Savitri ‘Sachi’ Suryaraman

1926 – 2020

The ashes of Savitri Suryaraman were scattered at sea on April 4, with a Hindu ceremony to follow commemorating the one-year anniversary of her death.

Savitri, who made Arcata her beloved second home for 43 years, from 1967 to 2010, passed away peacefully on April 12, 2020 in her sunlit room in Sunnyvale, California, with her family at her side.

Savitri cherished her many years in Arcata, where she raised her three daughters, formed unforgettable friendships and discovered her passion for growing roses. She also grew many select varieties of other flowers, often swapping seeds with friends.

For many years, starting in the late 1960s, Savitri entered her flowers in the Humboldt Rose Society’s annual show as well as in the Humboldt County Fair, and she often walked away with the prize for having won the most blue ribbons in the flower hall.

While she took pride in her blue ribbons, she grew roses first and foremost as an offering to her Hindu gods. Savitri, who was born in India, was sustained throughout her life by her deep devotion to her Hindu faith. She kept an altar in her kitchen, and each day, she placed roses from her garden there. At Sandeepany West in Piercy, she found a community with whom she could share her devotion to the Hindu religion and culture.

Savitri was born in Kharagpur, India and grew up in Chennai. She married after completing her Bachelor’s degree in Economics at Stella Maris College, and left India for the United States in 1961 to join her husband M.G. in St. Louis.

In 1967, she, M.G. and their three daughters Parvati, Maya and Shantha moved to Arcata, where M.G. took a position as a professor of chemistry at Humboldt State University.

Savitri never abandoned her Indian culture. Yet she found a welcoming home in Arcata, where she made lasting friendships, including with Barbara Borgers, Donajean Hooker, Jeevan Khazanie, and Pat Thornburgh. As well, she had many friends among the HSU faculty spouses with whom over the years she played bridge.

She was a great fan of Arcata and loved to attend performances on The Plaza. She also patronized many of the town’s businesses, including Abruzzi, Bubbles, the Co-op, Farmers Market, the Minor and Arcata theaters, and Wildberries. With her winning personality, it didn’t take her long to establish herself on a first-name basis with many in the community, to whom she was known as Sachi.

In 2010, to be closer to their daughters, sons-in-law and grandchildren, Savitri and M.G. moved to Cupertino, and then in 2015, to Sunnyside Gardens, an assisted living facility in Sunnyvale. In her last years, she missed Arcata but looked forward to visits from her family.

On April 12, 2020, she passed away with her family at her side, when the heart that had served her faithfully for 93 years finally stopped.

The family wishes to thank her caregivers and staff at Sunnyside Gardens and at Supreme Companions, who took loving care of Savitri in her last years till the very end.

Savitri is survived by her husband, daughters, sons-inlaw, three grandchildren, her brother, sisters-in-law and many nieces and nephews.

In lieu of flowers, Savitri’s family asks those who knew her to honor her spirit by taking a few moments to recall a special memory of her via the guest book at https://ww w.legacy.com/obituaries/times-standard/