Meena Chettiar

Meenakshi “Meena” Chettiar, of Tampa, Florida, and formerly of Minnesota and Winnipeg, passed away unexpectedly in the early morning hours of November 28, 2025, in Hyderabad, India. She was 68 years old.

Born on January 3, 1957, in Madurai, India, to the late RM Veerappan and V Egammai, Meena was raised with strong family values and a deep sense of discipline, curiosity, and purpose.

A Life of Learning and Determination

Education was one of Meena’s deepest passions. Shaped by her father’s belief in learning, she built a life centered on inquiry and self-improvement, values she passed down to her children and grandchildren.

She earned multiple advanced degrees in chemistry and engineering, studying at the University of Madras, University of Missouri-Kansas City, University of British Columbia, and St. Cloud State University. She later returned to St. Cloud State as an instructor, where she shared her expertise and nurtured future scientists and regulatory professionals.

An Extraordinary Immigration Journey

In 1978, Meena joined her brother in Kansas City and enrolled in University of Missouri for graduate studies in chemistry. In 1979, newly married, Meena joined Mohan in Vancouver, Canada. This marked the beginning of a remarkable life lived across continents and cultures.

She lived in Vancouver (1979–1986), Calgary (1986–1993), Winnipeg (1993–1998), and then spent nearly 25 years in Minnesota, where she raised her family, built her career, and created a home overflowing with food, friends, and community. In 2022, nearing retirement, she moved to Tampa, Florida, though her heart never left Minnesota.

Her own immigration journey inspired her lifelong commitment to helping newcomers succeed. She mentored countless immigrants, offered guidance, and even authored a book dedicated to helping those starting new lives in a new country.

A Distinguished and Purpose-Driven Career

Across five decades and many countries, Meena built an extraordinary professional legacy.

She worked for Health Canada and Agriculture Canada before entering the private sector, where she held roles with Land O’Lakes, Teva, Baxter, Covidien, and ProMed. She later founded MNQ Consulting, where she served as a biomedical engineer, auditor, and quality expert trusted by organizations around the world.

Among her proudest career chapters was her time at Welly, where she was the company’s first quality assurance hire. She joined before the company was known to the world, rolled up her sleeves, and built the quality system from the ground up, including procedures, training, standards, and culture. Her colleagues remember her as courageous, steady, generous with her time and knowledge, and unafraid to jump into the unknown with both feet.

She also served as a respected instructor, mentor, and subject matter expert for the American Society for Quality (ASQ) for more than fifteen years, teaching certification courses, co-authoring ASQ handbooks, delivering international webinars, and serving as Chair of the Minnesota ASQ Section (2017). In 2015, she was named an MFEST Distinguished Science and Technology Professional.

Devotion to Service, Community, and Spiritual Life

Meena was deeply connected to the Art of Living Foundation, where she found spiritual grounding and lifelong friendships. She served her communities through ASQ, immigrant mentorship, the Plymouth Rotary Club, and through the constant generosity of her home and kitchen.

She honored her Tamil heritage through language, poetry, the Carnatic arts, and especially cooking. Her love was made tangible in every meal she prepared for family, friends, and anyone who walked through her door.

A Wife, Mother, Grandmother, Sister, Mentor, and Friend

Meena is survived by her beloved husband, Mohan Chettiar; her brother, Ram Ramanathan; her children, Ram Chettiar (Tara Connealy) and Devi Chettiar (Jay Willms); and her grandchildren, Sean (11) and Dylan (9) Chettiar, and Kala (9), Kiran (7), and Jason (7) Willms—the lights of her life. She is preceded in death by her sister, Unna Mohan.

Her family describes her as a woman of tenacity, fairness, and unstoppable energy. She maintained friendships across continents and decades, calling childhood friends, college classmates, and colleagues from every chapter of her life. She cooked while catching up on the phone; shared stories of Krishna and the Ramayana with her grandchildren; and approached every challenge with determination and resourcefulness.

A Legacy of Love and Upliftment

Meena was like a second mother to many who arrived in the U.S. far from their own families. She was a pillar in her community, teaching, guiding, feeding, advising, and opening her home and heart. Her legacy belongs not only to her family but to the countless people whose careers she shaped and whose lives she lifted.

Closing

Meena lived an extraordinary life rooted in love, service, learning, perseverance, and devotion to her family and community. She leaves behind a legacy of generosity, courage, and fierce love that will continue to guide all who were blessed to know her.

Memorial Arrangements

A memorial service will be held in the coming days. Details will be shared here soon. Please check back for updated information.