Chander P. Wadhwa

Chander P. Wadhwa, 92, of Highland Park, passed away peacefully on May 3, 2026.

He was born on October 19, 1933 in the area of India that is now Pakistan. He lost his father at a young age and was raised by his mother alongside his older brother Gulshan and younger sisters Krishna and Bimbla.

Chander told stories of selling sweaters at age 10 to make money for the family. Work was the theme of much of his life. He worked for a railroad in India and then, as the first in his family to come to the United States, he decided to continue his studies at the University of Louisville.

Arriving in the U.S. with just a suitcase and no coat, he relied on the kindness of strangers to give him a coat and help him find a place to stay. During his studies he worked odd jobs to support himself, including working at the Kentucky Derby selling mint juleps, and eventually graduated with a degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Louisville in 1965. Over the years, he lived in Cincinnati, St. Louis and eventually settled in the Chicago area. Chander met his eventual wife Nora, a Peruvian immigrant who was working as a nurse at Cook County Hospital, at an international student dance in Chicago. They married in 1967 and lived in Chicago and then settled in Highland Park, with their daughters Sheila and Sara.

Chander worked as an engineer at Sargent & Lundy for many years. He later earned his real estate license and obtained his broker’s license, eventually choosing to build something of his own by starting his own company, SNC Capital Management (with each S, N, C letter representing family members’ names). Chander had a very strong work ethic and fierce desire to succeed and provide for his family, all of which he accomplished with a combination of hustle and his ability to build rapport with every person he met.

Outside of work, he loved spending time in his yard and gardening. He also had great compassion for animals and would care for animals he encountered. When his grandchildren were born, they became the center of his world, and he greatly enjoyed attending their events, activities, and family celebrations. He also adored his wife, and together they enjoyed spending time going to movies, attending shows, and dining out. We will miss his quick wit, sense of humor, his one-liners and his mischievousness.

Chander is survived by his loving daughters, Sheila (Erik) Lundgren and Sara (Juan) Alvarado; and his beloved grandchildren, Jack and Natalie Lundgren and Amelia and Sophia Alvarado. In addition to his parents, brother and sisters, he was preceded in death by his loving wife of 52 years, Nora.

Services for Chander will be held privately.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Heartland Animal Shelter (in Wheeling, Illinois) in Chander’s memory at https://heartlandanimalshelter.org