Samir Das

On Friday, June 24th, 2022, Samir K. Das, loving husband and father of four children, passed away peacefully, at the age of 83.

Samir was born on January 20th, 1939 in Kolkata, India to Susil Chitta Das and Sarasi Bala Das. A self made man, the first in his family to leave the country and pursue advanced degrees,  he received an MBA from the University of Hawaii at Monoa and a B.A. in English from Presidency College in Kolkata. He also partook in a series of executive courses at the University of Cambridge, University of Manchester, and Northwestern University, where he had started a Ph.D.

On March 8th, 1972, he married Zeenat Neemuchwala. They raised one daughter, Swagata, and one son, Saurav. On September 3rd, 1988, he married Sangeeta Pillai. They raised two sons together, Sandeep and Sauvik.

He had a multi-faceted career. In 1998, he retired as a Corporate Vice President of Human Resources at Voltas Limited, following stints at Air India, United Breweries Group, RPG Enterprises, and Deepak Fertilizers. He then worked as a professor of organizational behavior and human resources management at the S.P. Jain Institute of Management and Research in Bombay until moving to the U.S. in 1998. 

Samir had a passion for sports — both playing and watching. He was a master at table tennis and badminton, having played table tennis competitively at the college level. He was also an avid player of billiards and snooker. He was well known for his boisterous cheers and groans as he watched his favorite athletes and sports team compete. He instilled his love of sports in his children, and insisted they all learn many of them, and find what they were passionate about. He loved Earl Grey tea and maintained a sweet tooth for life. His favorites were Mishti Dhoi (sweet yogurt) and caramel custard. He was an incredible cook. His family maintains that he made the most delicious mutton curry, goat chops, and coconut rice this side of the Atlantic — following a recipe passed down to him from his own mother. He was a devout Christian, diligently reading his bible twice a day each and every day for his entire life. He was known for his sardonic humor, quick wit, and larger-than-life laugh. His happiest moments were spent with family, traveling to visit his children and grandchildren and visiting his family back in India at least once a year.

Samir was preceded in death by his father, Susil, his mother, Sarasi, and his younger brother, Debu. He is survived by his wife, Sangeeta, his four children, Swagata, Saurav, Sandeep, and Sauvik, his three sisters in India, Mamata, Sujata, and Datta, and several cousins, nieces, and nephews.

A funeral service will be held on Monday, June 27th, 2022 at Fischer Funeral Care on 3742 Chamblee Dunwoody Road, Atlanta, GA 30341 at 10 o’clock a.m., followed by a 12:30pm graveside service at North Atlanta Memorial Park. Flowers may be sent to Fischer Funeral Care.

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