Arun Kumar DATTA

DATTA, Arun Kumar
Arun Kumar Datta, born in Calcutta, India, on December 1, 1927 passed away peacefully at Saint Michael's Hospital in Toronto, Ontario, on Friday, August 8, 2003. He was the beloved husband of the late Jayanti Datta (nee: Das). He is survived by his daughter Susmita (Randy Murphy), and son Rajiv, daughter-in-law Catherine, grandchildren Aidan Murphy, and Lauren and Mallory Datta. He is also remembered by his nephews, Rathin (Alicia Reyes), Rajat (Ratna), Sanjib (Falguni), Chiranjiv (Seema) and niece Sucharita Negi (Ravi). He is cherished by his surviving sisters-in-law, Karuna and Ranu Datta, and his grand-nephews, Siddhartha and Shantanu Negi, Samit and Ameya Datta, and grand-niece Rhea. Being an extroverted intellectual, he had many friends all over North Amercia, Europe and India, in particular, Toronto, Fredericton, and Calcutta. His friends and family will all cherish his memory and miss him forever.
Dr. Datta was educated in Calcutta University from where he received his Masters in Economics degree. He had varied teaching careers which began in New Delhi, India and continued at Jadavpur University in Calcutta, India. In the United States, he earned his Doctor of Philosophy degree in Economics from the State University of New York at Buffalo, NY in 1964. After receiving his Ph.D., he taught at Bucknell University in Lewisburg, PA and at Dickinson College in Carlisle, PA. He moved to Canada in 1967 to the University of New Brunswick in Fredericton, NB where he was a Professor of Economics until his retirement in 1993. Since his retirement, he has been living in Scarborough, Ontario, where both his children reside.
Dr. Datta attained a Masters level in competitive bridge. He was a voracious reader who enjoyed political and philosophical debates, travel and socializing with his many friends.
In lieu of flowers, donations in his memory can be made to the Canadian Heart and Stroke Foundation or to the Jayanti Datta scholarship at the University of New Brunswick. A memorial service will be held at 10 Guildwood Parkway, Toronto, on September 7, 2003 from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. All who knew him are welcome.