Tehsel Singh Dhaliwal, P.E., 1941-2025

Tehsel Singh Dhaliwal, a cherished father, grandfather, brother, uncle, partner, and friend, passed away peacefully in Dallas, Texas, surrounded by loved ones on Saturday, November 22, 2025, due to complications from ALS.

Born on June 10, 1941, in a small village near Lahore, Punjab, to the late Bagicha Singh and the late Sham Kaur, Mr. Dhaliwal’s adventurous spirit was evident from childhood—so much so that his parents adjusted his birthdate to May 7 so he could start school earlier. After enduring the Partition of India and Pakistan in 1947, his family settled in Killi, Punjab. In 1963 he immigrated to the United States, where an administrative inversion gave him yet another birthday—July 5—ensuring he always had three joyful celebrations each year, which was perfect for someone who loved a good party.

​As a young immigrant arriving in the United States in 1963, Mr. Dhaliwal took every opportunity that came his way, including working his way up to playing blackjack for the house in casinos in Lake Tahoe. At those tables, he brought his trademark charm and quick wit that made him a favorite among legends of the Rat Pack era and members of the Oakland Raiders (which sealed his fate as a lifelong Raiders fan). Later on, as he was settled in the country, with boundless generosity, he spent years sponsoring his siblings and their families to join him in America and helped them build new lives. 

Mr. Dhaliwal earned his engineering degree from Mississippi State University in 1968 and built a distinguished career in Chicago with Johnson Products, Soft Sheen Products, L’Oréal, and others. An irrepressible entrepreneur, at age 66—when many contemplate retirement—he founded Dhaliwal Labs in 2008. From a modest suite, the company grew into a thriving contract manufacturer of personal-care and OTC products with three locations serving clients nationwide and providing a second home to the extended Dhaliwal Labs family he cherished like his own. He often joked that it was his 6th child, and he cared deeply for each employee and their families. He often said that Dhaliwal Labs was in the business of caring for families.

A proud and deeply devoted Sikh, Mr. Dhaliwal was the great-grandson of Shaheed Jivan Singh, one of the legendary 21 Sikh soldiers of the Battle of Saragarhi. Honoring their sacrifice became a lifelong mission; he funded and erected a monument at the historic site in present-day Pakistan and generously supported Sikh communities wherever he lived, especially the Sikh Temple of North Texas in the Dallas area. And in the Sikh spirit of chardi kala, buoyant optimism, he remained positive even when given the news of his ALS diagnosis - he told his children, “It could be worse, I could have gone suddenly,” expressing that now they had time to plan. And in the Sikh tenet of vand chakna, share what you have, he endowed a scholarship at Mississippi State University and created the Dhaliwal Foundation with the mission to “create hope where there is little, particularly for marginalized communities … and support initiatives that create a more hopeful and peaceful world…”

Mr. Dhaliwal was preceded in death by his former wife, Balbir Kaur (Sidhu) Dhaliwal; adoring and loving sisters Surjit Kaur Mattu, Gurmeet Kaur Gill, and Dalip Kaur Kang; brothers Sunder Singh and Surinder Singh Dhaliwal and his wife, Harbans Kaur; and many other dear family members.

He is survived by his devoted partner, Gracia Rosslow; and his siblings: Major Dhaliwal and his wife, Manjit Kaur, and Deputy Dhaliwal and his wife, Amarjit Kaur, and Balbir Khera. He is further survived by five children: Thomas Dalton and wife, Janice, of Bradenton, Florida; Mina O’Hearn and husband, James, of Boston; Amrita Kaur Dhaliwal of Los Angeles; Neelamjit Kaur Dhaliwal and husband, Mark Raterman, of Chicago; and Jason Dhaliwal and wife, Stacy, of Lake Bluff, Illinois; and his most beloved nephew, Pal Singh Dhaliwal, of Kurukshetra, India, who was like a son to him, and his wife, Gagan; and, eight adored grandchildren: Alison O’Hearn, Caitlin O’Hearn, Thomas O’Hearn, Ryder Dhaliwal, Nanak Singh Dhaliwal-Raterman, Emily Dalton, Jeevan Singh Dhaliwal-Raterman, and Sohavani Kaur Dhaliwal-Raterman; as well as a large and loving extended family of nieces, nephews, grand-nieces, and grand-nephews, especially Kinshuk Dhaliwal, Jeevanjeet Dhaliwal, and Jeevat Dhaliwal. 

Mr. Dhaliwal’s final wish was simple and clear: be happy and celebrate life. So please join us in honoring him by sharing your favorite memories, keeping your spirits high, and holding fast to hope and optimism.

The family kindly requests donations to Khalsa Aid at khalsaaid.org in memory of Tehsel Singh Dhaliwal. 

A life richly lived, a legacy of faith, family, and fearless entrepreneurship —Tehsel Singh Dhaliwal will be deeply missed and forever remembered.

Every year presents a new horizon. And 2020 was a year full of unprecedented and surprising challenges. Life has taught me that times like these, though difficult, shape us and help us to develop the leader within each of us.

As we go into 2021 and beyond, I’m pleased to take this time to recognize the key individuals and collaborative teams whose work and leadership will lead Dhaliwal Labs into the future.

Please join me in thanking these folks and congratulating the promotions as well:

Neelamjit Dhaliwal, promotion to President, will lead organizational development, human resources, and research & development.

Jim McLaughlin, promotion to Chief Operating Officer, will be responsible for sales, IT administration, and continue his role as Chief Financial Officer as well.

Mina Dhaliwal O’Hearn, promotion to Chief Executive Officer, will be responsible for maximizing business value by setting our vision, long term goals and direction of the organization.

Bedford Park will continue to be led by the exceptional and strong leadership team of Tammy Stuckey and Stu Paves.

James Croney, VP of Science & Technology, will continue to lead Research & Development.

Varsha Nainani, Corporate VP of Quality and Regulatory, will continue to lead Regulatory & Quality.

Along with all of your efforts and the greater team, together, these folks are leading us into a strong Dhaliwal Labs in 2021 and beyond. I will continue to serve as Chairman of the Board of Directors and participate in development of the organization.

Please join me in congratulating them.

Tehsel S. Dhaliwal, P.E.

The senseless murders of George Floyd and so many other African Americans have left the country grappling with its racism. As protests are held all over the country and even the world, we see that many stand in solidarity with African Americans. And we, too, stand alongside African Americans and all communities of color - our employees, customers, and partners - in the fight against racism, hatred and systemic oppression. We raise our voice to demand change and accountability, and to speak out about injustice.

For those who don't understand the intensity of all this erupted anger, this is our time to listen. As we navigate our personal feelings and experiences, there are important questions in front of us. How can we help each other heal and how can we make a more just world?

We close by evoking Chardi Kala, which is the Sikh spirit of eternal optimism. It is a philosophy that moves us to have hope for tomorrow despite all the shortcomings of today. Chardi Kala does not say to not have anger, it is instead a call to let hope and love lead the way.

Dhaliwal Laboratories is deemed an essential business within the jurisdiction of Illinois and Dallas County, and therefore remains open during the shelter-at-home orders for the COVID-19 pandemic. We are a manufacturer of essential personal hygiene products, including hand sanitizers and soaps.

The health and safety of our employees, customers, and their families is the top priority of Dhaliwal Laboratories. We are closely following recommendations provided by the CDC and OSHA and share the immediate goal of slowing the spread of the COVID-19 virus. Additionally, as a personal care product and medical device manufacturer, we are assisting during this global health crisis with the production of hand sanitizers and other sanitizing soaps. This is an unprecedented situation that demands an “all hands on deck” approach, and Dhaliwal Laboratories is ready to do its part. We are especially grateful for the work and commitment of our employees during this difficult time. Lastly, if you have production needs related to hand sanitizers, please visit our contact page.

We are very proud to share that our very own Varsha Nainani has been chosen to speak at the Beauty Supplement Regulatory Exchange in Washington D.C. on Nov 12 2019! Varsha is a strategic, hands-on quality and regulatory leader at Dhaliwal Labs. She is results focused, collaborative, and innovative with progressive technical and management experiences culminating in Quality and Regulatory leadership roles in FDA based CFR and ISO quality assurance environments. She is passionate about influencing and unifying teams for bringing positive changes to “must not fail." Varsha is an invaluable member of the Dhaliwal Labs team!

Dhaliwal Labs is excited to announce the hiring of Stuart Paves as Vice President of Manufacturing for Dhaliwal Labs, IL. He has incredible depth of experience as he has been in the personal care manufacturing business his whole life. He started working alongside his dad and comes to Dhaliwal Labs with the same energy he had as a kid! Stuart also started his own company, SMAP, which he has since sold. Dhaliwal Labs knows he will continue to grow in his new position and help the company with the full support of the whole Dhaliwal team behind him!

Dhaliwal Labs is excited to announce the internal promotion of Karla Sotelo to Manufacturing Manager, Dallas. She has been with the company for over 6 years. She started out in the quality control department and then moved into the scheduling department for several years. Karla has seen Dhaliwal Labs through tremendous growth during that time and her promotion from within highlights her institutional knowledge, expertise and success. Dhaliwal Labs knows Karla will continue to thrive and she will have the support of the whole Dhaliwal team behind her in this new position!

Dhaliwal Labs is excited to announce the promotion of Nancy Juarez from Director of Operations to Senior Vice President and General Manager of Dhaliwal Pharmaceutical Labs in December 2018. She is an industry leader with over 25 years of experience in quality and regulatory as well as operations. Dhaliwal Labs and Nancy have grown together as she's been with the company since January 2011. She is integral to that growth and will continue to be so in future endeavors - the company looks forward to her continued success!

Dhaliwal Labs expands with the acquisition of third manufacturing site to support continued growth and customer demands. The 79,200 square foot Mesquite, Texas location is an OTC facility that will specialize in medical device and OTC manufacturing and blending of raw materials for cosmetics production. With the new facility, Dhaliwal Labs now has over 300,000 square feet of manufacturing and R&D space!

Announced as a three-time repeat recipient of the award for fastest growing privately owned companies!

Dallas based Dhaliwal Laboratories, LLC, is pleased to announce that Dhaliwal Labs Illinois, LLC, an affiliate of Dhaliwal Laboratories, LLC, has completed its acquisition of the business assets of Alliant Manufacturing, LLC, and Alliant Formulations, LLC in Bedford Park, IL. This acquisition is effective December 23, 2014.

Through the transaction, Dhaliwal Labs gains additional manufacturing capabilities and expands its geographic base with increased distribution territory. The expansion builds on the company’s efforts to strengthen its presence in the market and better serve the needs of its growing customers.