KBR sir was the most kind, inspiring and amazing prof I had the privilege to know. I will miss him dearly.
Akhil Sai (student from 2010-2014)
(KBR) was the finest professor that I had the felicity to be taught by at IIT Delhi. He was gentle, patient and a brilliant teacher. I had the good fortune to remain connected to him for decades after passing out from IIT in 1981. Please accept my heartfelt condolences.
Dr. Sanjay Nene
I am heartbroken to hear about the passing of your beloved father, Mr. KB Ramachandran. His warmth and gentle presence will always be remembered.
Subash, London
(KBR) was a great mentor. I would not be where I am without him.
Prof. Vignesh, IIT Madras
I am extremely sorry to hear this news about Prof KBR. I was his student at IITM from 2005-2010 and he was really an amazing person and teacher! He immensely supported us during the first three years of Sea6 and we are forever grateful to him for standing by us!
Sailaja Nori, Sea6 Energy
My deepest condolences on the passing away of your father. What an amazing person he was! Your father was my teacher, when I was a masters student at IIT Delhi in 1982 . He also invited me to become an Adjunct Professor when he was at IIT Madras in 2010. I have seen you only once, that too when you were little , when your father brought you along on a departmental picnic outing at IIT Delhi in 82/83 Feeling really sad.
Shrikumar Suryanarayan, Sea6 Energy
I’m so sorry. I’ll never forget the warmth and kindness your father showed when I met him. May he rest in peace.
Jeremy Hudson
So sorry to hear of this. He was a gentle and kind man. He also was intelligent and talked meaningfully with me about my line of work. I have fond memories of visiting him and your mom in Delhi as well as in KL. There was genuine affection and warmth in all of the interactions. This was true when I visited him in July. He was never the grumpy, complaining sort…each time I recall him, I remember a smiling face. I will miss him.
Karthik Kailasam
I am extremely sorry to hear about the death of my supervisor.He was a great teacher and great supervisor as well as a good human being.May God gives peace to his soul in rest.I also pray that Ms Swetha and Srividya get courage to bear the loss.
S.K.Srivastava, his first Ph.d student
Bala & I are deeply grieved to know Prof KBR passed away. Our sincere condolences to you & Srividya & may you have the strength to cope with this irreplaceable loss. We remember both your parents for their various kindnesses, both personal & professional. Prof KBR was especially helpful at a difficult time in my PhD & I recall that with much gratitude. May he be at peace.
Malini Balakrishnan
Your father known to all of us as KBR was a popular teacher in the department. The elective courses taught by him had a very large attendance.
Dr Gopal Prasad Agarwal, IITD
I am so heartbroken to hear this news. I feel so sorry for your loss. I am sending all my love to you and to Vidya. I will miss him very much he was such a kind and sweet person.
Graca, London
I miss him terribly. He was such a nice friend and I learnt many things from him that helped me to lead the department a few years after his term as HoD. He was very proud of both of you and your achievements. Take care.
Prof. Karunagaran, IITM
Heartfelt condolence on the passing away of Prof. KB Ramachandran.
P. Gautam, Prof. ( Retd.), Department of Biotechnology, Anna University, Chennai
Very sad to hear about passing away of Prof. K.B. Ramachandran. Please accept my deepest condolences . Such a beautiful soul. I have lost a sincere friend today. I will miss him a lot.
May his soul rest in eternal peace.
Neera
Please accept my deepest condolences. I am also his student and owe my career as a scientist to Prof KBR. He was the best teacher, an amazing mentor and the most affectionate person ever. It feels like a personal loss. I pray for his eternal peace and strength to his family.
Swati
May your father, always a kind, smiling, easy-going gentleman, rest in peace.
Prof. Kaniraj, IITD
Lots of good memories with your dad.. a very kind, very smart and simple man.
Raghu, Boston
Tribute circulated within IIT Madras:
It is with deep sadness that I share the news of passing of a beloved faculty colleague, Prof. K.B. Ramachandran, on 31 Dec. 2024. Prof. Ramachandran had a very distinguished academic career spanning nearly four decades, as a faculty at IIT Delhi (1979-1994), University of Malaya (1994-2004) and at the Department of Biotechnology, IIT Madras (2004 - 2017), from where he finally retired. Prof. Ramachandran was among the first batch of faculty to join the newly initiated Dept of Biotechnology at IIT Madras and was subsequently the Head of the Department of Biotechnology (2008 - 2011). He played a key role in initiating the IITM Bioincubator at the Research Park by procuring substantial funds for this facility from BIRAC. Prof. Ramachandran was a classical biochemical engineer, with important contributions in the areas of Bioprocess Modelling and Simulation, Enzyme Engineering, Metabolic Engineering and Biorefinery development.
Prof. Ramachandran was initially trained as a chemical engineer, with a B.Tech from AC College of Technology, M.S. from Clarkson University and PhD from University of Pennsylvania. After a brief 3-year stint at the Hindustan Antibiotics Ltd. (1976-1979), he joined IIT Delhi as a faculty in the Biochemical Engineering Research Centre (which later became the Dept of Biochemical Engineering and Biotechnology). There he played a key role in initiating the country's first B.Tech program in Biochemical Engineering and Biotechnology, which commenced in 1989. Prof. Ramachandran also played a key advisory role to DBT (Govt. of India) and chaired several Task Force committees in DBT. Apart from academic contributions, Prof. Ramachandran was a wonderful human being with unmatched sanguine temperament and was highly respected by colleagues and peers in academia and industry. He is survived by his two daughters, Swetha and Vidya. Our heartfelt condolences to them. Incidentally, one of his brothers, Prof. K.B. Lakshmanan, was a Professor of Computer Science at IIT Madras (1980 - 1986).
The IIT Madras community, and specially the Department of Biotechnology, would like to honour the memory of Prof. K.B. Ramachandran and the legacy that he has left behind. He will be deeply missed by all of us; may his soul rest in peace.
Prof. Guhan Jayaraman, Department of Biotechnology, IIT Madras, Chennai 600036
I have no words to express the loss I feel at the passing of Prof. KBR (as we fondly referred him). He was a great mentor, a wonderful and empathetic faculty colleague and genuinely meant more to me than any other faculty colleague I've had before or since.
I had the pleasure of being his student at IIT Delhi as well as his colleague at IIT Madras, two decades later. When he was retiring from Univ. Malaya at Kuala Lumpur in 2004, he wrote to me and I jumped at the opportunity to bring him to IIT Madras. I was the Head of the Dept at that time and it is the best decision I ever made as a Head.
Later, I started collaborating with him. I also shared a lab with him and it was such a smooth experience.
We were joint guides for some students and co-authored quite a few publications. He was a fantastic human being and that is something I don't say lightly or about everybody. My last conversation with him was two months ago, on his birthday - Oct 26. I'll really miss him.
Prof. Guhan Jayaraman, Department of Biotechnology, IIT Madras, Chennai 600036
I have so many wonderful memories of the kind words and actions of Sridher. His smile, his friendly words, his willingness to help are all things I will always remember -just as I cherish my interactions with your mother Usha. You were certainly blessed with amazing parents and I know how difficult it would be for you girls without them Will pray for you all.
Gita Sankaran
We are really sad to hear the news. Please accept our sincere condolences. Particularly, I lost my Guru, Mentor and a Dear Friend. He was always there for me right from my IIT days.
The academic world will definitely honor him as an exceptional Engineer, Educationist and Administrator. Generations of Biochemical Engineers got educated, trained and mentored through him. And, I am one of the fortunate ones.
I know I was special to him! When he was cleaning up his office at IITD, he passed on to me his personal copy of Aiba, Humphrey and Millis book on Biochemical Engineering (this book was the first of its kind and initiated biochemical engineering education and practice all over the world, and Professor was mentored by Arthur Humphrey at UPenn along with Perlmutter,his advisor). This year, he shipped three boxes of science and engineering books related to biotechnology to our home in Puttaparthi. It's a great honor and responsibility for me!
I am attaching the latest book chapter that I co-authored with him. I still have the best research from my doctoral thesis unpublished! So, if his former students plan to come up with a peer-reviewed special issue to commemorate him, please let me know! I wish I can coordinate with others and do it; however, I am not associated with any academic department right now.
Praveen V Vadlani, former Ph.D student
I am extremely sorry to hear about the passing of your dad. I have distinctly fond memories of him when we used to visit India as kids and also when we grew up. He was gentle, soft-spoken, and quietly brilliant, all qualities which I hold very dear to my heart. I wish for strength as you and Swetha get through this difficult period and pray for the peace of the departed soul.
Aarti Shankar
Accept my heartfelt condolences. We all were reminiscing KBR the other day - rarely does one see all people truly and unanimously saying only good things about someone. A truly gentle man, and our privilege to have known and worked with him!
Karthik Raman, IIT Madras
I am sorry to hear of Prof. KBR's passing. He was a good person and a great colleague. It was indeed a pleasure to have known him all these years. May the family have strength to get through this loss.
Manoj, Dept. of Biotechnology, IIT Madras
Sorry to hear the loss of Professor KBR. We have lost a great pillar in the research areas of Bioprocess Engineering. It's a loss of Biological Engineering Research community of the entire nation. Om Shanti.
Dr Nitai Basak, Department of Biotechnology, NIT Jalandhar
I’ve just received the sad news about the passing away of your beloved dad. He is my dear friend and he is a huge loss. I’m writing to convey my sincere condolences to you and your sister Vidya. Take care.
Prof. Ali Hashim, University of Malaya
I have lost a very dear friend, both Susan and I were blessed by the love and regard we shared. Please convey our deeply felt condolences to family members, especially his brothers.
Dr. Jacob Zachariah, Malaysia
Extremely sad to know that our dear Sridher is no more.He was a very gentle and soft-spoken person with a warm smile.We met him before his last trip to UK. Will certainly miss his gentle presence.
Shankar (cousin) and Malini
I am deeply saddened by the news. He is my best friend, philosopher and guide.
Prof. Ramalingam, Anna University
Dear KB (as I used to call him) and I had both returned from US and joined Hindustan Antibiotics Ltd within a few days of each other, married in the same year and stayed nearby for almost 3 years. we had our meals together many months and worked together on several projects. He was very friendly, considerate and always helpful and we had a memorable time together. Later we were in touch with each other and interacted intermittently while he was at IIT Delhi, in Malaysia and then at IITM. I enjoyed conversing with him. My wife and your mother were good friends. The last time we met your parents was at Vidya’s wedding in Chennai. He was very happy and proud of your achievements and may the divine give you the strength to bear the irreplaceable loss. May his soul attain moksha. Om Shanti
Satish Velankar
I am deeply saddened to hear the passing away of Prof KBR. I had a privilege of being his student during my 5 years integrated M.Tech program at IIT Delhi and also was lucky enough to be later associated with him during my Ph.D. at IITM. His hold on the subject of Bioprocess principles was stupendous. His style of teaching and the coverage of the subject was so brilliant that we used to wait for his class. He has taught me the basics which I am still using in my current job. I still carry a book that he gifted to me. Will be remembered fondly as a warm soul and fatherly figure who must have mentored hundreds of students.
My sincere condolences. May he attain moksha and wish you both enough strength to bear this loss. Om shanti
Sanjay Tiwari
I was deeply saddened to hear about the passing of Professor KBR. He was a truly exceptional teacher and mentor, and I feel fortunate to have known him.Even after he left IIT for Malaysia and then IITM, I made it a point to stay in touch with him. I recall visiting him as he was setting up his lab at IITM, and I was immediately struck by his undiminished zeal and passion for his work and his students. His energy was boundless, and his enthusiasm was contagious. He was truly one of the best teachers I've ever had. To this day, I still refer to the textbook from his class, which serves as a reminder of his impactful teaching.Professor KBR's dedication to teaching and mentorship was unparalleled. I am personally grateful for his guidance and support, and I know that many others feel the same. His memory will always be a blessing.With my deepest condolences,
Rishi Shukla
It is indeed a great pleasure to recall our acquaintance with KB Mama, our relationship grew when we moved to Kuala Lumpur and our local guardians were Mama and Mami and they always welcomed us with so much warmth and love and always fed us with delicious food and would even pack some for us to take back home… Mama always engaged us with his intelligence and knowledge and would share his memories working in University there. He motivated me to a large extent to take up a teaching position in KL which would incorporate my teaching skills and experience. Mama was a disciplinarian and was a man of few words.. he touched each of us with his gentle smile and warmth. We dearly miss him and pray for his soul to rest in peace. |
Karthik and Kanaka (Padhu’s daughter)
Just reading through the memories people have shared on this site (great idea btw), it's clear that your father left an indelible impression on many. For me, I will always remember his twinkling eyes, warm smile and generous words. He will always be "uncle" to me, as your mum was always "auntie"- the most affectionate of titles for people who are like family. We all keenly feel your dad's passing and our sympathies are with you and your families. Love,
Matthew, Ahbah and Jackie
I want to convey my heart-felt condolences to you, Swetha and the rest of your family on the passing of your father. I remember him as a man of impeccable character and intellect. Other than the five years spent together at ACTech and seeing him at our class reunion at Mysore seven years ago, my memory of your father is taking a stroll on the streets of Philadelphia circa 1970, along with another classmate.
PJ Prabhu, ACTech classmate (‘68 batch)
I have lost a sincere friend. But he will remain a priceless treasure in my memories. Some people remain important in our lives with or without a conversation. His most beautiful quality was to understand and to be understood in friendship. He will be missed by all his friends. May his soul rest in peace. May God give dear Swetha and dear Vidya the strength to bear with their great loss.
Neera Verma, IIT Delhi
I am absolutely heartbroken to hear the news of Prof. K B Ramachandran's passing. I have such fond memories of Ramachandran Uncle, or Vidya and Swetha's dad, as the IIT campus kids knew him. For morning school bus pickups, Uncle would walk Vidya and Swetha to the bus stop, and he would chat w/ my father while we (teenagers at the time) giggled about something or the other. He was a kind presence at birthdays, school events, and campus gatherings.
Ramachandran Uncle played a pivotal role in ensuring that those childhood bonds continued after the family moved to Malaysia. Before the days of email and instant messaging, Vidya and I used to write letters to each other, and Uncle made sure that we didn't drop the ball on that!
I last saw Ramachandran Uncle and Usha Auntie in 2013, at Vidya and Mike's wedding reception. I am grateful for that time that we spent together. Uncle was a man of few words but a big heart, and he was incredibly proud of his daughters: Swetha and Vidya. I will always remember his warmth, courage, and kindness.
Lavanya Sharan
My deepest condolences on the passing of your father. Hope the company of family and friends is helping you get through this difficult time. I have fond memories of Ramachandran uncle from our visits to each others' houses (if memory serves me right it was 28 New Campus and 50 New Campus) . While I benefited greatly from the strict French tutoring Usha aunty gave me, I revelled in the discussions around cricket with Uncle. My father considered cricket to be a waste of time. So I found Uncle's enthusiasm for the game to be refreshing. His exuberant reactions to an Indian hit boundary were just as amusing as his frustration when someone threw away a wicket. He and I shared a common fandom for Krishnamachari Srikkanth who was a master at evoking those wildly opposite reactions.
As we get older, I suppose it is the nature of our life that our parents live in our memories. In this moment of grief, try to cherish the wonderful moments both your amazing parents gave you. There is some solace that they are now together and Uncle is cracking jokes that Aunty can laugh at.
Samrat Shenbaga
It is with deep sorrow that I share the loss of an exceptional soul, Mr. K. B. Ramachandran, whom I fondly called Sridher Chittappa. He left us on December 31, 2024, leaving behind a legacy that will forever inspire those who knew him.
Chittappa was not just an extraordinary intellectual but a remarkable human being. As a professor at IIT Delhi and IIT Chennai, his sharp intellect and unwavering dedication shaped countless young minds and contributed immensely to the academic community. His insights were profound, and his passion for teaching was unmatched.
As a family member, what truly set him apart was his humility and loving nature. Chittappa's warmth touched everyone who crossed the path. He had the rare ability to make people feel valued and heard, always offering guidance and kindness without expectation.
I still fondly remember my trip to Delhi as a young lad in 1987 for a short vacation. Words cannot express the unconditional love I received from both Chitti and Chittappa during my stay. Chittappa went out of his way to ensure I experienced the beauty of Delhi, taking me to all the important sights in and around the city. Those memories are etched in my heart, a testament to his selflessness and care.
His beloved daughters, Swetha and Vidya, will undoubtedly miss his physical presence deeply. Yet, I am confident that they will feel his soul's guidance throughout their life’s journey, drawing strength from his love and values.
Though he is no longer with us, his values, teachings, and love will continue to guide us. Satgadi to you dear Chittappa 🙏🏻
Ramakrishnan Sankaran ( Ramji - nephew)
I am very upset to know that our beloved Professor KB Ramachandran is no more. He was my guide and mentor. I was his second Ph.D. student at IIT Delhi during 1980s. He was a great teacher and supervisor. I learnt quite a few teaching and research skills from him. He was one of the few professors who worked in industry as well. He was very patient and kind. We have been in touch with each other until last August, when I facilitated his addition to our 1980s IIT Delhi Bioprocess Engineering WhatsApp group. Earlier, I invited him to deliver the keynote address at UITM, Malaysia for a Chemical Engineering conference, which he kindly accepted and enlightened the audience on the opportunities for chemical engineers in Industrial Biotechnology. I was lucky get him as the External Expert for the Bachelors Program in Chemical and Bioprocess Engineering at UITM, Malaysia, for which I was the chairman. Both Mrs Ramachandran and Prof KBR were very nice hosts. I will miss him very much. My heartfelt condolences. May his soul attain Sadgati. Om Shanti.
Veluri VPS Murthy, Retired Professor- Manipal International University, Malaysia.
Hi Swetha and Vidya, it is hard to put the pain of this loss into words, just like it was when aunty passed away. Having grown up together as family friends, I have so many visual memories of uncle throughout my childhood. Nobody believed in the Indian cricket team like uncle, not even the cricketers themselves. The passion with which he used to watch matches still comes to mind when I watch any cricket. I remember uncle as a caring, and fun-loving person who took a genuine interest in people. He will live on in our memories and hearts.
Samyukth Shenbaga
I am so sorry for your loss. I have such warm memories of the times we shared meals together in London, he always made those moments special. I’ll never forget how kind he was with the kids, and how passionate and thoughtful he was when talking about his career and his time in France.
I know he was an incredible source of strength and love for you and your family. All our thoughts and prayers are with you.
Ben Tellier
Sending my deepest condolences to the whole family. Your dad’s peaceful and benevolent energy made him an instant hit with our children and a joy to be around whenever we had the chance to see him.
An intellectual braving new paths for his family around the world with courage and humility, I have sincere respect for your father. And for the two amazing daughters who brilliantly carry forward the legacy of their parents.
With love and grief,
Grace, Orfeo, Zephyr, Rosamund in London
I came to know today about the passing of your father Prof. Ramachandran. Please accept my heartfelt condolences.
I had the privilege of working with your father when he was Head of the Biotech department at IIT Madras. His contributions to setting up of the new department and then helping steady it on its feet were immense. I leaned on him a lot to ensure that the department was given a solid foundation.
I join the family in praying for his Atma shanthi.
Bhaskar Ramamurthi, IIT Madras
Professor Ramachandran's loss will be deeply felt. I will always remember his gentle and kind manner, thoughtfulness, and intellectual curiosity. His legacy is reflected in the many lives he has touched, and in the outpouring of tributes of friends and colleagues. It was a delight to share in his enthusiasm for the Paris Olympics, as well as our friendly rivalry during India vs. Australia cricket matches. I greatly enjoyed hearing about the biofuel startup he advised, and he was always curious to discuss progress in AI. I will cherish the memories of his kindness, generosity, and hospitality during my visit to Chennai. My deepest condolences to Swetha, Vidya, his family and loved ones.
Arthur Gretton
Remembering and difficult to forget: Prof. Dr. KBR.
He and his wife Usha arrived in Malaysia in the mid eighties from IIT New Delhi. He joined the Chemical Engineering Dept of University Malaya taking over from Prof. Blackborough.
We lived in ‘Lorong University’, a small forested area of the campus. Just arrived, Usha with her two children took a stroll to meet up with my wife Susan, from Kerala. The rest is history. Soon Swetha and Vidya joined Fairview International School, Kuala Lumpur where our son Ajesh and daughter Reina were studying. Life was very exciting, almost every other day we shared meals, walked together and the kids playing and interacting in their own world. Professors from UK, Srilanka, Japan, friends from Indian High commission and their families invariably joined us on certain occasions. We never missed visiting Indian Naval Ships on goodwill visits.
We received the shocking news from Swetha on New year’s eve. Susan, I and children will always cherish the love and times we shared.
Dr. K. B. R, blessed by a noble lady Usha as his life partner was a gentleman to the core, always interacting and conducting in a dignified manner.
While working at IIT Madras we have stayed with them at their residence in Thiruvanmayur, Chennai.
His loss is deeply felt.
Dr Jacob Zachariah, Malaysia
When I was doing research for my Masters thesis in 2002, I had the opportunity to visit Auntie Usha and Ramachandran Uncle while in Chennai. I vividly remember their bright, breezy home near the sea. Auntie cooked a delicious vegetarian meal, one of the best I've had (a skill Swetha has picked up as I also enjoyed home-cooked food at Swetha's flat in London). I also have memories of meeting Uncle and Auntie while they were living in Malaysia, when Swetha and I were finishing our A Levels.Uncle and Auntie, you have raised two wonderful daughters. Your legacy remains in your kind, generous and compassionate daughters. Thank you.
With much love,
Sasi & the Kimis family
It is a matter of great regret that I was not enjoying the closeness of my very dear friends of AC Tech for a very long period. You (SRG) are the person brought me back to this group today. Heartfelt "Thank you".
The first thing shocked me is the sad demise of K B Ramachandran on 31.12.2024. Me and my wife prayed to almighty to grant his pious soul eternal peace.
A. Salil Kumar Das
2024 finally ended but not any better news than other demises of the year.
KBR was a genteel, kind, quiet and observant classmate.
May his soul RIP.
B.R. Raghavan
Vasantha and I were extremely distressed to hear of KB’s demise.
KB and Usha were a very nice couple. KB was a dear friend and such a fine person.
KB and his family were close. He did talk a lot about his father with us!
Our sincere condolences to Swetha and Vidhya. May The Lord give them both the strength to bear this great loss.
We will pray to PARAMESWARAN for Sredhar’s athma to attain SIVALOKAPRAPTHI.
C. A Jagannathan
We were terribly shocked when we knew the sudden demise of dear friend KBR. Since I am residing with my son in IIT Madras, I used to meet him very often in his Dept and discuss our AC Tech. Days. What a kind, honest and straight forward person he was. I used to have telephonic conversation often. Really saddened to hear his untimely demise. Ohm shanthi. May his Athma attain attain Sathgathi.
D. M G Sankaranarayanan
When I first met him I was so impressed that this guy is not only a very smart and talented guy but also very nice. Kalyan and I met KBR in our AC Tech hostel one day and asked KBR some questions about stoichiometry. He said it was very “sulabham “ and proceeded to explain to us clearly so that we could pass our test. More than all that KBR was an exemplary thinker and scientist who was always willing to teach and share knowledge with others. I personally thought for a longtime that he was a remarkable classmate of mine I was fortunate to know him.
Dr. E. Y Viswanath
Ramachandran was a simple and unassuming person. My close contact with him was perhaps a month or two at IISc, Bengaluru, before he left for USA for post graduate degree at Clarkson. Then the next meeting was at Mysuru in 2018 when I had a long conversation with him during one of the meal sessions. In spite of many achievements, he never talked about it. Later I was amazed and proud of him, when I came to know about his guiding and mentoring about 25 students for their PhD program. I believe he was much respected by all his students and peers in IIT Chennai. I am really proud to have been his classmate in AC Tech.
May his soul rest in peace.
F. N Madhavan
KBR was a true gentleman.
G. V Balaraman
I am saddened to learn of the news of the passing away of our friend, K. B. Ramachandran. I recall that we sat next to each other in the front row in our classes in later years, and as I got to know him, I found him to be a soft-spoken gentleman with a kind heart. If I remember correctly, he came to Clarkson for his Master's degree after perhaps a stint at IISc, and went to U. Penn for his Ph.D., working under the guidance of a famous faculty member there. He then went on to a wonderful career as a biochemical engineering faculty member at IIT, Delhi, with numerous accomplishments to his credit. When I visited that IIT to give a talk during one of my trips to India, I went to his home for dinner, and met his lovely wife and children. He then arranged for his students to transport me to the airport for the flight back to the U.S. A wonderful human being, whom it was a privilege for me to know.
My condolences to his children.
H. R Shankar Subramanian
I always addressed him as KB. He was a reserved individual who needed to be gently drawn out, but he was one of the more studious and academically inclined among us. I vividly recall an incident when he unknowingly placed his "fountain" pen (a Pilot pen, if memory serves me right) in his shirt pocket without securing the cap on the nib. The result was a prominent blue ink stain on his chest—a "patch of honor," as I like to think of it. When I pointed it out, he responded with his trademark smile and a calm nonchalance, a true testament to his composed demeanor.
In hindsight, it seems fitting that KB was destined to be a Professor, perhaps even an absent-minded one. It wasn’t until our Golden Jubilee Meet in Mysore in February 2018, thanks to S R Gopalan's remarkable efforts, that many of us who had pursued our studies in the US during the '60s reconnected. It was at this gathering that I learned KB had also attended college in the US. Malathi and I cherished the opportunity to spend meaningful time with KB at the reunion, reminiscing and catching up after so many years. We also shared in his grief over the loss of his wife—a loss he bore with quiet strength. And now, we mourn the loss of KB himself.
We offer our heartfelt prayers for the solace of Swetha and Vidya during this difficult time. Our hearts are heavy with sorrow.
With deepest condolences,
Malathi & Dharmarajan
Very sorry to hear the sad and sorrowful news of our classmate, Dr. KB Ramachandran's sudden passing away in Chennai. We were shocked and heartbroken. Please accept our heartfelt and sincere condolences at this period of bereavement in his family. Our prayers for his kind and noble soul to rest in peace forever. Please convey our deepest and heartfelt condolences to all his family members and friends. Om Shanti, Om Shanti, Om Shanti!|
J. Chandrakumar Dutia, Chicago
Ramachandran is a very soft spoken and gentle person. My association with him during his stint in IISc Bangalore is memorable and since we stayed in the same hostel 3block, we had very close acquaintanceship. Our contact got renewed when he was working in IIT Madras. I cannot forget his visit to my house in Adyar, along with his daughter Swetha and our college mate Aravamudhan and his wife. It was such a memorable and pleasant evening. His gentle demeanour and his professional acumen differentiated him. He also assisted Harini, daughter of our college mate Rangarajan (who is no more) when she joined his department in IIT Madras for a brief period. He was a wonderful human being and we are privileged to be his friend.
My heartfelt condolences to his daughters Swetha and Vidya.
K. S R Gopalan
I am sorry to hear the sad news about Ramu. We had not been in touch since the early seventies but I had heard that he had been on the faculty at IIT. I had spent a couple of months with him in 1971 when he was in UPenn and I was a vagrant - it was very kind of him to accommodate me. I am attaching a couple of photos from graduation day at Clarkson.
L. Kasturi Rangan (KBR’s friend in Clarkson)