, became an academic and that was a side he rarely exhibited with any kind of abandon. His vast knowledge he never flourished except to his students in the class room. It earned him great admiration and respect. In any discussion, Rocky preferred to listen and when he did offer a view point, it was supported by hard core information and indisputable facts. He was dead sure when he did offer a comment!!

Rocky was scheduled to spend four months in Taiwan collecting material about a book that he was planning to write on the politics of the South China Sea !! That is no ordinary subject in today’s political context.

We all knew Rocky as an affable, lively soul which is an enduring memory. However, he was also a very private man and you never got deep down into the recesses of his personality or his mind. Some things and important aspects of his life he kept to himself !! That private side he never offered to anyone. Often the butt of jokes, he accepted them with a smile and a gentle flick! He left us with a persona that he would like us remember – Jovial, Happy and Very Friendly.

Good bye, Dearest Friend. We will miss you when next we raise our glasses!!

Warmly

Vijay Khurana

A week or so ago, I was in New Delhi for a few short days – and had invited a few people to a party. It so happened that another classmate (Pompei) couldn’t attend, and so as a result, the OC contingent/guests of my party were shifted to another day. This is about that party that GS Kochhar [Lefroy 1963 Batch] then arranged on short notice!

(Currently, am in Nairobi… and on our way to Masai Mara game reserves for a safari trip). As a side note … I must say that even though Kenya and India are similar in poverty/ dirtiness, some Nairobi hotels are very nice indeed — some nicer than US hotels in the same category! (I could elaborate on hotels, their standards and stars at a later time).

Attached are some nice memories of that OC party that Mr GS Kochhar hosted last Sunday. According to Anupam Sachdev, the party was in my honor — but Pompei is in the marketing business, so I take that with a grain of salt!

Instead, I would like to give a shout out to Guljit who arranged guests, drinks and food on less than 24 hour notice! According to me – if anyone can pull this off in the outstanding manner he did — he (or she) is entitled to be anointed an Event Guru!!
Guljit himself was adorned in a very regal outfit — a royal ensemble with an emblem on his Indian coat that would have made the Maharaja of Patiala blush!
His house is decorated in very good taste, matched only with the taste and rare class of whiskies he served to all his guests!
I knew GS quite well in school years — especially since my family knew his — and remember visiting his house in Simla during summer break with my mother.
Then, no contact, never saw him — maybe once in 6 decades!!
Thank you, Guljit, for being such a gracious and generous host!
It was a Fun party!! Proof is attached!
You d’ Event Guru!
Ken

[Karanjit Singh – BCS Lefroy 1958-1963]

[for larger photos: click on]

In Photos below…
There were just 4 of us from BCS. Others were friends of Guljit’s daughter and a couple of Guljit’s friends (couples).

1. Guljit Kochhar, middle is outsider Mrs Tara Singh, right is my wife Eera Singh (in red and white blouse).
2. Outsider, Me, Rakesh Chopra, Anupam Sachdev (Pompei).
3. Pompei, my wife Eera, Guljit Kochhar, and Rocky Chopra.

[for larger photos: click on]