Mr. Mahendra Nath Rastogi Esq.

MAHENDRA NATH RASTOGI 1922-2014 Mahendra Nath Rastogi, Esq. passed in his sleep shortly after midnight on July 15, 2014, in his home in Budd Lake, New Jersey. Known as M.N., Mr. Rastogi was born on May 23, 1922 in Varanasi, U.P., India. He was a distinguished lawyer and a government tax officer in his native India, retiring in 1984. Mr. Rastogi received all of his degrees from Agra University: his bachelor's in 1943 in English literature, economics and political science; his master's in 1944 in political science; and his law degree in 1948. During the early 1940s, he was an active participant in the nonviolent fight for Indian independence, sacrificing individual freedom by being jailed to help secure the freedom of his countrymen. Mr. Rastogi was passionate about politics, writing, field hockey, soccer and the songs of Suraiya. Above all, however, he was known as and would want to be remembered as "Papa", "Babaji" and "Nanaji" – father and grandfather to his family, to whom he devoted his life. M.N. Rastogi is survived by his wife of 69 years, his eternal love, Gargi; his six children, Nisha, Deepak, Mukul, Roopa, Anil and Shivani, and their spouses, Vijay, Bharti, Sadhana, Surendra, Indu and Atul; his fifteen grandchildren, Seema, Manish, Kelly, Ajay, Sameer, Yamini, Amar, Mayank, Aman, Neena, Gauri, Shirien, Anuj, Akash, and Sagar, and their spouses, Rob, Sonya, Bonit, Kristin, Naomi, and Rob; and his seven (and steadily growing) great-grandchildren, Javin, Aaryan, Aidan, Maya, Gaurav, Eleanor, and Johan. The defining trait his family will remember him for is honesty, which was the guiding principal of his life. Mr. Rastogi leaves a legacy of education -- his grandchildren include doctors, physiotherapists, technology executives, financiers, and a Harvard professor -- and, more profoundly, of family. In 2014 alone, he was visited by every one of his globally scattered children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. They and his "Dearest Gargi" will all dearly miss him, his hearty laugh, and his kind and gentle soul.