Ramsay Roland Pal

Of Washington DC, passed away on August 27, 2023, from pneumonia after a brief illness. He was the son of the late Dr. Ram Das Pal and Rosalind Abreo Pal, and was preceded in death by his two sisters, Valli Ponnamperuma and Rosemarie Pal. He is survived by his only niece, Roshini M. Ponnamperuma, of Washington DC, who was at his side.

Ramsay’s journey encompassed 9 decades of history and change in locales as diverse asBritish Empire India/Burma, post World War II London, 1960’s Berkeley, 21st CenturyManhattan, and Washington DC. In 1941, at the age of 10, at the chaotic start of WWII InBurma, he used his wits and courage to escape and bring back help to save the lives of hismother and sisters and household, who were being held hostage at gunpoint. He wouldcontinue this mission of saving, protecting, and supporting throughout his life. In later years, when asked to explain or elaborate, Ramsay would make a delicately dismissive gesture, like a tennis backhand. “Not worth mentioning”, he would say. “It had to be done.”

Although born into comfort and privilege and raised in a loving and nurturing home by hisKashmiri Hindu father, a medical doctor, and his Goan-Burmese mother, a former teacher,Ramsay was no stranger to financial vicissitudes (due to inherited family debt and hisfather’s working largely for free); familial tensions (due to in-law conflicts); and socialprejudice (as cross-cultural Indians living in Burma, they were a minority in a minority). Thisawareness of the uniqueness of each person’s experience and situation heightenedRamsay’s very original perspective on just about everything. Even as a young school boy, hismath teachers would find his answers correct but derived totally differently from what hadbeen taught in class. In a day and age where rote learning was the norm, this independencetended to set him apart from his classmates, with varying consequences. He persisted intaking the intellectual “road less traveled” - quietly analyzing things in his own time and way.

Shortly post-war, at 15, Ramsay’s creativity led him to rig up an electric light system from salvaged material,totally by himself - powered entirely by the battery of his father’s car. This car also figured in his learning to

drive - backwards only, in time-honored fashion!

At age 16, in the turmoil of pre-Independence Burma, Ramsay and his two sisters (ages 19and 13) traveled to London on their own, in several short stages by seaplane, for theireducation and a new life. Handsome and nearly 6 feet tall, he again was the family protectorand source of strength - deciphering the London Underground (subway) map at PiccadillyCircus, searching for housing (in short supply after the Blitz) clipping the ration coupons,navigating a “pea-soup” fog and a “brave new world”.

Studying physics at Imperial College and the University of London, Ramsay also worked atthe Courtauld Institute of Art, burnishing his photography skills and laying his foundation asa Renaissance man, equally versed in art and science. Progressing to California, where thefamily had relocated, he continued to work in physics and chemistry research at StanfordUniversity and in the budding computer and electronics industry. He also used his prodigiousDIY skills to provide pleasant yet affordable accommodation for his mother and youngersister, whom he supported. He had a unique ability to understand technology by taking itapart, analyzing it, and then reassembling it - be it a “talking” toy teddy bear, a watch, a carpart, a radio, a lab mass spectrometer, or a gas chromatograph. As always, he was the“go-to guy”. When his married sister was stricken with a serious case of flu (this was beforethe yearly vaccine became the norm) while her husband was overseas on business, it wasRamsay who dropped everything and came to her rescue.

The twin calls of career and family brought our hero to the East Coast, where he spent 6exciting years in chemistry research at the University of Maryland, College Park, culminatingin a publication relating to the NASA Viking Lander, in the prestigious journal, “Science”. Thiswas followed by 25 years at the City University of New York (CUNY), at the flagship “CityCollege” campus, specializing in analytical chemistry of topics ranging from vision(rhodopsin) to virus testing (hemagglutination) to organic chemistry (cyclohexanederivatives). Ramsay dealt with academic egos and the research funding roller-coaster withequanimity. Having lived through things like the war, he said, gave one a differentperspective.

During these years, he continued to generously support his widowed mother and unmarriedyounger sister, as well as adopt an abandoned Shepherd/Beagle puppy, who grew into hisfaithful canine companion, Donã Isabella. He acquired a house spacious enough for all. In retirement,Ramsay was busier than ever, enjoying the freedom to read voraciously and

pursue interests in classical music, current events, economic and investment trends, anddiet and health, while avidly following and supporting PBS programs, donating generously tocharities such as the Special Olympics and Alzheimer’s Research and amassing gadgetsgalore! He also occasionally indulged in a tasteful, well-cut Cary Grant-style tweed jacket ordIscreetly-patterned silk tie. He would remember each family birthday or holiday with an exquisitely chosen card,always sent by Express Mail and containing a lavish cash gift. His largesse extended to manypeople he encountered.

Having worked hard all his life to be financially independent and self-sufficient, he was open-handed in sharing the benefits with others. Ever responsive to needs outside himself, Ramsay returned to the DC area 7 years ago to eunite with his beloved family, seeing his younger sister, Rosemarie Rani, through her final illness and being at the side of his older sister, Valli, when she breathed her last. He was a constant companion to his only niece, Roshini, during the isolation and stress of the COVID

pandemic, keeping things balanced with his impish yet gentle humor and unique way oflooking at the world. Even at 92, he would protectively check windows and doors at nightand would investigate strange noises, to rule out potential danger.Ramsay bore the challenges of life, aging, and illness gracefully, for the most part. As hesaid so often, with that gently dismissive gesture, “Not worth mentioning. It had to be done”.

Visitation will be at St. Ann Catholic Church (4001 Yuma St., NW) on Tuesday, Sept. 19, 2023from 9:30 AM until time of the funeral Mass at 10 AM. Interment will be private. Please viewand sign the family’s online guest-book at www.devolfuneralhome.com