Venkat Raman
Auckland, April 26, 2021
The man who made everyone laugh at every gathering- be it a handful of his close friends or a large gathering- moved more than 250 men and women to tears as they assembled this afternoon (Monday, April 26, 2021) in Auckland to remember him.
The Fickling Convention Centre in Three Kings may not have seen a solemn gathering such as the one witnessed to pay homage to Soundararajan Thiruppathi- Soundhar to everyone who knew him from near or afar-almost a month of his untimely death.
Eternal love and respect
His wife Sheba- who saw in Soundhar, not just a husband, but a father, a brother, friend and guide (she addressed him affectionately as ‘Mama’ or uncle, which is common in Tamil Nadu households to this day)- has been an ocean of tears since his passing on Saturday, March 27, 2021 at Auckland Hospital.
She spent almost every moment of the two weeks with Soundhar beside his hospital bed- as those moments ticked into minutes, hours, days and weeks, she felt the pain and suffering to which no human should ever be subject. It was Soundhar who raised a 15-year-old Sheba, eventually married her and sired with her two daughters.
Celebration of life
And the people who came to the Remembrance prayed, spoke about the inimitable qualities and Soundhar and celebrated his life. But as they left, they knew that the cruel hand of fate is always stronger and unremitting.
As I wrote soon after his passing, there are a few people who steal your heart, unknowing that if they were to depart earlier than necessary, they would cause devastation.
More than 400 people attended his funeral on March 31, 2021 at Ann’s Funeral Home in Wiri, Manukau, Auckland.
Final, precious moments
He was 54 years of age and doctors gave him half of an hour, saying that he would not be able to emerge from medical complications that had enveloped him.
Those 30 minutes became the most precious in his life, in the life of Sheba and their daughters Saankhya and Sanchaya, Saankhya’s husband Josh, his family and other members of the immediate extended family.
Soundhar spoke to his mother and dear ones in India through a video call, said ‘Goodbye’ and spent about 20 minutes with his wife and children.
He was lucky to have known of his end, one may say, but the agony that it caused in his wife, children and scores of us who were waiting on him and his family cannot be explained. We were in prayer and hoped that everything was a dream and that we would soon wake up to reality.
In life, what is feared is more likely to occur than what is hoped.
Soundhar was more than a friend to almost all of us. He was a care-free soul, always smiling, always reaching out for the good, soft part of people and always speaking out his mind and heart.
Life and Career
Born and raised in Tiruchirappalli in Tamil Nadu, he attended the R.S. Krishnan Higher Secondary School, the ER Higher Secondary School and later the Thiagarajar College of Arts and Science, Madurai, where he obtained his graduate degree (BBA). He later attended the Annamalai University in Chidambaram to earn his MBA and finally a Diploma in Export Management from the United Kingdom.
Soundhar’s professional career took him to Muscat, Oman, where he worked as Senior Marketing Executive for Amiantit Oman. Following his migration to New Zealand with his family, he was employed at Barfoot & Thompson in Auckland.
Warm-hearted Leader
A community leader, Soundhar was a warm-hearted, friendly and fun-loving person and had endeared himself to thousands of people throughout New Zealand.
He was a former President of Muthtamil Sangam Auckland and Vice-President of the New Zealand Hindu Temple Society which owns and manages Thiru Subramaniyar Aalayam located at 69 Tidal Road, Manger, South Auckland.
Sheba is a current Member of the Executive Committee of Muthtamil Sangam Auckland and its former Secretary. She is also a Real Estate agent at Barfoot & Thompson.
The Author knows
As it was mentioned at the funeral service, “The Vedas affirm, ‘The Knower, the Author of Time, the Possessor of Qualities and all Knowledge, it is He who envelopes the Universe. Controlled by Him, this work of creation unfolds itself, that which is regarded as Earth, Water, Fire, Air and Ether. Om Nama Shivaya.”
Pictures by Gopi Dinakaran
