Dr. Natesan Janakiraman Obituary (8/1/1930 – 11/30/2022)

"The person who is always involved in good deeds, experiences incessant divine happiness" - RigVeda

Dr. N. Janakiraman (92) passed away peacefully on November 30, 2022. "Dr. Jay" as he was fondly known, was born in Rangoon, Burma to K. Natesan and Padmavathi. During WWII, the family endured hardship and were forced to evacuate by land back to India. These difficulties from his formative years provided the impetus for him to always persevere in every aspect of his life.
After his medical studies, Dr. Jay worked in India providing health care in small villages, and because of his natural excellence with his diagnostic skills as a clinician, he quickly proved himself indispensable. He married Vatsala (nee Devarajan), in Chennai and together they raised two daughters. Laser focused on providing for his family, he moved to Chicago where he re-started his career as an intern at Cook County Hospital.

What was meant to be a temporary stay in the States, turned into a lifelong tenure. He went on to create the Pediatric ICU at Cook County Hospital and held a position as Chief of PICU, where he healed and saved many lives and mentored even more.

He was an encyclopedia of knowledge and taught what he knew far and wide. After his retirement from Cook County, he launched Pediatric Advanced Life Support and Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support Training programs in India. Through these programs, he mentored and inspired an entire generation of medical students, Pediatric Residents, and Pediatric Intensivists in India. These critical programs continue to be part of the required medical training today.

His devotion to God remained unwavering throughout his life, and he was instrumental in bringing Vedantic study to the larger Indian community in Illinois. He was also one of the founding fathers of the Hindu Temple of Greater Chicago which remained a great source of pride for him.

A stalwart in stature and presence, Dr. Jay also had an undeniable sense of humor. He was an avid Chicago sports fan and enjoyed many hours of tennis with his daughters and grandchildren. In his retirement, he enjoyed traveling with his wife and friends, visiting six continents. He loved nature, and often visited zoos, safaris, and sanctuaries to learn about and observe all of God's creations.

He is survived by his wife Vatsala Janakiraman; his siblings N. Radhakrishnan and V. Rajalakshmi; daughters and sons-in-law Vidya & Shyam Rao, and Ajita & Sharat Chander; grandchildren Vimal Rao, Salil Chander, Suhana Chander & Jeremy Wellhausen, and Shobana Rao.

Dr. Jay's revered legacy of compassion and hard work will be eternally celebrated by his family, friends, students, and innumerous mentees across the globe.

In lieu of flowers, the family is kindly requesting that you donate to the American Heart Association in Dr. Jay's honor. Please see the following link if you would like to make a gracious donation:

https://www.heart.org/en/get-involved/ways-to-give?s_src=22U5W1AEMG&s_subsrc=evg_pmax&gclid=Cj0KCQiA4aacBhCUARIsAI55maHVjXRBlNR-LZuBX527L1XsT2BFs9woRqHhZWPpgyt_TWGLQZkFMuAaAnvrEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

Funeral arrangements entrusted to McCauley-Sullivan Funeral Home & Crematorium.