Hugh Gantzer, Renowned Travel Writer and Padma Shri Recipient, Passes Away at 95

Key facts

• Hugh Gantzer, a veteran travel writer and former Commander in the Indian Navy, passed away at the age of 95 in Mussoorie.
• Hugh and his late wife Colleen Gantzer were jointly awarded the Padma Shri in 2025 for their extensive contributions to travel literature.
• The duo authored approximately 3,000 articles and a dozen books, including a 1974 work on Kerala commissioned by the Indian Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC).
• They hosted the popular 1980s television series titled Looking Beyond With Hugh & Colleen Gantzer on Doordarshan.
• The couple wrote a series of mystery thrillers under the pseudonym Shyam Dave, which are considered among the first English-language thrillers written in India.
• Hugh Gantzer was the founder of the Save Mussoorie Society and the Surahit Himalaya, through which he campaigned against limestone quarrying and unregulated development.
• His notable literary works include Mussoorie’s Mythhistory, a book containing 12 stories that blended the history of the hill station with fiction.
• Hugh Gantzer was laid to rest at the Camel’s Back Cemetery in Mussoorie.