Shri Sampath Iyengar's Obituary
Shri Sampath H. Iyengar (H.S.S. Iyengar) passed away in his sleep at home on Sunday March 24, at the age of 96 years old. Sampath was the eldest son, second of six siblings, born in Holavanahalli, in Karnataka India. From humble beginnings in the village, he worked his way up with a single-minded focus of one raising not just himself, but his entire family lineage. In early days, he counted every penny and lived an extremely austere life, particularly during college. Sampath Iyengar received a B.E in Civil Engineering from University College of Engineering Bangalore and M.E. in Civil Engineering from IIT Roorkee, with a specialization in irrigation and dams. Sampath became the Chief Engineer of Karnataka Public Works Department. He oversaw the Upper Krishna project, specifically the construction for the Narayanpur and Almatti dams. Retired in 1982 as CADA Administrator, he spent the next phase of his life traveling and inspiring the next generation. He was a huge proponent of strong family connections, going out of his way to help those he considered family, whether by arranging a marriage or a visa or being the resident elder in a ceremony. He always remembered his roots in Holavanahalli and continued to attend events and contribute to the village to the end. He visited six out of seven continents, loved playing cards, and was an avid reader. He enjoyed playing tennis with his family and took his daily walks up through the very end.
In an age of an arranged marriages, Sampath Iyengar married for love, his best friend’s sister and the girl next door, Padmaja. They were happily married for 63 years. Padmaja passed away over ten years ago, in August 2013. He is survived by one sister, Indira. His remaining siblings preceeded him, Jayamma, Doraiswamy, Krishnaswamy, and Srinivasachar. Sampath is survived by four generations of his descendants.
- Elder son, Seetharam, wife, Indu, and grandsons Karthik and Kushal.
- Daughter, Jyothi, her husband Mohan, granddaughters Smriti and Swati, great-grandchildren, Prashant, Savitha, and Krithika (from Smriti and husband Krishna) and Saanvi and Swara (from Swati and husband Santhosh)
- Younger son, Srinath, wife Latha, and granddaughters Shilpa (with husband Max) and Preetha.
Funeral services will be held on Thursday at 10am Eastern Time (7:30pm Indian Standard Time). The event will also be live streamed at the following link: https://youtube.com/live/oWh5iCUKF_E?feature=share
The day 13 ceremony will be held on Saturday April 6. Time and location is still to be determined.
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