K. P. Ramakrishnan, a resident of Alamelumangapuram for over 70 years who a witness to World War II operations , passed away on Sept. 4. He was 97.
Born in 1919, Ramakrishnan lived in the Georgetown area of the then Madras Presidency till the early 1940s and moved to Alamelumangapuram in Mylapore at the time of evacuation before World War II. He has been living in this area since then.
Although he did his schooling at Muthialpet High School in the Tamil medium, he became very fluent in English and was greatly admired for his command over the English language. A graduate of the Presidency College, Ramakrishnan served with the ARP (Air Raid Precautions) during the Second World War.
His long career of nearly forty years started when he joined the Institute of Science, Bangalore as an Associate. His career took off at King Institute, Madras, where he worked as Water Analyst and later moved to the Madras Electricity Corporation. (later came to be called the Madras State Electricity Board and still later, the TNEB and now TANGEDCO) where he served as Chief Chemist till his retirement in 1974.
Post retirement, he served as advisor in Indian Organic Chemicals, Manali till 1989.
Ramakrishnan was a man of varied interests. His keen interest in acting in stage plays began during his student days at the Madras Christian College, where he did his Intermediate studies.
During the late sixties, he scripted several plays in Tamil, acted and staged them under the banner ‘Agasthyalaya’ – his amateur drama troupe. These plays were presided over by leading stage artistes like R. S. Manohar and Major Sunder Rajan and yesteryear movie stars like Sowcar Janaki.
He was an avid reader and also very well versed in the scriptures and Hindu religious rituals and practices. His other interests were in astrology and gemmology.
Ramakrishnan is survived by his wife Alamelu, his son, four daughters, grandchildren and great grandchildren.
His wife and son reside at 59/27, Alamelumangapuram, Mylapore.
They can be contacted over phone at 24950042 and by e-mail : rajuviswam@gmail.com
– This tribute was written by his family
