Bani Chatterjee Bhattacharyya

1944 - 2019

Bani Chatterjee Bhattacharyya, 74, of Metairie, Louisiana, passed away peacefully with her daughters at her bedside on Monday, April 15, 2019, at Inova Alexandria Hospital in Alexandria, Virginia. Bani emigrated from India to the United States in 1968 to join her beloved husband, Dr. Ashim K. Bhattacharyya, after completing her Bachelor of Science degree at Serampore College and her Masters of Science degree in Physics at University of Burdwan in West Bengal, India. During her 38 years of residency in the Greater New Orleans area, she, with her husband, raised two daughters and were pillars of the Bengali and Indian-American communities, organizing countless religious events (pujas), weddings, and cultural festivals. She was a founding member of the Louisiana Bengali Cultural Association and a distinguished member of the India Association of New Orleans. Her endless loving support of her community and her enthusiasm for sharing her love of her culture and customs are cherished by so many. In addition to her roles as a loving mother and wife, Bani served as a systems analyst for Gulf and Chevron oil companies for more than twenty-five years, using her expertise in geophysics and computer science. She was a vibrant, active participant in a range of causes and hobbies, supporting the annual Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure and the Special Olympics, taking water aerobics and line dancing classes, and engaging in a range of crafting activities, including painting, beading, and sewing for her family and her friends. Bani is pre-deceased by her husband of more than fifty years, Ashim, and her brothers Gopika Chatterjee, Apurba Chatterjee, and Sushobhan Chatterjee, and her sister Kalyani Banerjee. She is survived by her daughters Rupa Bhattacharyya of Arlington, Virginia, and Gopa Bhattacharyya Green of Santa Rosa, California, her son-in-law Douglas William Green, and her beloved granddaughter Julia Anjali Green. She is fondly remembered by her brother Anupam Chatterjee and her sister Uma Mukherji and relatives near Kolkata and elsewhere in her homeland of India. Services will be held at Lake Lawn Metairie Funeral Home, 5100 Pontchartrain Blvd., New Orleans, on Saturday, April 27 at 9:00 in the morning. A Hindu Religious Service will be held on Sunday, April 28 at ISKCON New Orleans, 2936 Esplanade Ave., at 10:00 in the morning. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to a charitable cause of your choice in Bani's name.