Dr. Ramesh C. Dhussa

1938 - 2025

Dr. Ramesh C. Dhussa, emeritus professor of geography at Drake University, passed away peacefully surrounded by family on March 23, 2025 in West Des Moines, Iowa. A man of profound intellect and creativity, Dr. Dhussa touched the lives of countless individuals through his zest for life, steadfast encouragement, and genuine care. He was a pioneer in the field of literary geography, cultivated a lifelong passion for Hindi literature, and honed an interest in music and singing. He seamlessly merged his academic, storytelling and musical pursuits with his deep care and love for his family and friends into a legacy that will endure. 

Ramesh was born in Dumka, Jharkhand (previously Bihar), India into the loving family of Mr. & Mrs. Sardari Lal and Lajwanti Dhussa. He was the sixth of nine siblings (three older brothers, two older sisters, and three younger sisters). As a family, they valued education for all children, music, poetry and literature, family road trips, and most of all, a deep affection for one another.

Dr. Dhussa’s academic career began in India where he earned a BA and MA in geography from Patna University, Patna, Bihar. His first teaching position was as a lecturer at Magadh University in Bodh Gaya, Bihar. He immigrated to Akron, Ohio, USA in 1974 where he earned a second MA in geography from the University of Akron, and a PhD in geography from Kent State University where he was an early specialist in literary geography. Dr. Dhussa’s teaching and research career spanned nearly 60 years across institutions in India and the US. He taught geography at Drake for over 30 years before retiring in 2021.

Dr. Dhussa presented at numerous conferences including at many annual meetings of the Association of American Geographers and the National Association of Geographers, India. He was especially honored to be the keynote speaker at the 2019 International Conference on Climate Change, Sustainability and Livelihood, Nirmala College, Ranchi, Jharkhand. He published many book chapters, articles in countless journals, and served on the Editorial Board of the journal Literary Geographies. In 2023, Images of Delhi: A Literary and Humanistic Geography of Post-independence India, a book he worked on for the last many years, was published by the world renowned academic publisher Springer. Dr. Dhussa felt fortunate to be surrounded by exceptional scholars around the world and he greatly enjoyed his discussions and collaborations with them while in the US and during multiple sabbaticals in India. He enthusiastically brought along his wife and children to join him on research and conference travels and through these shared experiences many of his collaborators became like family.

His passion for geography and India extended beyond the university setting with many outreach activities such as community lectures, talks at his daughters’ schools, and even serving as a judge for the Iowa Geography Bee. He served on the steering committee for the former Geographic Alliance of Iowa, which was established to encourage the teaching of geography in Iowa’s educational institutions. With the generous support of the Fulbright-Hays Program, he led a group of Iowa teachers on a four-week trip across India.  

A polyglot fluent in English, Hindi, Punjabi, and Bengali, Ramesh’s command of languages made him a versatile writer with the ability to transcend borders and connect deeply with diverse audiences. His stories, brimming with rich emotion and intellectual depth, reflected his geographical sensitivity—his love for the nuances of place and his ability to imbue every story with a sense of location and identity. Many of his short stories were published in prestigious Hindi literary journals. In 1998, a compilation of his short stories, was published, Bahut Accha Aadmi (A Very Nice Gentleman), which included many of his stories originally published between 1959 and 1996.

Ramesh received the greatest joy and satisfaction from his personal interests and relationships with dear ones. Photography and gardening allowed him to connect with the earth with his hands and heart, not just intellectually. Ramesh deeply cherished his friendships and delighted in spending time together singing, discussing literature and poetry, and just talking about life. He loved performing at musical evenings with friends and enjoyed concerts by world renowned musicians. Togetherness was a key component of how he best liked to experience life. His wife was his greatest love and support, and his daughters were his joy and strength, and he in turn was theirs. Ramesh loved and was deeply loved by his family. He often talked about his wife, daughters, and son-in-law with others and greatly enjoyed hearing about others’ families. For Ramesh, family came first.

Ramesh lived a wonderful and meaningful life that was overflowing with happiness and optimism. He leaves behind a legacy that blends the worlds of geography and literature, music, and genuine care and compassion for all. He is preceded in death by his revered parents and all eight of his dear siblings. He is survived by his beloved family—his wife of 48 years, Aruna, daughters, Ruchika and Ankita, son-in-law, Vivek (Ruchika’s husband), dear friends and family near and far, and generations of students. 

The family will hold a Celebration of Life on Saturday, April 26th, 2-6pm in the community room at Cedar Ridge Village, 8950 Coachlight Avenue, West Des Moines, Iowa 50266. Ramesh’s eulogy will be delivered by his daughters around 2:30pm. Attendees are encouraged to wear bright colors to honor Ramesh’s love of the vibrancy of spring.

In lieu of flowers and gifts, please consider a donation to the Association of American Geographers, the MDS Foundation, or the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation.