Debdas Ghosal

Dear Sanskriti Members, Family and Friends,

It is with profound sadness and heavy hearts that we announce the death of Debdas ‘Dave’ Ghosal, a highly regarded engineer, influential business leader, and mentor who was dedicated to serving to his community, family and friends. He passed away peacefully on March 16, 2026, at the age of 85.

Born in 1941 in Assam, India, Debdas displayed an early aptitude for mathematics and problem-solving. He earned his bachelor’s degree with honors in electrical engineering from Jadavpur University in 1965 as gold medalist in the first division, followed by a post-graduate diploma from Roorkee University (IIT).

Over a career spanning more than five decades, Debdas began his professional journey as an electrical engineer at Siemens India from 1965 to 1967, Indian Railways from 1968 to 1975, and Bank of India from 1976 to 1978 contributing to major engineering projects across India.

He immigrated to the United States in November 1978. From 1978 through 1987, Debdas held various roles as an engineering executive starting at Eletrac, Deleuw Cather & Co., Bechtel Corporation, and Com-Site International. Debdas held Professional Engineering (P.E) license registrations in 10 states along with various professional training in advanced courses. He held memberships in NSPE, IEEE, NFPA and IAS/Electrical.

All of his insight, experience, and leadership abilities led him to found CSI Engineering, PC (CSIE) in 1987. As CEO of CSIE, he oversaw the company’s growth and expansion as a leader in mission critical MEP engineering, showcasing its expertise in resilient infrastructure design. From his founding of CSIE, to its current platform, CSI Engineering, Inc., CSIE continues to build on Debdas’s legacy by delivering comprehensive solutions for data centers, secure facilities, and completed infrastructure projects, including transportation projects, technology facilities, laboratories, and administrative buildings, among others, combining engineering, staffing, and consulting services to support complex, high-performance environments across government and commercial sectors. Debdas retired from CSIE in September 2024, although he remains as its Founder & Emeritus.

Beyond his corporate achievements, Debdas was a long-time resident of Potomac, Maryland for over two decades and was a Sanskriti Life Member. Debdas served as President of Sanskriti, Inc. (DC). Equally important to him, Debdas had a long association with Jadavpur University’s alumni association as its founding member in the U.S. Debdas was an advocate for education and mentorship, funding various scholarships and nurturing young professionals.

Most importantly, his love of travel took him all over the world, from Patagonia to Magallanes and Antarctica and many places in between. Debdas remained curious about other people, places, foods, and cultures throughout his long, well-lived life.

As an avid fan of the Washington Redskins (now Commanders), Debdas cheered them on irrespective of their record. From the Joe Gibbs era, he was a season ticket holder for many years. He enjoyed other sports such as tennis and golf and fed his love of classical music as a member of the Music Center at Strathmore.

He is survived by his wife of 56 years Meera Ghosal, his two sons Ari Ghosal and Sunir Ghosal, daughter-in-law Caroline Lee-Ghosal, and granddaughter Uma Ghosal.

Family and friends are welcome to his funeral service to be held at National Funeral Home, 7482 Lee Highway, Falls Church, Virginia 22042 on Sunday, March 22, 2026, from 11am-1pm. Parking will be available at the funeral home. Streaming link to view services online is: https://client.tribucast.com/tcid/c26032615208009.

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