Dr. Guru Sandesh Singh Khalsa (’78), Former NCNM President, Dies

Dr. Guru Sandesh Singh Khalsa

It is with our deepest sorrow that we share the news of the untimely passing of Dr. Guru Sandesh Singh Khalsa, who died unexpectedly on Aug. 11, 2021.

Dr. Khalsa was a pillar in the naturopathic community. He embodied the teaching of naturopathic medicine, especially that of docere.

An erudite, Dr. Khalsa held degrees in physics from Occidental College, human biology from Kansas Newman College, and naturopathic medicine from the National College of Natural Medicine (NCNM).

Dr. Khalsa impacted the entire naturopathic profession as a professor, former president of NCNM, accreditor, administrator, leader, and as a beloved and respected colleague. He was known as a steadying influence and a balanced thinker who provided a voice of wisdom, calm, reason, and passion.

Dr. Khalsa embodied servant leadership, serving on the Board of Directors of the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians (AANP) and the Institute for Natural Medicine (INM). He was president of the Association of Accredited Naturopathic Medical Colleges (AANMC), president of Boucher Institute of Naturopathic Medicine (BINM), and dean of the University of Bridgeport’s School of Naturopathic Medicine. He was also involved with professional accreditation, having served on the board of the Council on Naturopathic Medical Education (CNME) and on accreditation site teams for both naturopathic and acupuncture programs. His dedication and commitment to the naturopathic profession goes unmatched; even his final days were spent in service to the profession which became his extended family. 

Please view this invitation to honor his passing in a meditation ceremony to comfort his soul and ours in the tradition of the Sikh faith. Anyone interested in honoring his passing is invited to join. The meditation ceremony will take place each evening from Aug. 11 to Aug. 27, 2021 from 7-7:45 p.m. PDT. The meditation may be joined via Zoom at the link below: 

Zoom meeting link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/87064179526?pwd=MlppdVp5SmlIUndGK1M0VlZINWNFdz09#success

Meeting ID: 870 6417 9526 Passcode: 353263

Please direct any questions to Laura Farr, AANP Executive Director, at laura.farr@naturopathic.org so that the family can focus on grieving and celebrating Dr. Khalsa’s life.