Kalakad Sundaram SATHI

SATHI, Kalakad Sundaram - October 23, 1933 - June 24, 2013 A great soul has left this Earth. Kalakad Sathi died peacefully at home, surrounded by his loving family, after a brief but courageous experience with cancer. He is survived by his wife of 53 years, Shanthi, his daughters Nalini Valliere (David), Sulekha Sathi (Steven O'Rourke) and Nandini Sathi (Neal Weinstein). He leaves his five grandchildren: Nisha, Yashoda, Maya, Lukas and Ajay. Kal was born in the village of Kalakad in India, the 5th of nine children. His father was the headmaster of the local school and expected his children to devote themselves to family, God and education. He completed his engineering studies at The Indian Institute of Sciences in Bangalore in 1956. He came to Canada in 1968 to pursue greater opportunities for his family, especially his three young daughters. He worked as a metallurgical engineer for both General Electric (Canada) and Ontario Hydro, retiring in 1994. Kal was an active leader in the South Indian community throughout his life. He was dedicated to ensuring that the knowledge and traditions of his rich culture were woven through the fabric of Canada. His commitment to a spiritually rich community was manifest in his roles at the Hindu Temple Society of Canada and the Sringeri Vidya Bharati Foundation. He sat on the Interfaith Council, in order to engage other communities in the commonality of their belief in a Higher power. His very strong faith provided him with comfort and strength in his last days, allowing him to approach his end with grace and dignity. Kal had a zest for life and embraced all experiences with joy. He loved good laughs, good food, and classical music, and took great pleasure in spending time with family and friends. After eating Shanthi's meals he would sigh happily and say, "Hah, life is worth living". His love and devotion to his family and friends knew no bounds and was reciprocated fully. He and Shanthi welcomed all to their home as family, whether old friends or newly-arrived immigrants. He leaves behind a community much stronger and larger than that which existed when he arrived in Canada 45 years ago. Visitation will be at Chapel Ridge Funeral Home, 8911 Woodbine Avenue, Markham on June 25, 2013 from 5 to 9 p.m. Funeral service will be on June 26, 2013 at 9 a.m. at the same location. In lieu of flowers, please make donations to Princess Margaret Hospital or to Handicare International Canada (www.handicareintl.org), a charity devoted to ensuring a better life for physically and mentally challenged children and adults in south India. "We are not human beings on a spiritual journey, we are spiritual beings on a human journey."