Virendra Mathur

Dr. Virendra Singh Mathur passed away peacefully on Thursday, November 21, 2024. He was 89 years of age.

Virendra was born on March 7, 1935, in Kanpur, India, to Ishwari Prasad and Radhika Rani Mathur. He was the fifth of their six children and the last surviving one. He received his medical degree from King George's Medical College, in Lucknow, India, in 1956, and completed his residency and specialization in internal medicine by the young age of 25. He then pursued a specialization in cardiology at Harvard University and Tufts University. During this time, he married his dear wife, Nalini, and they returned to India, where he worked at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi. They came back to the United States in 1970 and in the following year, they settled down in Houston, where they raised their only child Gaurav.

For more than 60 years, Virendra was privileged to take care of hundreds of patients, who have included heads of states, including President Zail Singh of India; heads of religious organizations; leaders in politics, industry, education, arts and culture; veterans; and many more people from all walks of life. He joined the Baylor College of Medicine and worked at the V.A. Medical Center and finally at St. Luke's Hospital and Texas Heart Institute. For much of his professional life, he was a key partner in the world-renowned private practice, Hall-Garcia Cardiology Associates.

Virendra was interested not only in patient care but also in research. He helped establish cardiac catheterization labs at several hospitals and helped generate new knowledge in the field of cardiology. He co-authored more than 170 publications and was the first to publish a study in 1974 about the superiority of coronary bypass surgery over conventional treatment. He also carried out experimental studies and published data in 1975 to prove that even after complete blockage of a coronary artery, heart muscle could be partly saved if blood supply could be restored quickly by re-opening the blocked artery. This knowledge helped launch the era of clot busters and later balloon angioplasty and stent therapy, all of which are the cornerstones of treating severe heart disease today.

Virendra was especially passionate about teaching students and training physicians. He helped train over 300 cardiologists and was voted as the outstanding Teacher and Physician at Texas Heart Institute twice. He received over 25 awards in recognition of his professional services, including the 'Hind Rattan' ('Jewel of India'), a top civilian award in India for non-resident Indians (NRIs) who have made outstanding contributions to society. He was one of the first 11 recepients of this award when it was initiated in 1989.

Beyond his profession, Virendra was known for his deep love for and commitment to several communities that he was part of. He was particularly active in the American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI) and the India Culture Center of Houston (ICC). In the latter part of his life, he devoted much of his energy to the establishment and expansion of India House, a community center in Houston. He used to volunteer every Saturday morning at the charity medical clinic there, which is now named after him in his honor.

Last but not least, Virendra held his large circle of family members and friends very close to his heart and will be deeply missed by them. He is survived by his loving wife of nearly 58 years, Nalini; his son Gaurav and son-in-law Gaurav Arora; two grandchildren, Taran and Raunak; many nieces and nephews, including those in the United States (Apurva and Rashmi of Dallas and Vandana and Shankar of Boston); and many grand-nieces and grand-nephews.

Toward the end, Virendra received vital support from Dilcia Gullen and Camila Umalzor of Care and Comfort Home Health, for which the family is immensely grateful.

Virendra has made an impact on this world in many ways, and his legacy of commitment, generosity and kindness will live on for a long time.