Contributions to the tribute of Kuruganti Venkata Lakshmi Narasimha...

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Tim and Diane Bannister posted a condolence

Monday, July 21, 2025

Diane and I send our sincere condolences, particularly to Uma and Ashok, whom we knew. Bless you all..

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Stephen Ross posted a condolence

Thursday, June 5, 2025

Being in Japan I was late in learning of Sastry’s death. I’m so very sorry for your great loss. I remember Sastry as an always cheerful person. He provided a truly warm welcome to me when I arrived in the physics department many years ago. When my then wife, Marta, and I were first in Fredericton, Sastry lent us VHS tapes of some classic Indian movies. In this way Sastry exposed us to an entirely different culture. Especially so after he explained the somewhat salacious details that were completely missing from the rather bowlderised sub-titles that we had been reading! My memories of Sastry always have him with a good humoured and positive outlook, you must miss him sorely. Stephen (Ross)

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Shawn Kuruganti uploaded photo(s)

Thursday, May 22, 2025

Our deepest condolences to you all. Growing up as a kid, getting to visit Sastry uncle and family was always one of my favorite trips to go on. Some of my fondest childhood memories come from visiting family in Fredericton and getting a tour of all of Sastry Uncle’s new apple products and cameras and such. Visiting in Columbus as a very young child I remember a few things from our visits with Uncle. Here are some nice photos my Mom dug up of those memories. You will be forever missed Uncle, love you all! Shawn

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Ali Hussaini posted a condolence

Thursday, May 15, 2025

My deepest sympathy for your loss. I've only heard positive reflection regarding Dr. Sastry and I knew Usha from my time at UNB. May you find solace in his memory and love.

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Radhika Pasumarthi uploaded photo(s)

Thursday, May 1, 2025

In loving memory of Peddamamayya Peddamamayya was a remarkable presence in our lives. As a child, I saw him as a true genius who had the rare gift of making the most complex ideas in physics and mathematics seem simple and beautiful. Growing up, I was always in awe of his wizardry with electronics, watching him bring circuits and concepts to life with an ease that seemed almost magical. As I grew older and began my own journey in the world of technology, our conversations deepened. I still remember the long discussions we had about my work on Radars and Electronic Warfare systems. Every time, I would walk away amazed at the breadth and depth of his knowledge, not just in science and engineering, but in almost any subject we touched upon. His curiosity was boundless, and his passion for learning was infectious. One of my most cherished memories is seeing my daughter, Aditi, spend time with him. The pictures of Peddamamayya patiently teaching her a mathematical concept are precious to me. In those moments, I saw the same gentle teacher who had inspired me as a child, now passing on his love for learning to the next generation. When Amma passed and Peddamamayya visited us in Bangalore, I saw another side of him-his deep love for family, his pride in our roots, and the vivid stories he shared about Prodduvaka. Through his memories, the village and Amma’s childhood came alive in my imagination, connecting me more deeply to our family’s history. Though Peddamamayya is no longer with us, his spirit endures. The spirit of curiosity, of being a lifelong learner, his humility, and his unwavering love for family - these are qualities I aspire to carry forward, even if only in a small measure. He touched so many lives, leaving behind not just memories, but inspiration. Dear Peddamamayya: Your legacy of knowledge, kindness, and love will continue to guide us always. Radhi

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Heather Jones posted a condolence

Tuesday, April 29, 2025

Usha, so sorry to read of your father's death. My sincere sympathies at this time to you and your family.

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Philip Parker posted a condolence

Monday, April 28, 2025

Dear Usha, Lone and I send our deepest condolences on the loss of your father!!

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Angela Hamilton posted a condolence

Sunday, April 27, 2025

Dear Usha and Family. So sorry for the loss of your beloved Dad. Our Sincere Condolences. Angela and Alley

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Abhi, Radha & Badari posted a condolence

Sunday, April 27, 2025

In Loving Memory of Sastry Garu The realization that Sastry Garu is no longer with us feels like losing a part of ourselves. He was not just a cherished family member but a warm and inspiring presence whose kindness touched everyone fortunate enough to know him. A quote we once read on the front wall of the Fredericton Public Library comes to mind: "When an old man dies, it is like burning down a library." No words could capture this loss better. Sastry Garu had an insatiable curiosity about the world, a spirit he shared through his deep passions for the Telugu language and science. His love for Telugu culture was evident in every conversation, and his enthusiasm for advancing Telugu transcription was infectious. In the late 1990s, he actively collaborated with developers working on Telugu language tools — always eager to contribute to preserving and promoting the language he loved so dearly. His passion for photography was equally well known. With Sastry Garu’s passing, even "Nikon" lost one of its most passionate — perhaps "rabid" is a better word — supporters. He could talk endlessly about camera sensors across every brand and model. His love for photography even led him to build a full-fledged photo lab in his basement. When he visited our home and saw our "Manfrotto" tripod, he immediately launched into a lively discussion about tripods, their makes, and which ones were the best choices. Talking to him was a joyful and educational experience — after a conversation with him, you might find yourself wanting to buy the most expensive Nikon camera ever made! (Big smile.) A true tech enthusiast, Sastry Garu was also a staunch supporter of Apple computers. His lab was a testament to his love for technology, filled with Macs of every flavor — a true Apple ecosystem. Beyond his hobbies, Sastry Garu lived a remarkable professional life. He interacted with some of the greatest minds in Indian physics, including S.N. Bose (of Bose-Einstein condensate fame), Nobel laureate Sir C.V. Raman, and U.R. Rao of ISRO fame. Yet, in his humility, he would rarely mention these extraordinary associations unless you asked very specific questions. He was a noble soul — unassuming, generous, and full of wisdom. Sastry Gari's generosity knew no bounds. He would often invite us to his home, personally picking us up from our apartment and bringing us over to share delicious Indian meals prepared with such love. He was a gracious host, and anyone who visited him would readily attest to that. Though Sastry Garu may no longer be with us in person, his spirit lives on through the memories he created and the countless lives he touched. He will be deeply missed but never forgotten. Abhi Radha and Badari

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Mohan and Geetha Iyengar posted a condolence

Sunday, April 27, 2025

Please Accept our heartfelt condolences on the demise of Dr. Shastry. Our sympathy to Sita, Uma, Ashok, Usha, Boris and Laurent. He was a very well respected academician and teacher and an important member of the Fredericton Community. We will iss him and his sense of humour. We pray to give you courage to face this immense tragedy.

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G.Srinivasan posted a condolence

Sunday, April 27, 2025

Dear Uma,Ashok and Usha Please accept our heartfelt condolences. Your father was so proud of you all, his roots, his family and his heritage. He was an embodiment of hard work. He was like an elder brother to us guiding us .We have wonderful memories to cherish. It is more than forty years ago I met your dad in a teacher’s union /teacher’s conference/or teacher’s club. I was in the midst two established teachers KPK and Sastry and a bottle of Teacher’ in the centre table. Though I had come to UNB to teach I was very much a young student of life. At that time Uma, you were perhaps at New Orlans, Usha , you were learning dance from the visiting teacher, and Ashok, you were doing your BBA. Sita was also doing some evening course, I think. From that day to now I have learnt a lot, and I am at awe and thankful. Though your dad had explained the difference between culture and agriculture that day little did I thought he would take to horticulture. For some one who does not know the difference between a flat and square screwdriver he was so generous, non judgemental and almost wondering what would be the next project at my place-could it be showing the splitter that separated data and the phone message or the splitter that helped the cable feed to flow to multiple TVs,-could it be fixing the broken plastic in the grinding machine or fixing a numbered lock to the door and the list went on. I learnt the meaning of hard work and dedication from the hands- on man who had to grind the lenses for his graduate experiments and work with limited budget that never deterred him doing a top-notch work that landed him prestigious post doc assignments to work with Nobel laureates. I learnt a lot from him who was keen to apply the knowledge to applications. Unlike my preconceived notion of a physicist as one buried under some equations, he was talking about fascinating applications outside of his domain such as microwave for pig warming or spectral analysis for reading pathology specimens I admired his ability to have the child like excitement on his projects in diverse field-be it getting the piped music, automatic watering of the fishpond, working on the shelf at the basement, cataloguing and digitizing music cassettes, tracing all the Kurugantis and the list goes on I was puzzled at the diametrically opposite interests that he had showed while switching from watching a classical dance by Vempatti Chinna Satyam or Bala Saraswathi to a gun slinging western movie. With a remote in his hand, the speed with which he would switch from one to other would make me think whether he was attention deficit or a talented multitasker. We had witnessed the pride and joy he hadwhen he talked about you all -Uma’s Pfizer job, or about Usha’s thesis, or about Ashok’s car that Ashok allowed him to drive was hugging the road or about the special bond he had with Laurent. Boris who enjoyed Sita’s food was not just a son-in-law but an enabler to Sastry’s pet projects and a great mediator to get Sita’s approval for those projects. Sastry simply adored Sita and her delicious snacks. And it was a delight to watch them complaining- Sita about his frequent buying of cameras and Sastry about Sita’s passion for new pots and pans as well as “ too much cooking” -though he enjoyed everything she cooked and already had his order for his next snack! I have no words to describe his generosity in giving us time as “Ask Sastry” was the only mantra I have learnt for all my problems. Apart from photographer for special occasions, his restoring the pictures of our elders meant a lot. When I look at Ragini’s prom pictures, the breathtaking photograph of Fredericton walking bridge adoring my wall / gorgeous Alaska sceneries or my family picture taken six decades ago and restored by Sastry, I could feel his presence with us every single day. There are of course certain other things he taught me but that does not mean I have learnt- such as how to use a corkscrew to open a wine bottle, how long to wait after opening before serving so that the wine aerates and how best to pour coffee to get the best aroma. I knew he had given me up totally to get these skills ever. I am not using the word ‘Teacher’ loosely. For us, Sastry was next to Matha, Pitha and really a Guru. we are blessed to be part of his life journey Srini

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Kadamby Jayaram posted a condolence

Sunday, April 27, 2025

Our heartfelt condolences to Dear Sita, Uma, Ashok, Usha, Boris and grandchildren. Remember the fondest moments we spent with you all and Dr. Sastry. Remember him developing and printing black and white pictures of Nandini as a child at your home. Take care Radha/. Jayaram

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Abhi Radha and Badari uploaded photo(s)

Sunday, April 27, 2025

In Loving Memory of Sastry Garu The realization that Sastry Garu is no longer with us feels like losing a part of ourselves. He was not just a cherished family member but a warm and inspiring presence whose kindness touched everyone fortunate enough to know him. A quote we once read on the front wall of the Fredericton Public Library comes to mind: "When an old man dies, it is like burning down a library." No words could capture this loss better. Sastry Garu had an insatiable curiosity about the world, a spirit he shared through his deep passions for the Telugu language and science. His love for Telugu culture was evident in every conversation, and his enthusiasm for advancing Telugu transcription was infectious. In the late 1990s, he actively collaborated with developers working on Telugu language tools — always eager to contribute to preserving and promoting the language he loved so dearly. His passion for photography was equally well known. With Sastry Garu’s passing, even "Nikon" lost one of its most passionate — perhaps "rabid" is a better word — supporters. He could talk endlessly about camera sensors across every brand and model. His love for photography even led him to build a full-fledged photo lab in his basement. When he visited our home and saw our "Manfrotto" tripod, he immediately launched into a lively discussion about tripods, their makes, and which ones were the best choices. Talking to him was a joyful and educational experience — after a conversation with him, you might find yourself wanting to buy the most expensive Nikon camera ever made! (Big smile.) A true tech enthusiast, Sastry Garu was also a staunch supporter of Apple computers. His lab was a testament to his love for technology, filled with Macs of every flavor — a true Apple ecosystem. Beyond his hobbies, Sastry Garu lived a remarkable professional life. He interacted with some of the greatest minds in Indian physics, including S.N. Bose (of Bose-Einstein condensate fame), Nobel laureate Sir C.V. Raman, and U.R. Rao of ISRO fame. Yet, in his humility, he would rarely mention these extraordinary associations unless you asked very specific questions. He was a noble soul — unassuming, generous, and full of wisdom. Sastry Gari's generosity knew no bounds. He would often invite us to his home, personally picking us up from our apartment and bringing us over to share delicious Indian meals prepared with such love. He was a gracious host, and anyone who visited him would readily attest to that. Though Sastry Garu may no longer be with us in person, his spirit lives on through the memories he created and the countless lives he touched. He will be deeply missed but never forgotten. Abhi, Radha, and Badari

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Srinivasan posted a condolence

Sunday, April 27, 2025

Prof. Sastry was more than our friend - he was our big brother, our guide, our computer Guru, our handyman , our photographer and all in all our family member. Since our arrival in 1987, we had the company and love from the Kuruganty Family. We connected with them on a daily basis My parents too enjoyed Sita’s and Sastry’s company during their twelve years stay here. We have shared so many happy memories with Sastry and Sita. Words cannot describe how we feel at this moment. Our heartfelt condolences to Sita, Uma, Ashok, Usha, Boris , grandkids and his extended family and our prayers to give them the strength to go through this tough period Srini, Kalyani and Ragini

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Radha Nair posted a condolence

Sunday, April 27, 2025

Our heartfelt condolences to the Kuruganti family. May his soul attain Moksha! Nair family(London, ON)

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Bridget posted a condolence

Sunday, April 27, 2025

I had the privilege to meet this smart man about 4yrs ago and remained part of his life as he headed to his final days. He was kind and full of knowledge and loved his family very much. He showed myself and my daughter to never stop learning and always believe in yourself. In his last few days he was still encouraging my daughter to further herself to a doctor and told her you can do it!

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James posted a condolence

Saturday, April 26, 2025

Ashok, Your father had a very impressive career and raised a wonderful family. I am very very sorry for your loss. Stay strong brother. Your pal, Jimmy Dale

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Ram Gopalan posted a condolence

Saturday, April 26, 2025

Our sincere condolences to the family. May his soul attain sathgati. RIP uncle Ram & Kavita

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Ram Gopalan uploaded photo(s)

Saturday, April 26, 2025

A visibly young Sastry with his supervisor (Vinod Asundi father) Vinod did his PhD in chemistry from UNB

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Ram Gopalan uploaded photo(s)

Saturday, April 26, 2025

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Lori Haines uploaded photo(s)

Saturday, April 26, 2025

Sincere condolences to the entire family. I went to school with Ashok and we lived in the same subdivision. Ashok you were always one of the friendliest, kindest and brightest people I've ever had the good fortune to meet and it's clear all you gained from having such wonderful parents. Your father's contributions to Science in Physics and advancing so quickly in his education are remarkable accomplishments. I enjoyed hearing about the travels around NB, photography, gardening, and his strong community and family ties. Wishing peace in the days ahead to you and your family Ashok. Lori Haines & Ben King (Burlington, ON)

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