Govindarajalu Soundara Rajan

Dr. G. Soundara Rajan never forgot his humble roots, or deeply held principles, despite impressive achievements in a long, trailblazing life that began on February 22, 1930, and ended peacefully on March 20, 2023, at Emory University Hospital in Atlanta, following a cardiac arrest. Having embraced the reformist Periyar's values as a youth, Dr. Rajan, who was born in Retthinakottai, India, had a progressive outlook, and his passion for the life of the mind was matched only by his devotion to a family that included the offspring of his two sisters. Dr. Rajan, the youngest child and only son of Govindarajalu Naidu and Nachiarammal, is survived by his wife Vathsala, daughters Jayanthi and Anandhi (son-in-law Murali Kamma), and three grandchildren.

Many relatives still express their gratitude for Dr. Rajan's efforts in bringing them to the U.S. Before he turned 30, Dr. Rajan, who'd received a B.A. in Economics (Hons.) from Annamalai University in Tamil Nadu, made a momentous journey alone by ship to pursue his graduate studies on a Fulbright travel grant at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Having married Vathsala Janakiram in 1955, he'd become the father of their first child before his departure for America. After earning his M.S. and Ph.D. in Economics, he rejoined his family in India and looked for employment. His younger daughter was born after his return, but in India, Dr. Rajan's idealistic expectations were dashed when he couldn't find a job that matched his qualifications.

Finding renewed purpose in his family's welfare, which he realized could improve appreciably in the U.S., Dr. Rajan painstakingly built an academic career, first at Rio Grande College in Ohio and then at the West Virginia College of Graduate Studies in Charleston. His most productive years were in Canada, where he taught at Concordia University's business school for over two decades before retiring in 1996. Not only did he enjoy mentoring students from diverse nations, but he relished living in Montreal, which he came to love as a stroller, a cinephile, a bibliophile, and much else. His other interests included tennis, which he'd played as a young man, Carnatic music, and photography. The photo albums he left behind are an invaluable collection of his family's history. Collecting books was another hobby, and few activities gave him more pleasure than reading, as seen by his enthusiastic underlining in books on Hindu and Greek philosophy, business, literature, history, and even health matters.

Generous to a fault, Dr. Rajan gave rather than loaned money to acquaintances he hadn't seen in years and to people who were less fortunate. "Keep it simple!" read one of the jottings on a yellowing poster he had on the wall. That was his credo, but so was this quote from Seneca, one of his favorite philosophers: "He will always think of life in terms of quality, not quantity."

The funeral service and cremation will be held at A.S. Turner & Sons, in Decatur, GA on April 2, 2023 at 2:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, a donation may be made to Shanti Bhavan for the education of severely underprivileged children at www.shanthibhavanchildren.org, in memory of Dr. Rajan.