Sekharipuram Ananthakrishnan Balakrishnan, of Woodridge, passed away peacefully January 2, 2023.

No man is an island,
Entire of itself.
Each is a piece of the continent,
A part of the main.
If a clod be washed away by the sea,
Europe is the less.
As well as if a promontory were.
As well as if a manor of thine own
Or of thine friend's were.
Each man's death diminishes me,
For I am involved in mankind.
Therefore, send not to know
For whom the bell tolls,
It tolls for thee.

-"For Whom the Bell Tolls" by John Donne


Mr. S.A. Balakrishnan (85) passed away peacefully on January 2, 2023. He was born in Madras on October 23, 1937, to Dr. S.H.A. Krishnan and K.K. Seethalakshmi. He was the second of four children, and he spent his early childhood in Calcutta, where his father practiced medicine. Due to the threat of invasion of India by Japan during WWII, they returned to South India.

When he was 6 years old, they moved to Mettur, a small industrial town in Tamil Nadu. He attended schools there and in Quilon, Kerala, where his maternal grandparents lived. After finishing his SSLC (Secondary School Leaving Certificate), he completed his Intermediate studies at Madras Christian College and pursued a mechanical engineering degree at PSG College in Coimbatore.

After graduation in 1959, Mr. Balakrishnan worked for two years as an apprentice trainee at TISCO in Jamshedpur, Jharkhand, and then held a position at Crompton Greaves, Ltd, in Madras. In 1964, he married S.V. Meenakshi in Calicut, Kerala, India, and together they raised two daughters. In 1968, he went on to pursue his M.S. degree in Industrial Engineering at IIT in Chicago to provide a better life for his family. Upon completion, he started a job at Sears Roebuck & Co., and what was meant to be a sojourn in the U.S. eventually turned into a permanent stay.

Mr. Balakrishnan was a Carnatic music aficionado throughout his life. He was one of the founders of Chicago Tyagaraja Utsavam in 1977, and he worked tirelessly to ensure its success over many years. He was also an avid sports fan and enjoyed both watching and playing tennis with family and friends. In his retirement, he enjoyed traveling with his wife, visiting many countries in Europe, the Middle East, and Asia.

He is survived by his wife Meenakshi (Chellam) Balakrishnan; his sister Shantha Ramachandran; daughters and sons-in-law Sudha & Dr. V. V. Giri, and Vidya & Etienne Giraudy; granddaughters Sahana Giri and Asha Giraudy.

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

In lieu of flowers, the family is kindly requesting that you donate to Asha for Education in Mr. Balakrishnan's honor. Please see the following link if you would like to make a gracious donation: https://donate.ashanet.org/


Visitation Saturday, January 7th, 9:00am until time of Puja Service 11:00am at McCauley-Sullivan Funeral Home 530 W. Boughton Rd. Bolingbrook, IL. 60440.
Private Cremation to follow.