Samir Kumar Banerji

Dr. Samir Kumar Banerji, known as “Sam” to his colleagues, “Bapi” to his daughters and sons-in-laws, “Dada” to his brothers, and “Dadu” to his precious granddaughters, passed away in Park Ridge, IL, with loved ones beside him, three months and two days prior to his 80th birthday. Ever the extrovert, he managed to say goodbye to lifelong college friends, dear CAT friends and colleagues, and beloved family virtually via Zoom and FaceTime, before he peacefully took his last breath. Samir was special in many ways, including having “two” birth dates: June 25, 1945, but officially noted as July 8, 1945, he lived an incredibly full life, passing on March 23, 2025.

Born in Jaipur, India to Durga Das and Namita Devi Banerji (née Mukherji), Samir grew up in a boisterous family with brothers Pravir and Mihir and cousins abound. Their family life involved great memories around food, friends, and festivities; soccer, science, and studying were in Samir’s DNA. He didn’t start elementary school until 4th grade, but once he did, he excelled in his studies and graduated as part of the second class of undergraduate college students in 1967 from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) in Kanpur, India.

With scholarships, courage, and mere dollars in his pocket, he emigrated to America to pursue higher education at the City University of New York (CUNY) at Stoneybrook, NY in the fall of 1967. Later, he had postdoc opportunities at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and the University of Pennsylvania (UPenn). With a PhD in metallurgical engineering, he had a lustrous career, starting at a small company, Foote Mineral Company in Pennsylvania, followed by almost three decades at Caterpillar, Inc. in Illinois through which he traveled the world, growing his network far and wide, all the while staying connected to his IIT classmates across the globe.

After a four-year, international-distance engagement, Samir and Purnima (née Chatterjee) married in India in January of 1975 and then embarked on their American married life together in the city of brotherly love, Philadelphia, PA, where their first daughter Anita (Mona) was born in April of 1976. A few, short years later, they settled in their first single-family home in Norristown, PA, where their second daughter Noopur (née Banerji) McKenna was born in June of 1980. The “Davis Drive” house in Norristown, PA became a loving home where family friends gathered for infamous birthday parties and weekend sleepovers. Samir’s love of gardening grew, while he learned to mow and maintain almost half an acre of lawn.

In January of 1989, Samir and family made the pivotal move to the vast Midwest– Dunlap, Illinois, before purchasing their second family house in Peoria, IL during the fall of 1989. Samir and family quickly became a part of the fabric of Peoria’s Indian community, as he also became deeply entrenched in the CAT community and ways of life. He and Purnima lived there for more than three decades amongst cherished friends who are like family.

Last year Samir and Purnima celebrated 49 years of married togetherness. The “Fairmont Drive” house in Peoria, IL with Samir’s well-potted deck of flowers was the gathering place for his children’s pool parties, sleepovers, and more infamous birthday parties, including Samir and Purnima’s respective 70th birthdays.

He is survived by daughters Anita and Noopur, sons-in-laws Sundaresh and Shane, granddaughters Jasmine (Mishti, 7) and Sofie (Chutki, 5), siblings Pravir (Shashwati) and Mihir (Sumitra), nephews Siddharth (Eika), Akash (Nidhi), and Saurabh (Jai) and their children–Oishee, Tavishee, Ishan, Avani, and Advaay.

Services will be held on Saturday, March 29, 2025 at 2pm (CT) at the Davison-Fulton Woodland Chapel, 2021 N. University St., Peoria, IL 61604. To livestream the funeral, follow the Davison-Fulton Woodland Chapel and Parkview Cemetery Facebook page, and then click on the livestream video link on their Facebook page at 2pm Central time on Saturday.

Samir loved flowers, just as his wife did, but please, no need to send them. If you wish to consider a donation in his honor, here are two organizations to consider, which Samir contributed to over the course of his life:

American Cancer Association: https://raiseyourway.donordrive.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=donorDrive.personalCampaign&participantID=16688

American Lung Association: https://wallofremembrance.funraise.org/fundraiser/in-memory-of-dr-samir-kumar-banerji

Visitation will be held from 2 - 2:30 pm (CT)

Eulogy remarks from 2:30 - 3:15 pm (CT)

Religious puja and prayers from 3:15 - 4 pm (CT)

Please join the family for chai and snacks at the Banerji residence after 4pm (CT): 11103 N. Rhonda Way, Dunlap, IL 61525

Eulogy remarks to be shared by–

Mihir Banerji (Samir’s brother)

Siddharth Banerjee (Samir’s nephew)

Suvro Banerji (Dear family friend son)

Dennis Kunka (Samir’s CAT colleague and dear friend)

Sunit Sachdev (Samir’s CAT colleague and dear friend)

Noopur Banerji McKenna (Samir’s daughter)

Anita Banerji (Samir’s daughter)