Sarup Chandra

By remarkable cosmic alignment, she departed on the same calendar day as her beloved husband Subhash, 27 years ago. This day underscores the extraordinary connection they shared throughout their lives and beyond.

Sarup began her journey as a spirited young woman at Lady Irwine College in Delhi. Her athletic prowess in shot-put and javelin hinted at the strength that would define her character throughout her life. Those fortunate enough to receive her warm embraces knew this strength firsthand, feeling its reassurance.

Beauty radiated from Sarup in her physical appearance and the luminous smile that captivated her husband Subhash from their courtship days well into their marriage. Their love story flourished against the backdrop of Air Force life.

Ever the pioneer, Sarup established junior schools in new Air Force campuses, bringing education to places where little existed. Her humanitarian spirit led her to undertake social and charity work in remote areas of India, touching lives that might otherwise have been overlooked. When she discovered painting, she approached it passionately and enthusiastically, transforming blank canvases into expressions of her vibrant inner world. “Perhaps it was an early mid-life crisis," she chuckled; more accurately, it was a renaissance of her creative energy.

The Air Force club library became her sanctuary, where she devoured books with insatiable curiosity. Her intellectual appetite matched her eye for fashion and color, combining trends with timeless elegance. Her son recalls with amusement how she once dressed him in an outlandish combination of brown, orange, and moss green for a school social. It was a fashion statement whose brilliance he only appreciated years later.

As a mother to Sunil and Parul in North Delhi during the 1970s and 80s, Sarup was hands-on and deeply involved in their development. Her nurturing extended beyond her immediate family to the young girls she taught at Loreto Convent in Delhi. Her dedication to early childhood education was so profound that she declined opportunities to teach older students; she knew she could make the most meaningful impact in the formative years.

Friendship was sacred to Sarup. She maintained lifelong bonds with childhood friends, demonstrating remarkable loyalty across decades and distances. Her empathy created a gravitational pull that drew people into her orbit, where they found understanding, acceptance, and genuine connection.

Justice was not an abstract concept to Sarup but a living principle. The family astrologer aptly described her as "always ready to fight for the right reasons." This fighting spirit occasionally manifested in more direct interventions if and when male relatives mistreated their spouses. Sarup was, as her family affectionately called her, the "Inspector General of Women's Liberation."

When her husband passed away on March 11, 1998, Sarup faced her grief with characteristic courage. She remained independent in Delhi. She would visit her children as a guest, maintaining her autonomy while nurturing family bonds.

As circumstances then required, Sarup began what she playfully called "Sarup 2.0" to support her daughter fully and relocated to California. At an age when many become set in their ways, she adopted, adapted, and thrived in her new environment. Her tribe expanded as Parul's friends became Sarup's extended family, drawn to her unconditional love, support, empathy, patience, and generous gift of her time.

For two decades, Sarup maintained a rhythm of travel that connected her to all corners of her world—winters in Dubai with family, visits to Delhi to reconnect with relatives, and her California home base. Only the combined challenges of COVID and advancing age eventually curtailed this global circuit.

Conversations with Sarup were intellectual feasts. She could hold an audience spellbound with discussions ranging from global news to theology, cinema to literature, and human relationships to music. Her breadth of knowledge and genuine curiosity about the world made her appealing across generations. To Parul's friends' children, Sarup was the epitome of a "Cool Naani (grandmother)."

Like the finest wine, Sarup aged with grace and deepening complexity. Her absence leaves an unfillable void, yet her spirit remains present in and around us. Today, we also celebrate a life fully and beautifully lived.

Sarup is survived by her son Sunil and his wife Nafeesa, daughter Parul and her partner Steve, her grandsons Arjun and Armaan, and Steve's children Ben and Sarah. A close circle of families surrounded Sarup: Anoop, Nandini, her bonus daughter, and their children Anika and Devika; Nand, Diane, and their son Ryan; Pradeep, Jaya, and their children Zain and Theya; Kalai, Karthi, and their sons Arjun and Anand; Roy and Antje.

There is also a vast constellation of relatives, friends, and all those whose lives she touched with her generous heart and indomitable spirit. Her legacy of strength, compassion, intellectual curiosity, and unwavering principles continue through all who had the privilege of knowing her.

Rest in peace, Sarup, reunited with your beloved Subhash, on this shared day of departure.