Ghulam Cheema Obituary

GHULAM SHABBIR CHEEMA It is with heavy hearts that Shabbir's family announces his passing on Nov. 27, 2025 in Lexington, Mass. Born in Kamalpur, Pakistan in 1944 he lived a life of international service. He began his career as a university lecturer in Pakistan, then received a scholarship through East-West Center in Hawaii completing his Ph.D. there before embarking on a career that included a professorship at USM in Penang, Malaysia, followed by 9 years at the U.N. Center for Regional Development in Nagoya, Japan, before relocating to U.N. Headquarters in New York where he was associated first with UNDP thern later UNDESA for 18 years. Upon retiring from the UN, he returned to East-Center in his beloved Hawaii and continued his work in governance there for 10 years, eventually moving to Lexington, Ma. to be closer to family and to take up a Senior Fellowship at Harvard's Kennedy School for the next three years. He was an unflagging champion of democratic governance and authored many books and articles on that subject. On a personal level he enjoyed the friendship an esteem of many throughout the world. A lover of music, natural beauty and walking in the sunshine, he was unfailingly kind, generous and caring. He leaves behind to mourn his loss, wife Sharon, children Zach, Yasmeen and daughter-in-law Michelle, grandchildren Amira and Jonah Bressner. He is also survived by brothers Safdar and Munnover, and sisters kaniz and Mumtaz as well as many nephews and nieces in Pakistan.