Tapanendra Dhirendra Lahiri M.D.

Seattle, Wash.

Hillcrest Memorial Center

Dr. Tapanendra Dhirendra Lahiri, M.D., M.R.C.P., 74, of Tri-Cities, Washington, died Wednesday, August 23, 2006, in Seattle, Washington.

He was born July 3, 1932, in Calcutta, India (Kolkata). He was raised in Bombay, India.

He has lived in the Tri-City area for 40 years. Dr. Lahiri had his own neurology practice. He belonged to the Greek Orthodox Church.

He was the firstborn son of three siblings of Dr. Dhirendra Lahiri, M.D., who worked for the British government, and traveled to the United States and Europe as a prominent physician.

Always excelling in school, he finished first in his class, and still had success as a spin-bowler in Cricket, a game he loved. He knew that he wanted to be a doctor like his father, and that he wanted to study abroad in the United Kingdom.

He was first in his class in medical school, and studied in India, Edinburgh, Scotland, and London, England. As a top student, he was invited to stay on and work on a post-graduate degree as a member of the Royal College of Physicians, from the Royal College.

He graduated at the top of his class in this degree, as well, and was given his title, M.R.C.P., by the Queen of England. He practiced medicine in England, India and Greece prior to coming to the United States, with his permission to practice in Greece granted by special order of King George, the reigning King of Greece.

Marrying Anna Lahiri, first in London, then Greece, after his conversion to the Greek Orthodox faith, was a pivotal point in Dr. Lahiri's life.

Dr. Lahiri's firstborn son, Demetrios T. Lahiri, was born in Greece in 1964, prior to coming to the United States. Baptizing Demetrios into the Greek Orthodox Church, the newly found faith of Dr. Lahiri, was a proud moment for him as a new father.

The birth of his daughter, Lina Krogh, the marriage of his son and daughter, and the births and baptisms of his grandchildren, Gunnar James Krogh, Alexia Marie Krogh, and Alexandra Gitanjali Lahiri, are all part of a life well-lived.

Earning his degrees with distinction, and healing people that other doctors could not even diagnose properly, was the purpose of his career.

Helping to start the Greek Orthodox Church in the Tri-Cites, and starting many medical groups in the Tri-Cities to help patients motivated him to always help others.

Dr. Lahiri worked to continuously improve the care for neurological patients in this region. He founded the Battelle Epilepsy Center in the early 80's to provide educational and additional support services to neurological patients in this community. He was appreciated as a neurological consultant by all of his peers in Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Alaska. He was recognized as an authority on multiple sclerosis and received multiple invitations annually to participate on a national basis with thought leaders on the management of multiple sclerosis. He was instrumental in the development of a Diagnostic Radiology Department at Kadlec and bringing the first CT scan to Kennewick General Hospital.

He was a leader in the development of the first TPA program in the State of Washington to incorporate CT scan and MRI. This approach reduced the morbidity and mortality of TPA by 50% of the national average.

Dr. Lahiri was the first neurologist in this community to offer his patients Botox injections for neuromuscular disorders and the first neurologist in this community to offer his refractory epilepsy patients vagal nerve stimulation. He was dedicated to providing the same level of technology in the Tri-Cities that existed in other parts of the state.

Dr. Lahiri is survived by his wife, Anna Lahiri; Demetrios T. Lahiri, M.B.A., first born son; Maria Nirmala Lahiri, daughter-in-law; Alexandra Gitanjali Lahiri; granddaughter; Lina Krogh, daughter; Cody Krogh, son-in-law; Gunnar James Krogh, grandson; Alexia Marie Krogh, granddaughter; and his mother, Kamala Lahiri.

He is preceded in death by Dr. Dhirendra Lahiri, M.D., father; and his brother.

The memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. at Hillcrest Memorial Center, 9353 W. Clearwater Ave., Kennewick, WA. Saturday, August 26, 2006.

Visitation will be during the service.

A reception will follow at the Hanford House/Red Lion, Richland, Washington.

Inurnment will take place at The River Ganges, Varanassi, India.