Vidyadhar S. “Atma” Mandrekar, 82 died June 23rd, 2021 with his family by his side in East Lansing, Michigan. He was born March 26th, 1939, the youngest of ten children in Sawantwadi, India to Shantaram Narayan and Kamalabai (Sabnis) Mandrekar, with many close cousins. His father was a legal advisor to the Prince of Sawantwadi and his mother was the daughter of the Sabnis (Minister) of the Prince.
He graduated from Kalsulkar High School in Sawantwadi (1955). He attended Elphinstone College in Mumbai, India, was a Sanskrit scholar, and found a passion for mathematics that drove him for his entire life, encouraged by a mentor, Prof P. Masani. He graduated (1959) in the top of his class. He followed his research interests to the United States, completing a Ph.D. at Michigan State University in 1964, followed by academic research at the University of Minnesota, and UW-Madison. He started at the MSU Department of Statistics and Probability (1968). He was a Professor (1972), and the first member of his department to become a University Distinguished Professor(1990). Invited visitorships allowed for extensive travel, with longer stays in Strasbourg, Mannheim, Pisa, Beijing, and Pune-with family in tow.
He developed hundreds of original works and six books, in varied fields including engineering, signal analysis, finance and biology and took pride in 32 Ph.D. students- his cherished academic children. He was inspired and encouraged by many friends and colleagues, including the late A. Skorokhod. He was generous with his time to every community that he belonged to, whether as a department chairman (1975 to 1985), member of varied committees and groups within the University, the Indian Cultural Society, the Bharatiya Temple, in the City of East Lansing. He took special care to foster younger colleagues and community members. During his time at the University of Minnesota he fell in love with Veena Dixit, daughter and granddaughter of prominent scholars, and they were married in 1968.
He is survived by his wife, Veena, and their sons Paraj (Michelle) of Oregon, Wisconsin, and Tushar (Gitanjali) of San Jose, California, and grandchildren Tara, Alex, Nikhil, and Kiran. He moved gracefully from making faces to entertain small children, to discussing mathematics with other renowned mathematicians, to offering advice and a sympathetic ear to his friends and family-over one of his famous martinis. He could always be counted on for anything you may need, his towering intellect matched to the depth of his compassion.
A funeral service for Vidyadhar will be held Monday, June 28, 2021 from 9:00 AM to 10:30 AM at Gorsline Runciman Funeral Homes, 1730 East Grand River Ave, East Lansing, MI 48823.
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.greastlansing.com for the Mandrekar family.
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