RAO o@ca.on.york_county.toronto.globe_and_mail 2005-10-24 published
Nakhate Vittal
RAO
By Sheila RAO,
Monday,
October 24, 2005, Page A18
Father, husband, physician. Born March 2, 1937, in Haveri, India.
Died May 5 in Waterdown, Ontario, of cardiac arrest, aged 68.
Dr.
Nakhate
Vittal
RAO was a role model to all his peers, a community
supporter, an innovative, hard-working physician, an outstanding
father, a loving husband, and the survivor of a life-threatening
brain injury that left him challenged for the rest of his life.
Vittal was born in Haveri, India, in 1937. His mother died shortly
after his birth and he was cared for by his eldest brother Sheenanna
for most of his childhood.
He excelled in both his studies and his extra-curricular activities,
playing cricket and acting as student council president while
earning top marks. He attended Grant Medical College in Bombay,
India, and graduated at 22 years old, the youngest M.D. in the
college's history. He immediately completed a rotating internship
at Sir Jamsetjee Jeejebhoy Hospital in Bombay in 1960.
He was the first person in his family to pursue post-graduate
studies abroad. In 1961, he left for Brooklyn, New York where
he worked through his medical internship at Methodist Hospital.
Vittal returned to Bombay in 1963 to arrange his marriage with
his family and he and his wife Sudha left for Houston, Texas,
a week after the wedding. Vittal served two years as a fellow
in pulmonary diseases at the department of internal medicine
at Baylor College of Medicine. He then served as chief medical
resident at Detroit Memorial Hospital until 1965.
Vittal pursued further training in Canada in children's respiratory
diseases at Winnipeg Children's Hospital, completing a fellowship
in Kitchener-Waterloo. He settled in Hamilton, managing an allergy
practice with offices in Hamilton and Fonthill, Ontario Vittal
was known for his innovative diagnostic and treatment techniques
among practising allergists in the region.
Vittal engaged in all three of his children's hobbies. He shared
his love and appreciation of photography, motion pictures and
music with his me and my brothers Atul and Ajit.
On January 23, 1984, Vittal's life changed drastically when he
fell down the basement stairs in his home. He was rushed to the
hospital, where doctors found that accumulated fluid in his skull
had destroyed parts of his left temporal lobe and cerebral cortex.
An immediate life-saving operation drained the excess fluid.
Although they were unsure of the long-term impact, they said
the damage meant his speech and memory were permanently affected.
Inner ear damage, they said, permanently disabled his sense of
balance, limiting his ability to walk.
Despite the physical and mental impairments, Vittal's spirit
remained intact and, over time, it became clear that he was acutely
aware of the emotions of every person around him. He maintained
close relationships with family despite his cognitive impairments.
Together they all lovingly cared for him for 21 years.
In his later years, Vittal continued to enjoy and appreciate
life through his interests in slapstick comedy, his love for
Indian and Western classical music and jazz and The Beatles and
taking trips to the Caribbean, Europe and India. His final trip
was to Kenya, to visit me during Christmas in 2004.
On the sunny day of May 5, Vittal went out for a walk with his
physiotherapist. On his way home, he suddenly raised his hands
from his walker, looked up into the sky and collapsed. A massive
heart attack had stopped him in his tracks and he gently passed
away.
Although his brain was damaged in January, 1984, his heart continued
to shine through his smiling eyes. Although his heart stopped
in May, his spirit continues to shine today in all who were fortunate
enough to have encountered him.
Sheila RAO and family
Sheila is Vittal's daughter.
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RAOUX o@ca.on.middlesex_county.london.london_free_press 2005-03-05 published
THODY,
Emily
Margaret and
Jessica
Catherine
At birth, Emily and Jessica were suddenly called away to watch
over us on February 24 - 25, 2005. Precious little twin daughters
of Karen and Don
THODY of Waterloo. Granddaughters of Jean and
Elliott PITT of Mississauga and Marie and David
THODY of Komoka.
Dear nieces of Cathy and Jeff
COLCLOUGH of Burlington and Denise
and Daren RAOUX of London. Cousins to Reece and Ryan
COLCLOUGH
and Emma and Kate
RAOUX. A small private service is to be held
by the immediate family. A very special thank you to Dr. Valerie
MUELLER and the staff at McMaster University Medical Centre for
their exemplary care and compassion during this time. As expressions
of sympathy, donations to the Thames Valley District School Board/Parkview
Public School (10008 Oxbow Drive, Komoka, Ontario N0L 1R0) Emily
and Jessica Thody Memorial Award Fund or the Hamilton Health
Sciences Foundation would be greatly appreciated by the family.
Donations can be arranged through Edward R. Good Funeral Home,
171 King Street South, Waterloo. Condolences/Donations/Flowers
www.edwardrgood.com 519-745-8445
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