Obituary of Brij Mohan Khanna

Brij Khanna, 64, of Westerleigh, passed peacefully on Monday evening at home surrounded by his wife, children, son-in-laws, and Ingrid, his home health aide. While Brij had many defining characteristics, his most recognizable, apart from his staple mustache, was his warm heart and the love he had for his family. Born in Afghanistan in 1956 as one of 10 siblings, Brij moved to America in the 1970s to start a new chapter in life. Landing in New York, Brij began going to school and working in Manhattan before becoming an owner of The Diner in the Staten Island Mall, and eventually Chicken Delight – the latter of which being what brought Brij to meet his one true love, his wife, MaryEllen. Brij fell in love with MaryEllen the moment they met, even proposing marriage after one month… then 3 years later, in 1982, they wed. Over the years, Brij and MaryEllen gave birth to their three daughters - Jennifer, Erica, and Christina – who were the center of their universe. Brij worked tirelessly his whole life and did everything to make sure his four girls were always happy and had everything they wanted. Brij enjoyed everything about life: dancing, eating a good meal, getting dressed up, enjoying a nice glass of Johnny Walker, reading the Sunday paper and having coffee in bed, but his favorite was just spending time with his family. He was, at his core, a family man; a selfless one at that. Over the years, Brij's family grew and he earned new titles including 'father-in-law' and 'nanu' after Erica and Jennifer got married and had children. Unfortunately during the same time, Brij was diagnosed with a rare neurological disorder, corticobasal degeneration, which, over time, limited his ability to do the simple things he loved, like giving everyone a hug or holding his grandkids. But that never stopped Brij from making the most of life. Despite the hardships he faced throughout his battle, Brij fought his hardest to remain present in the moment and find the positives in every day. Nothing brought a smile to his face like everyone being in the house together, and in his last days he found comfort in knowing he was surrounded by his family. When coming to America, Brij told his mother he would leave as one, but come back as five. He's kept that promise – and then some. Brij is survived by his wife, MaryEllen, three daughters Jennifer, Erica, and Christina, son-in-laws, Anthony and Stephen, and grandchildren, Anthony, Francesca, Stephen Jr, and Vivianna.