Suryakant "Bal" Berde

Suryakant "Bal" Berde
Feb 6, 1938 - Apr 2, 2013
33 Year Resident of San Bruno
Suryakant "Bal" Berde died at Mills-Peninsula Hospital on April 2, 2013, due to complications from pneumonia. He was 75. Bal is survived by his loving wife of 52 years, Jayashree, sons Satyaraj of San Anselmo and Sachin of Portland, Oregon, granddaughter Anika, daughter-in-law Anjana, and numerous sisters, brothers, nieces, nephews and cousins.
Born in Mumbai, India, Bal earned undergraduate and graduate degrees in Mathematics at Bombay University. His mother believed that education was the most important gift his parents could give him. He was the first of his family to attend college.
After graduating from Bombay University, Bal taught Mathematics at S.I.E.S. College in Mumbai from 1960 till 1968. While teaching there, he developed an interest in computer programming, and later designed, programmed, and implemented the student record system at Bombay University. In 1970, Bal immigrated to the U.S. to pursue his interest in computer science. He worked for Columbia University as a computer programmer, while earning his M.S. degree in Operations Research there. Bal joined Electronic Data Systems in 1973 and worked on various programming projects in the healthcare industry, including the design and implementation of the Medicare and Medi-Cal claims processing systems.
Bal began the next chapter of his life after retiring from Electronic Data Systems. He was a long-time volunteer with the Auxiliary of Mills-Peninsula Hospital and helped build two schools in villages in Maharashtra, India. He loved to play solitaire and played bridge regularly at the San Bruno Senior Center. He enjoyed walking in the annual American Heart Walk and A.I.D.S. Walk. His greatest joy in recent years was spending time with his granddaughter.
After a long courageous battle with Alzheimer's disease and diabetes, he is finally pain-free and at rest. He will be ever-remembered and dearly missed by many friends and family members in California, New York, and India.
A celebration of his life will be held on Sunday, April 7th at 3:00pm, at Skylawn Funeral Home, Route 35 (Skyline Boulevard) at Highway 92, San Mateo, CA 94492. 650-349-4411. In lieu of flowers, gifts can be made to the Alzheimer's Association (www.alz.org) or the American Heart Association.