Man Mohan Sharma

Dr. Man Mohan Sharma, 83, passed away on March 27, 2023 in McDonough, Georgia.  He was born on September 25, 1939 in Batala, Punjab, to Sardari Lal and Satya Wati.

Dr. Sharma was a beloved husband, father, grandfather, father figure to many, brother, and uncle who lived a life full of love, joy, purpose, hard work, and achievements.  In his free time, Dr. Sharma enjoyed spending time with family, playing cards with his grandkids, sports, politics, music, and movies.  In his younger days, he also loved acting, singing, and campaigning for his favorite political party, BJP.  He worshiped Gandhiji and the current leader of India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

He used Education as a vessel to lift out of poverty. He became one of the youngest professors at Hindu College in his late twenties and took it as his responsibility to provide for his siblings. He came to the US at the age of 39 with nothing in his pocket except the dream of being an immigrant for a better life. He then did a masters and Ph.D. in record time at Ohio University while supporting his family during the early days in the US. His one decision to take the risk of starting his life all over in the US singularly changed the course of his children’s life for the better.

Professionally he was a visionary leader, mathematician, educator, teacher, mentor, entrepreneur, and philanthropist. He received his Bachelor’s in Mathematics from Batala, Punjab, Masters in Mathematics from Delhi University, and a Ph.D. in Mathematics Education from Ohio University.  He was a professor of mathematics at Hindu College Sonipat, Hindu College Delhi University, Ohio University, and Clark Atlanta University.  He retired as Professor Emeritus in 2013 from Clark Atlanta University.

During his Ph.D., he developed the vision for using technology to improve the learning process for students and the teaching process for teachers by developing digital content, a math editor, and a comprehensive learning management system.  He was ahead of the time, even before the internet, and worked with the Department of Education and IBM in the early days to bring technology to many institutions to improve mathematics education.  In the 1980s, he started his company Educo International with operations in Atlanta, New Delhi, and Bangalore to consult with universities and colleges in the United States and continue to develop new solutions as the technology evolved, from DOS to Windows, to Internet and HTML.

He directed several U.S. Government and IBM-funded projects to develop pilot tests and implemented integrated instructional delivery systems embedded with customizable content.  He is the author of several books on Mathematics and internet-based learning management systems, now being used all over the USA, Puerto Rico, Jamaica, and some select schools in India.  He was awarded Honorary Doctorate by the University of Philippines for his contribution to integrating technology into math education for better instruction and improved learning outcomes.  He also served as a senior consultant scholar to Botswana, Namibia, and the Philippines under USAID programs and invitations from these countries. The primary mission was to support these countries’ efforts in integrating technology into education. Under Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program, he was awarded a distinguished visiting faculty position in universities overseas.

Dr. Sharma will be deeply missed by his wife, Lydia Sharma; his children, Aman Bhardwaj and wife Anu; Jaya Patel and husband Atul; Christian Aybar and wife Katie; and his grandchildren, Abhi, Ashna, Kaiya, Rhea, Cristina, Braden, Carson, and Lily.  Additionally, he is survived by his siblings, Pyara Mohan Sharma, Jaginder Mohan Sharma, Promila Kumari Sharma, Vijay Prakash, and Mamta Sharma, and extended family in India and the U.S.

His legacy of resilience, zest for life, contribution to education, unwavering work ethic, and helping those less fortunate than him will be carried on by his children, his grandchildren, his wife Lydia, his family in India, the Educo family, and the hundreds of people he has helped along his life’s path.

A memorial service to celebrate Dr. Sharma’s life will be held on April 1, 2023, from 12:00 to 2:00 PM EST at the Wages and Sons Lawrenceville location. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Asha for Education, a non-profit with a mission to catalyze socio-economic change in India through the education of underprivileged children. https://donate.ashanet.org/

Dr. Sharma will be remembered for his kindness, generosity, caring nature, unwavering love for his family, and dedication to education improvement.  His legacy will live on through the countless lives he touched and the memories he created.