Dr Mrs B Leelavathi one of the most respected and popular doctors in Mylapore breathed her last on February 19 at 6.15 am.Born in 1929, October 24, she started her medical profession at a very early age after completing her MBBS DGO in Chennai.
She specialised in general medicine and gynaecology. She was a godmother to all in Mandavelli area especially helping women in their pregnancy related issues.
Many present generation Mandavallians may have well been born under her care. She was founder member of Kalyana Nagar Association in this area and its president for several years contributing in several ways to community life.
She was a keen enthusiast of religious discourses and was a regular at religious discourses after her retirement.
Her patients especially from the lower middle class, and the poor would never forget her generosity shown by her for their medical treatment.
She was married to late Dr Ramakrishnan and blessed with a son, Dr Amarnath, who is a resident of USA practicing medicine.
Dr Amarnath flew down from USA to perform the last rites to his beloved mother along with his wife.
The cremation was on Feb. 21 at Besant Nagar.
The family can be contacted at Norton 3rd Street, Mandavalipakkam. Ph.: 24610787.
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Dear Dr.Amarnath,
Sad to note from the obituary column of The Hindu the demise of your mom Dr.Leelavathy. I met her two years back at your home. My son Amritham who lives in U.S. and my daughter Aparna Balaji who lives in Dubai, were born in Dr. Leelavathy’s hospital at Mandaveli Pakkam. Dr Leelavathy was a close friend of our family.; a Very Kind, calm person. My wife is very much upset on reading this news column. Please accept our Heartfelt condolences.
May that great Soul rest in peace.
K.A.Narayanan
Bangalore
[Presently in U.S.]
To the Editor: Mylapore Times, Chennai
I knew Dr. Leelavathi well and wish to share the letter I wrote to Dr. Amarnath.
I heard the sad news the day it happened. Only two days ago I came to read the obituary column you published and wanted to share my thoughts addressed to Dr. Amarnath with your readers.
Dr. Nehru E. Cherukupalli, PhD
Emeritus Professor of Geology
89 Stephen Street, Levittown, NY 11756 USA
New York, NY. USA
E-mail: Nehru@Brooklyn.CUNY.edu
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
February 28, 2013
Hello Babu (Dr. Amarnath),
I have known your Mom (Dr. Leelavathi) ever since our childhood. We both went to “Children’s Garden School” (kindergarten) together in Mylapore and grew up together and lived in the same apartment house in Alwarpet. I have several anecdotes to share, including one Deepavali day when we were playing with “Tapas – (fireworks)”. Years later we graduated the same year -1954 – she from Medical College with MBBS and I from Presidency College with B.Sc. (Hons) in Geology.
I went to New York for higher studies and she started to practice in Madras. After returning to India I knew her living in Mandavallipakkam. After three years in India and marriage, I had to drift again and ended up in New York teaching geology at the City University of New York.
We maintained close contact despite the distance and I remember seeing you grow up in Madras – never knew you would become a doctor and settle down in USA. I remember the time you were with us in New York job hunting after finishing medical school in Madras.
Dr. Leela as we affectionately called her, was a benevolent soul and never said no to anybody for anything – treatment or money. She never knew what discrimination meant and treated all with compassion. Everybody who was associated with her benefited – one way or the other. She gave generously for education, fine arts, and other charities.
Through the years, she must have delivered literally hundreds of babies in her nursing home and they all grew up to remember her. On one occasion when she was visiting us in New York, we took her to the local Ganesh temple and one of the devotees came and inquired if she was Dr. Leelavathi of Mandavallipakkam and said hello to her only to thank her because he was born in her nursing home !. She was the doctor for many of the big time movie stars, including the late Savitri and NTR’s wife. Some of the children born in the Mandavallipakkam nursing home are now big time government officers and politicians. She knew my two children, Aneela and Aasish since their childhood.
She was an ardent lover of the fine arts (something she inherited from her father – (BNR – as we called him) – a big time music director during the early nineteen hundred forties. Needless to say I knew him well and shared many happy days with him as a child and as a grown up. BNR and my father worked together in the same movie studio in Madras.
She was a lover of ‘puppies and dogs’ and she raised several of them in her house. She treated them with the same compassion as she would any other human being. At one time I was so impressed with her ‘dog devotion’ – I said “If you ever want to be born and lead a good life” – be born as a ‘puppy’ in Dr. Leelavathi’s house.
In her later years she devoted time for travel to holy places like Badrinath and attend discourses locally. With time she became more and more philosophical and would not talk about anything else but ‘that the end is near’. The last time I talked to her on the telephone, only a few days before she left us all, I had a difficult time to converse with her about anything other than philosophical statements. She knew that the end was very close.
Over the years, I shared many things in my life with her and continue to cherish the memories. Babu – I share your grief and trust me – we all miss her. May God be with her in her sojourn beyond the mortal life. She will be remembered by one and all as long as we live.
Nehru
Dr. Nehru E. Cherukupalli, PhD
Emeritus Professor of Geology
New York, NY. USA
Dear Dr. Amarnath,
sorry to hear the sudden demise of your mother Dr. Leelavathy; we were deeply associated with her and in fact both my children were born under her care & hospital; actually my father late UVS Murthy & your grand father Late Mr. Narasimha Rao were good friends and that frienDship continued with your mother; sHE WAS A VERY AFFECTIONATE PERSON. we have also seen you as a small boy wandering in the hospital compound and playing; MAY HER SOUL REST IN PEACE.
LAKSHMI & MANOHARR (09959643446)