Obituary 2014-2015
Dr Ranes Chakravorty has passed away on 10.11.14 in a hospice in Jacksonville, Florida. USA. Ranes-da, as he was fondly known to many, was one of the brightest student to have come out of Calcutta University and of course R G Kar Medical College. He was admitted to our institution in 1943. Some of his academic achievements are still unsurpassed even today. He was very passionate about anything to do with our Alma Mater. He used to be a regular attendee of our college reunions, be it in Calcutta, in the UK or the US. He was versatile in many subjects. History of Surgical Medicine of ancient India was a favourite subject. He has spoken and written about it many a times. He had a good grasp of Sanskrit and ancient Hindu Scriptures. He was a keen follower of Medical Philately. Bengali Culture always attracted him. He attended the NABC nearly every year. Such was his varied interests. But Surgical Oncology was his speciality. Everybody loved his warm and friendly nature.
The passing away of his wife Chitra in 2002 hit him hard and he never quite recovered from that. He leaves behind his son Agnis, daughter Aryaa and a host of relatives and friends. A memorial service was be held in March 2015 in Jacksonville. RIP
Dr Sunil Mukherjee (MBBS, FRCP Lond, FRCP Edin) grew up in the town of Bankura and remained always a ‘Bankura boy’in heart, visiting the place regularly, meeting up with old friends and family. His undergraduate days at the college were notable for his academic abilities as well as for his passion for fitness training – many of us would have fond memories of witnessing Sunil indulging in his muscle building exercises in his hostel room taking time off from his books!
In 1961 he came to England for post-graduate training. After working in hospitals of Weymouth, Halifax, Liverpool and Manchester, and obtaining MRCPs from London and Edinburgh, Sunil was appointed a Consultant Physician in Medicine to the Nottingham University Teaching Hospitals. It was whilst working in Halifax that he met his future wife Barbara. His sound clinical judgement, work ethics and research interests earned him the respect and admiration of his colleagues. He was later elected a Fellow by both of the Royal Colleges of Physicians. After his retirement from the NHS, Sunil maintained an active interest in academic medicine and regularly taught undergraduate medical students in Calcutta.
An enthusiastic supporter of our reunion project Sunil was one of the editors of Panchadeep, which also benefitted from his literary contributions, written in his characteristic style, full of wit and wry humour. Our reunions will be poorer without him.
Sunil passed away on 3 September 2014. He leaves behind his beloved wife Barbara, children Anita and Moloy and four grandchildren.
