Lisa Pullukat

Lisa Pullukat, who came to Chicago from India at the age of 13 and spent most of her youth introducing Indian culture to mainstream society in the 1970's through dance and music, died on April 6, 2007 at the early age of 50. She was one of the artists who performed in 1969 at the festival in Grant Park that marked the 100th anniversary of the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi and took great pride in being one of the pioneering Indian Americans to educate Chicagoans about her Indian heritage through the performing arts. She died after a four and a half year fight with metastatic breast cancer. Lisa fought courageously and most of all with a positive attitude. She was a source of inspiration and unwavering faith for anyone lucky enough to have met her. Lisa taught us how to be in peace, how to love, how to give comfort, how to live our lives appreciating culture. She has left behind memories of quiet and composed courage and love, which should be a lesson and a model for all of us. Lisa has survived by her loving husband, Tom; and adoring children, Sonia (23) and Sunil (20), who considered her the light of their home. She was the dear daughter of Philip and Annamma Kalayil; sister of Tom, Sales and Ann Lata Kalayil; and the fond aunt of many nieces and nephews who will miss her dearly. Memorial donations may be made in honor of Lisa Pullukat to the Oncology Specialists Patient Care and Research Fund. One hundred percent of your donation will go towards helping cancer patients in need and promoting research in cancer at the Center. Please send checks payable to Oncology Specialists and mail to Ms. Marybeth Mardjetko, Center for Advanced Care, 700 Luther Lane, Park Ridge, IL, 60068.