Tribute to Subdev Nasib Grewal, who passed away peacefully on March 28
The family home was always open for those in need. He was also a fierce defender of women’s rights in a conservative community.
Coffs Harbour
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Described by family members as a champion of people in hardship, the passing of Subdev Nasib Grewal will be felt deeply.
Woolgoolga’s Sikh community has lost a father figure and spiritual leader, while those who knew him personally have lost a friend and a true gentleman.
Mr. Grewal’s family have lost a loving husband, a dedicated father and father in-law, a grandfather and a great grandfather.
Subdev, better known as Nibsy to his Aussie friends passed away peacefully on March 28.
He was a prominent member of the Woolgoolga community for 51 years.
A WWII veteran, he served with the 25th Sikh Regiment, Commonwealth Allied Forces and saw action throughout the Middle East.
Mr Grewal emigrated to Australia with the post war intake in 1947 and settled in far North Queensland, quickly gaining employment in the sugar cane industry.
Nasib married Herbhajan Kaur in 1954 and proceeded to raise a family in the Cairns region.
They had seven children, sadly losing a son at 18 months to Diptheria.
Their relationship lasted the entire 67 years till his passing.
When the mechanisation of the sugar industry in Queensland brought an end to the need for the humble cane cutter, Nasib and his family moved to Woolgoolga in 1970.
He immediately became involved in the banana industry, remaining so until his retirement in 1983.
A natural leader with a strong character yet gentle persona, Nasib took up the mantle to lead in several community arenas. First and foremost holding committee positions at the Guru Nanak Sikh Temple over four decades.
A devout Sikh at heart, Nasib took great delight in overseeing the building of the current temple on the hill.
He championed the needs of the less fortunate, liaising with the Woolgoolga Neighborhood Centre working humbly behind the scenes.
Mr. Grewal was also a fierce defender of women’s rights in a very conservative community and willingly bore the burden of those who were offended.
The family home was a constant revolving door for those seeking help and intervention or the services of a JP.
Nasib was a founding member of the regional board of the Banana Coast Community Credit Union and a long-term member of the Banana Growers Federation (BGF).
A staunch ally to many political leaders on both sides of politics over 50 years, Mr Grewal was instrumental in gathering support within the Sikh community for then Labor leader and soon to be Prime Minister, Bob Hawke.
The North Coast Region has lost a stalwart of their community.
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