Sudesh Kataria

KATARIA DR. SUDESH KATARIA (Age 70) Of Greenville and Raleigh, passed away at home on October. 16, 2011. At the time of her death, she was surrounded by her loving family in Brier Creek Country Club, Raleigh. Sudesh was Professor Emeritus at the Brody School of Medicine, Greenville. Over her lifetime, she became a leading authority on Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics, a Professor of Pediatrics, and an author of numerous peer-reviewed articles. She also served on various N.C. Governor appointed commissions relating to underserved children's health issues. Sudesh was born on Aug. 15, 1941, in Lahore, India, a region which is now Pakistan. She was the daughter of the late Mehar Chand Bhatia and Kesar Devi Bhatia. Her family moved to Jalandhar, Punjab, India. Growing up in Jalandhar, she and her four sisters struggled to rebuild their lives from nothing, as the Partition War had left them refugees. Sudesh would recount harrowing tales of Partition, a brutal period in India's history. Sudesh remained knowledgeable about the world, and throughout her life, she maintained a passion for current events and business. Growing up, she would share a newspaper with the tenants of her family's housing complex, eagerly waiting for her turn to read the paper. Sudesh excelled in high school, rising to debate champion, and was the top student in her class from Grade 1 through 10. After she graduated from Government Girls High School Jalandhar, her parents moved the family to Chandigarh, India, and they began planning to arrange her marriage to a young man, as was typical for young women in India. However, Sudesh had other plans for her life - she wanted to become a physician. In 1960s India, pursuing a medical degree was still considered a man's path, and very few women in her culture were encouraged to pursue it. Nevertheless, she applied and was accepted to Amritsar Medical College. Her father resisted this, feeling that it would be too difficult to "marry her off" if she became "too educated." Medical education was also a cost the family could not afford. As a result, her father sent her off to become a teacher, like her oldest sister, and she enrolled in a physics program. Those who knew Sudesh knew her as a vibrant, strong-minded, and passionate individual: She believed that "where there was a will, there was a way." Without a word to her family, Sudesh reapplied to medical schools and applied for a scholarship. She was again admitted and she chose Lady Harding Medical School in New Delhi, India, and this time received a merit-based tuition scholarship from the Punjab Government to pay for medical school. Lady Harding was for women only, and she thought this would convince her conservative parents to give her a chance. Her family finally agreed, and Sudesh was overjoyed. She packed her bags and happily set off to pursue her career. Medical school was a dream come true for Sudesh. She loved the intellectual pursuit and made great friends. She decided to become a pediatrician, as she loved children and their limitless potential. In her first year of Residency, she met her husband, Yash Pal Kataria. He was a physician completing his fellowship in the United Kingdom, a graduate of Amritsar Medical College. On one of his trips from London to his hometown of Moga, India, he stopped in New Delhi to drop off a sweater his roommate had sent for his cousin (Sudesh). It was love at first sight. "She had me at hello," he often used to tell their friends. Sudesh, surprised to be visited by her cousin's medical school roommate, graciously made him a cup of tea, and they talked. One cup of tea turned into many cups of tea. Over a short period of time, they decided to marry. Yash often told family and friends that when you are ready to marry, and you are with one hundred people in a room, "there might be only one that stands out to you - and if so, you are lucky. I was lucky to find Sudesh. She was not only a beautiful woman, she was my intellectual partner and friend." Sudesh and Yash married Dec. 9, 1967, in India. They honeymooned at the Taj Mahal and then headed off to London, where they both began the next phase of their medical training. They then arrived in America in 1969, as many Indian physicians did, filling the gap of highly skilled physicians, scientists and engineers in the U.S. Her first stop in America was Chicago, Ill., where she continued her residency at Mount Sinai Hospital, Chicago. In Chicago, she gave birth to her first child, Anjali Rani Kataria. When her daughter was only six weeks old, Sudesh and Yash moved to Columbus, Ohio. Sudesh finished her residency and fellowship at Children's Hospital, Columbus, Ohio; she struggled to balance new motherhood with a demanding work schedule. Seven years later, in 1978, she gave birth to her second child, Neil Kumar Kataria. When he was only three months old, Sudesh and Yash moved to Greenville, the home of East Carolina University and a brand new medical school. Sudesh and Yash were excited and entrepreneurial. They decided they would like to help build the curriculum and program at the new medical school. Sudesh and Yash were part of a pioneering group of founding physicians - she in pediatrics, and he in pulmonary/critical care. Over the next thirty years, Sudesh developed a tremendous career in Pediatrics, focusing on Autism Spectrum Disorders, Learning Behavior, Sleep and Attention Deficit Disorders in children. She was a highly regarded pediatrician and respected clinical instructor at the ECU School of Medicine; a trailblazer in the field of Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics; and a leader in serving the children of Eastern North Carolina. In 1992, Sudesh was appointed by N.C. Gov. James G. Martin to serve on the N.C. State Interagency Coordinating Council for Handicapped Children. She also served on a legislative commission for children with special health needs. In 1998 she received her Master's in Health Administration (MHA) from UNC-Chapel Hill and began expanding her focus to pediatric public health issues. She assumed many leadership roles in a number of medical professional associations, including the American Medical Women's Association (AMWA), where she served as State Director in 1992. Sudesh was an active member of the North Carolina Pediatric Society and served as Secretary of the N.C. Pediatric Society in 1993-1995. She chaired and co-chaired committees on Children with Disabilities and Access to Special Care, 1989-1998. Sudesh loved the North Carolina and South Carolina coasts, and her entire family often vacationed at Atlantic Beach and Myrtle Beach. She loved the Blue Ridge Mountains and the changing of seasons: Summer to Fall, Winter to Spring. Sudesh's illness was unexpected, a terrible shock to all her knew her. She passed away within nine weeks of becoming ill, with little to no warning. Sudesh is survived by her husband, Dr. Yash Pal Kataria, Professor Emeritus of Internal Medicine (Pulmonology) at Brody School of Medicine; Anjali Kataria (daughter), married to Vinay Bhargava, and their two children Pallavi Rani Bhargava and Arjun Raj Bhargava, all of Chevy Chase, Md.; Neil Kataria (son), married to Lynn Venugopalan, and their two children, Shaan Kumar Kataria and Dev Kumar Kataria, all of Arlington, Va.; and by four sisters: Prem Nanda living in Canada, Kamlesh Chopra and Santosh Bagga living in Chandigarh India, and Neelam Verma living in Houston Texas; two half-brothers and many cousins, nieces and nephews living in London, India, America and Canada.. Hindu Funeral Services were held Saturday Oct. 22, 2011, at Brown Wynne Funeral Home, followed by Cremation Services. Her wish was to have her ashes spread across the Atlantic Ocean. Anjali Kataria (daughter), Neil Kataria (son), Kiran Kataria (niece), Kamlesh Chopra (Sister) and Pallavi Bhargava (granddaughter) spoke at the Memorial Service paying tribute to her life and spirit. Close to two hundred people attended, participating in the Hindu chanting of "Hey Ram" and "Gayatri Mantra" during the cremation service. Dear friends John Holter (piano), Jon Shaw (vocal) and Nancy Shaw (violin) performed a musical tribute. The services concluded with a light reception celebrating her life and the vibrant spirit of life around. The Sudesh Kataria Memorial Trust Fund has been established and will help support programs such as The North Carolina Indian American Physicians (NCIAP) Charitable Medical Clinic for North Carolina. In August 2011, just before getting sick, Sudesh was looking forward to spending time volunteering at the new NCIAP nonprofit medical center for the uninsured. Sudesh dedicated her life to helping the underserved children and families of Eastern North Carolina and this fund will help to continue that effort. Donations can be made online at www.nciap.org or a check can be sent to NCIAP Medical Care, Suite 200, 5720 Creedmoor Road, Raleigh, NC 27612, in memory of Sudesh Kataria. Questions about the trust fund can be sent to katariay@ecu.edu. A Memorial Video and Online Guest Register are available at www.BrownWynneRaleigh.com.A Memorial Video and Online Guest Register are available at www.BrownWynneRaleigh.com.