Dr. Syamala Ashtakala

The late Dr. Syamala Ashtakala was born on the 18th of September, 1930 and passed away on 5th November, 2016. A stellar academic career was just one facet of her highly accomplished life . Starting with a Gold Medal in the Honours Program at Presidency College in Madras, India, in 1956 she, along with her husband Dr. Sreenivas Ashtakala, moved to Canada on a Commonwealth Scholarship to pursue Post-Graduate studies at the University of Toronto. After a year she entered the Ph.D program under the Late Dr. Dorothy Forward, and received her Doctorate in Biology in 1960. Syamala took up teaching in Botany at Concordia University in Montreal in 1966, from where she retired as Professor in 1995. Mrs. Ashtakala`s artistic talents have been just as remarkable. A naturally gifted singer, she trained under well-known Carnatic musicians and had been invited by All India Radio for an audition at Madras. Had she not chosen to move to Canada to pursue academics, music would have been her heart`s choice of career. Indeed, she moved people with her harmonious voice at numerous renditions over twenty-five years. She was fluent, and sang, in Telugu, Tamil and Kannada. The depth of her intellect and artistry were matched by her generosity towards the community. Syamala taught Carnatic music to many young students and hosted numerous visiting artistes from India. Ever helpful and compassionate, there are many who remember her comforting smile and wise counsel in times of difficulty. Even when she was the one in need of care, Dr Ashtakala`s calm and gentle demeanour melted the hearts of all those who had the privilege of assisting her on a daily basis. She leaves a gaping void in the souls of her husband Sreenivas, children Meera, Mohan, Anita and Tara and grand-children Anjali, Nandan, Renuka, Lalita and Sirisha.