Abha Lal

Abha Lal was born Abha Madhuri Johri in Kasganj, India. She was the second eldest of 4 boys and 4 girls, the eldest of the girls, and grew up helping her mom raise her younger siblings, while maintaining top grades in school. Her family moved to Mathura, a religious city in India, well known as the birthplace of Lord Krishna. She grew up in Mathura, earning a Master's degree in Hindi and became a teacher in a Central Government School, teaching the children of government workers. At the end of 1978, Abha Johri was introduced to Akhilesh Lal, they were engaged December 25, 1978 and married January 25, 1979. Akhilesh, who was born and raised a few hours away from Abha's family, had been living in the U.S. since February of 1977. Abha joined him in Detroit in June of 1979. They had their first child, their son Nitin, in Detroit in March of 1981. Abha continued her education, earning herself certification in EKG interpretation and working in that field for years. Abha and Akhilesh moved out of their Detroit apartment to a modest home in Dearborn in November 1985. They had their second child, daughter Nayna, in May 1986. Abha went back to earn her Master's in Education at Wayne State University and started working as an early childhood teacher for Detroit Public Schools. She started at Mark Twain, moved to O.W. Holmes, and lastly worked at Munger, where she retired. Abha was an active person, learning new technologies as they came along, traveling to India to visit family and explore monuments, temples, and landmarks. She enjoyed gardening and would grow vegetables in her front yard, while caring for her home and husband. She was an avid cook, with decades of experience with North Indian cuisine, which she enjoyed sharing with many of her family and friends. Abha also had a passion for knitting and sewing, with a steady hand creating and mending clothes for her family, including retail-level Halloween costumes for her daughter! A devout Hindu, Abha found pleasure in celebrating holidays and honoring her heritage with her husband. Although they lived continents apart, she maintained her relationships with her siblings, with frequent communication up to the day of her untimely passing. She was devastated by the passing of her son, Nitin, in December 2024 and had been attending grief meetings, naturally making friends along the way. It brought her peace to share with others how much her son meant to her. Abha's family was her rock and she was looking forward to coming home from a recent elective procedure, and reuniting with her husband, daughter, her Grand-cats, Lola and Zoey, her porch garden, and friends. She will be missed excessively by all the people who met her. Family, friends, neighbors, former colleagues and students alike are devastated and shocked. She was full of life, energy, vibrance, ambition, and a penchant to try new things. She leaves behind a hole that can never be filled, but her family and friends find comfort in the belief that she has reunited with her son Nitin, who she has severely missed this past year. Visitation Sunday, October 5th from 12 PM until 4 PM at Vermeulen-Sajewski Funeral Home, 46401 Ann Arbor Road West (between Sheldon and Beck), Plymouth. Puja Service Monday, October 6th 3 PM, at Southern Michigan Services, 12700 Fairlane, Livonia. To share a memory of Abha or your condolences to the family, please use the Share a Memory tab on this web page.

Abha Lal

January 5, 1949 - October 2, 2025