Last year, on the occasion of Varalakshmi Vratam, Ambi Anna sent a couple of emails, some photos, and a note, that I posted on the blog here. That post had a mention of family memories and Jeeyapuram, two things that created a strong affection in my father for Ambi Anna. He specifically mentioned Ambi Anna's use of "நம்ம வீடு, நம்ம குடும்பம்", his love/affection for extended family, and the Jeeyapuram connection.
Ambi Anna's attention to detail and how much he cherished the family heritage are evident from his email to me about Mahaperiyava's visit, which I posted on the blog before.
His note to my father (Chithappa to him) at the time of remodeling the Jeeyapuram house and some photos from that time (July 1988) are reproduced below.
We are glad that he has able to come and spend time with us over the last couple of years, and some memories from those trips are posted below. More photos from his younger days and other occasions are found in several posts in the blog, including here.
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| Thanksgiving, Bay Area, 2004 |
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| Amrith's graduation, 2006 |
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| El Cajon apt, Navarathiri 2008 |
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| Outside El Cajon apt, Navarathiri 2008 |
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| La Jolla, Navarathiri 2008 |
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| La Jolla, Navarathiri 2008 |
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| Manimma: Aug 2010 |
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| Srikanth's birthday, Dec 28, 2010 |
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| When Appa was sick and I visited, Feb 2012 |
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| Huntington Beach, Jun 2012 |
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| Huntington Beach, Jun 2012 |
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| Lunch with family in Anand Raj Villa, 8 Aug 2014 |
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| SriRamachandra, 18 Aug 2015 |
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| Shri Mandir, 17 May 2016 (sent by Ambi Anna) |
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| Mission Bay Carousel, 18 May 2016 (sent by Ambi Anna) |
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| Mission Bay Carousel, 18 May 2016 (sent by Ambi Anna) |
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| Mission Trails Regional Park, 21 May 2016 (last photo I have of Ambi Anna, taken the day he was going back to Mountain View) |
I conclude with a recent email that Raja Anna shared with me, about Ambi Anna.
Homage To My Dearest Brother, “Ambi”
Finding the right words to describe the bond that all of us have shared with my departed brother has been extremely challenging and has led me to the conclusion that words are not an adequate medium to express feelings and emotions. The numerous touching emails and calls over the last week that we have received has made me realize that , just as he made each of us feel that we were a special part of his life, there were hundreds of others in various corners of the world who felt exactly the same way.
I am not sure when, but somewhere in the last 30 years, “Anna” became “Ambi,” to me. The age difference between us melted, we consulted and depended on each other, and became partners in many of our shared efforts. We knew that we had different perspectives on life, we discussed issues freely, never argued, and always respected each other’s views.
His efforts to educate himself and his occupation took him to many parts of India and the world. Like most of us, he had his fair share of ups and downs, but what I admire about him is that he never lost his equanimity nor compromised his values. His strong faith in his religion guided all his actions.
After the death of our parents who were the head of a family of 9 siblings, he assumed the role of the “glue” that kept the family together. He made sure he kept in touch with members of the extended family and visited as many as possible. Often, he stretched himself, “above and beyond his call of duty,” volunteering to help and anticipating the needs of others. I would get calls from him at various times of the day and on many occasions it would be past midnight at Chennai. When I rebuked him that he needs to take care of his health and get some sleep, he would say “there is not enough time in the day to take care of all the things I have to accomplish.” In retrospect, I think he was spending his daytime taking care of my and others’ work and the only time he could find for himself was when everyone else was in bed.
His service to the family and community was truly altruistic, with no expectations of any returns. On one occasion I expressed my disappointment to him that someone we took great efforts to help did not care to acknowledge it. He reminded me that what should matter most, and the true reward for our actions, should be the inner satisfaction that we did the right thing.
Our cousin, Dr. Murali Sivarajan, described my brother in his condolence card by 3 little words, “A Class Act.” I couldn’t agree more that these words describe him succintly. Although he is not with us physically, just like Malini, I feel that he is still guiding all of us. Let us honor his life by emulating one or more of the many admirable traits of this quiet overachiever-- Unconditional Love, Respect for everyone, Considerate and compassionate, non-Judgemental, Sincerity, Honesty, Generosity, and Strong values. We, and the world, will be richer for it.
May he rest in peace and may his ever-lasting smile be in our memories and guide our actions.
Thanks for all the wonderful years together,
Your loving brother,
Raja
July 29, 2016
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