Sagar Datt Sikand

Sagar “Sage” Datt Sikand, MD, 91, of Mansfield passed in peace Monday, October 31, 2016.  Sage was born on August 6, 1925 to Bakhsish Singh and Indra Devi Sikand and grew up in Nahba, Punjab, India. He graduated from DM College, Moga and Clancy Medical College, Amristar.  He was the first in his family to come to the United States after being selected by a US government program to bring foreign doctors to the country.  Out of 2,000 candidates, he was the only doctor selected from India.  He received specialized training in orthopedic surgery at New York University’s Bellevue Medical Center where he was selected to fill the prestigious position of Chief Resident.  He also taught classes at the University.  While in New York he met the love of his life Frances Maureen Williams, who was working as a physical therapist at Hofstra Hospital.  They married, settled in Mansfield, Connecticut, and raised eight children. Sage joined Windham Hospital in 1957 and established his own private practice. He was the first doctor to bring orthopedic specialty to the region.  He worked closely with athletic departments at local colleges and high schools.  He served as the Chief of Orthopedics at Windham Hospital and President of the Windham County Medical Association.  He expanded his practice by joining Johnson Memorial Hospital and opening an office in Enfield. He served as a Trustee of the Hartt School of Music at the University of Hartford, was a member of the Rotary Club and volunteered with the Boy Scouts of America.  Additionally, he gave back to the community by providing free medical care to people in need both in the United States and India.  Sage was the patriarch of a family spread across the United States and in India. He valued family greatly. Each year he traveled to India to spend time with his parents, siblings and his many nieces and nephews. He enjoyed vacationing on Cape Cod where he loved sailing his sunfish. He was an avid chess player as well as casino and cards enthusiast. He enjoyed hosting annual holiday parties for the Fourth of July, Thanksgiving and New Years Eve. He loved word jumbles and could solve them in seconds, even at 91. Sage was a wise, kind-hearted and generous man who was a role model and inspiration to many. His legacy remains and will continue for generations to come.  Sage now joins his beloved parents Bakhsish and Indra and his siblings Om, Parkash, Asha, Gian, Pratbha, his son Neil Gregory Sikand, and son in law Michael Trudeau.  He is survived by his beloved Fran and his children: Rani Trudeau, Paul Sikand and his wife Mary, Mark Sikand, Marsha Lindstrom and her husband Bruce, Brenda Mathews and her husband Michael, Carla Sikand and her husband Armando Galindo, Chris Sikand and his wife Kathy; his grandchildren and great grandchildren: Parker, Hannah, Megan, Victoria, Kevin, Alexandra, Kathrina, Sarah, Dominic, Keaira, Timothy, Daniel, Margaret, Isabella and Owen, his many special nieces and nephews, too many to list.  The family wishes to thank the staff at Douglas Manor for their wonderful care.  Sage’s family will receive relatives and  friends on Friday, November 4, 2016 from 5:00pm to 7:00 pm at Potter Funeral Home, 456 Jackson St. (Rte. 195), Willimantic.  A Funeral Service of celebration and remembrance will be held at 10:00am Saturday, November 5, 2016 at Potter Funeral Home, 456 Jackson St. (Rte. 195).  In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the South Asian Heart Center / El Camino Hospital Foundation 2480 Grant Road, WIL206 Mountain View, CA 94040-4378 www.southasianheartcenter.org or the American Heart Association. PO Box 417005 Boston, MA 02241 www.heart.org.  For an online memorial guestbook please visit www.potterfuneralhome.com. 

 Service Information