Geeta Rani Mandal

She was born Geeta Edbor in Pirojpur, India (now part of Bangladesh) on March 29, 1942, as the sixth of ten children and the long-awaited daughter after five elder brothers. She attended college at the Polytechnic Institute in Tripura, India. She and Santosh Mandal were married in 1962, and in 1972, she followed him to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They welcomed their daughter, Swagata, before moving to Houston, Texas, in 1976, where their son Sanjit joined the family. They were longtime residents of the suburb of Alief before settling in Richmond, Texas, in recent years. Known as “Maa” to her children and “Didima” to her grandchildren, she devoted her life to her family and her community, always putting others first.

Geeta was a kind and compassionate spirit. A nurturing soul, she rescued and cared for numerous lost birds over the years (her favorite was Brownie) and multiple fish. She spent fun times with her grandchildren at the park across the street from her house and at the Houston Museum of Natural Science. She was almost always seen wearing her signature color, red. At home, she found joy in gardening, cooking elaborate meals for her family, and looking through her personal archive of old family photos.

A pillar of her temple and one of the original members of the Houston Bengali community, Geeta didn’t just attend poojas; she led them. A master of the shankha, she was an important part of the community’s major events and was deeply respected for her dedication.

She is survived by her husband, Santosh; her children, Swagata and Sanjit; her grandchildren, Neela, Maya, Sarina, Rai, and Ami; her baby brother, Sajal; and her younger sisters, Sabita, Namita, and Uma.

Her cremation ceremony will be held in private. The family appreciates your love and prayers during this time as they privately remember Geeta’s life.

A viewing will be held at the Chapel of Eternal Peace at Forest Park (2454 S Dairy Ashford, Houston, TX 70077) from 3 pm - 7 pm on Thursday, May 7, 2026. The funeral puja will be held at Shiva Durga Krishna Kali Mandir (16620 Kieth Harrow Blvd, Houston, TX 77084) on Sunday, May 10, 2026.