Sugavanam - Obituary

Sugavanam

(Krishnan SS)

19 OCTOBER 1946 – 27 AUGUST 2016

My younger brother Sugavanam was born on 19-10-1946 at Salem, Tamil Nadu. He was the 8^th child to our parents – GR Subramania Iyer and Sampoornam Ammal. Being the 8^th child, he was named Krishnan. When he was months old, we shifted to Cuddalore. Initially we lived in Pudupalayam locality, but in 1953-54 we relocated to Tirupapuliyur area, behind the temple.

17, Babu Rao Street was the address where our father purchased a house and we shifted to this our own house. Sugavanam, like all of us, had his schooling here St Joseph’s High School. After passing SSLC, he applied for Diploma in Mechanical Engineering at Sri Ramakrishna Mission Polytechnic at Mylapore, Chennai. This was a charitable Institute where education, lodging, and food were free for students. He was fortunate to get a seat here, where apart from the academic curriculum, strict discipline and Vedic Learnings were taught by great Seers. He left for Madras (now Chennai) in May 1962, and stayed in Ramakrishna Home.

On completion of the LME course he applied for and got a job at Ashok Leyland in January 1966. Along with the job, he started studying for AMIE, so he shifted from Thiruvottiyur to Triplicane (Thiruvallikkeni, now), Swami Pillai Street for convenience of studies. He passed his AMIE in 1971 and became a full-fledged Mechanical Engineer. When he was in this house he met GIRIJA whom he married on 12th December 1975 at Tirukazhukundram, near Chengalpet.They got their first daughter SUDHA on 30^th October 1976 and their second daughter SUBHA on 9^th June 1981.

From Madras, he was transferred to Calcutta, then various other places like Puducherry, Delhi and finally back to Chennai. During the long and distinguished service at Ashok Leyland, he was promoted to higher post successively. He was in Mylapore for some years and later shifted to Thiruvanmiyur in the year 2000. He educated Sudha to MCA at Kodaikanal university and Subha to MBA in Madras university. Later, he got Sudha married to Sri. Ramachandran (Chander) on 8^th February 2002, and a few years later he got Subha married to Sri. Magesh on 27^th April 2005.

He retired on 31-10-2004 from Ashok Leyland Chennai. He was a Senior Manager at the time of retirement.

Sugavanam was blessed with four grandchildren Dhanush and Darshini (children of Sudha – Chander) and Sughosh and Mahathi (children of Subha – Magesh).

He celebrated his Sashtiaptha Poorthy during November 2006. He lost his wife Girija on 25^th November 2007 which was a terrible blow to him. After his wife departed he led a calm and quiet life in the company of his beloved grandchildren.

As the years rolled on, he started developing the age-related problems. Like Diabetes, Blood Pressure etc. Then during August 2007 he had an Open Heart Surgery, and then Cataract surgery. In spite of all these he continued his cheerful attitude towards life. He attended each and every one of the functions in the family.

On 9^th December 2013 he was diagnosed with Carcinoma (Colon rectal Cancer) for which a complex surgery was performed. The surgery was at Chromepet on 17^th February 2014. The usual Chemo therapy and Radiation therapy followed at Kamakshi Hospital for over 6 months. Though his general body conditions weakened, he never lost his cheerful nature. He attended a ritual at Thane, a marriage at Coimbatore, another marriage at Noida in the usual Sugavanam attitude. On 1^st May 2014 he shifted to the same apartment where Sudha lived in her own house.

When everyone thought he was fully recovered from the clutches of the dreaded disease, during the early 2016, it showed a hint of recurrence. At first none suspected this and he was treated for gastric problems. On 6th June 2016, when he was admitted in Kauvery hospital, it was finally diagnosed but it was TOO LATE for any cure. Silently he suffered for nearly 2 ½ months before breathing his last.

 He left us and this world at 5-15 AM on Saturday 27^th of August 2016. He was 70. He was cremated on 28^th August at Besantnagar.

All through this period for the past 3 years, his daughters Sudha and Subha took care of him; and since June 2016, Sudha and her husband took the extremely strenuous task of taking care of her bed-ridden father 24 hours a day. Chander and his parents Mr. Vijayaraghavan and Mrs Sarada’s helping nature is beyond my words. Subha and Magesh were equally taking care of Sugavanam 24 hours a day. It was a truly exemplary and excellent job these people (particularly Sudha) performed all through and may God Bless them.

Personally I would remember with gratitude the way he and Girija took care of my eldest son Arun for over 5 years when he came to Chennai on his first job in July 1994. Arun’s marriage Nichchaya thartham with Gayathri took place on the terrace of Sugavanam’s house in 2000 which none in our family will forget. Sugavanam had this exceptional helping nature all through his life.

He might have left us physically, but Sugavanam will live always with us in our mind and thoughts forever.

RIP, Sugavanam.

THIS WAS READ BY ME ON 8th SEPT 2016, [Subasyam Day] at Sugavanam's house.

சிவி. சுகவன சாயி கிருஷ்ணன் என்கிற சுகவனம் - விய வருஷம் ஐப்பசி மாதம், 3ஆம் தேதி (19-10-1946) சனிக்கிழமை, உதயாதி நாழிகை 28.05 க்கு, மாலை 5-16க்கு, சேலத்தில், ஆயில்யம் (4வது பாதம்) சுப ஜனனம்.

துர்முக வருஷம், ஆவணி மாசம், 11 ஆம் தேதி, 27-08-2016, சனிக்கிழமை விடியற்காலம் 5-15க்கு, தக்ஷிணாயனம், வருஷ ருது, கிருஷ்ண பக்ஷம், தஸமி திதி, மிருகசீரிஷம் நக்ஷத்திரம் அன்று சென்னை, திருவான்மியூர் ராதாகிருஷ்ணன் நகர் முதல் குறுக்குத் தெருவில் வீட்டில் இறப்பு. வயது 70.

A Timeline

19 Oct 1946  --- Born at Salem

                         8th child of GR Subramania Iyer - Sampoornam Ammal
1962 May --- Finished schooling (St Joseph's High School, Tirupapuliyur
                    Joins LME at Ramakrishna Mission, Mylapore.
1966 Jan ----      Joins Ashok Leyland, Ennore, Chennai

1975 Dec 12 ---- Marries Girija at Tirukazhukkundram, near Chennai
1976 Oct 30  ---- Sudha was born.
1981 June 9 ----- Subha was born.
2002 Feb 8   ---- Sudha's marriage with Chandar.
2004 Oct 11  ---  Retires from Ashok Leyland as Sr Manager
2005 Apr 27  ---  Subha's marriage with Magesh.
2006 Nov 13 -----   Sashti Aptha Poorthi,
2007 Nov 25 ---  Wife Girija passes away.

MEDICAL

2009 AUG 7 ---     Open Heart Surgery, at Fortis, Chennai

2013 DEC 9 ---   Diagnosed with Carcinoma (Colon rectal cancer)

                         Treatment  started at Kamakshi hospital, Chennai

2014 FEB 17 ---  Surgery at Chromepet hospital.

2014 MAY 1 ---- Shifted house to Sudha's apartment. I Cross Street.

2016 JAN ----     Recurrence of cancer.

2016 JUN 6 ----  Admitted in Kauvery Hospital, Alwarpet. 3 days.

                         Cancer confirmed - "beyond cure".

2016 JUN 10 onwards --- totally bed-ridden.

2016 AUG 27, 5-15 AM --- Passed away in sleep perhaps.

5-SEP-2016 --- 10th day rites at Sri Mahadeva theertham, Thiruvanmiyur.

8-SEP-2016 --- 13th day SUBASYAM.