OSWEGO, NY – Gubbi S. “Sachi” Sachidanandan, of Melbourne, Florida, and Houston, Texas, passed away in Houston on Wednesday December 23, 2015, at the age of 91, following a decline in health.
Born October 24, 1924, in Nanjangud Town, Karnataka, India. He was the oldest of eight children to the late G. Shakar Chetty and Lalithama Chetty.
Sachi received both a B.S. degree in Chemistry, Botany, and Zoology, as well as a B.A. Honors degree in Psychology, from the University of Mysore (Maharaja’s College).
He came to the USA in 1954 to continue his education, receiving a M.A. in Social and Industrial Psychology from the University of Maryland.
He met and married his late wife, Ruth S. Winchell, in Maryland, while pursuing his degree, and working for the Indian Embassy.
In 1961, Ruth and Sachi relocated to Oswego, NY, where he began working at the State University College (SUNY) at Oswego, as an Assistant Professor in Psychology.
Sachi’s career continued on to include the position of Associate Provost for Research and Sponsored Programs, and his return to teaching as Associate Professor prior to retirement in 1988.
One of his major accomplishments during his tenure at SUNY was to initiate the Sponsorship of the NCAA National Youth Sports Program for Economically Disadvantaged Youth of Oswego County.
He was also an avid golfer and member of the Oswego Country Club, where he served on several committees, and was the Chairman of the Greens, Golf, and Irrigation committees.
After Ruth’s passing in 1991, Sachi began wintering in Melbourne, Florida, and eventually moved there full-time.
He continued his legacy of community involvement by serving on the city of Melbourne’s Golf Course Advisory Board for more than 22 years. He was chairman of the Turtle Coast Sierra Club, a member of the Group Advisory Council to the Florida Chapter of Sierra Club, and the president of the Pinewood Village Condo Association from 2000-2011.
He remained active in the community until his passing.
He is survived in the US by his two daughters with Ruth, and sons-in-law, Sushila and Jim Gezik of Rockledge, Fla., and Kamala Sachidanandan and John Curry of Houston, Texas; his son and daughter-in-law Prakash and Cecily Sachi of West Hurley, NY; his grandchildren, Rebekah (Thomas) Stone, Rose Renfro, Emelia Curry, Elliott Curry, India Sachi, and Emma Sachi; and his great-granddaughter, Aurelia Stone.
He is also survived by his sister and brother-in-law, Manjula and Phil Kemp of St. Petersburg, Fla.; his sister, Bhavani Manheim of Eugene, Oregon; his sisters-in-law, Jane Chandra of Overland, Kans., and Barbara Winchell of Austin Texas; as well as many nieces, nephews, and their children.
In addition, he is survived in India by his son Pratap and wife Shylaja; his grandchildren Shankara and Hersha; his sister Nirmala; his sister Prapulla and brother-in-law Siddlingapa; his brother Surendra and sister-in-law Chere; as well many nieces, nephews, and their children.
He was predeceased by his brothers, Sharat Chandra of Overland, Kansas, and , G.S. Kumaraswamy and his wife Swarnalatha of India; Ruth’s parents, Malcolm and Evelyn Winchell of Ontario, NY; and his brother-in-law, and sister-in-law, Richard and Ellen Winchell of LaFayette, Louisiana.
A memorial service will be held on February 6, 2016, at the East Coast Christian Center Avenue location, 85 Richland Avenue, Merritt Island, Fla., at 11 a.m.
A private Celebration of Life will be held in Houston, Texas, the same day.
Sachi will be laid to rest in the spring next to his wife in Oswego, NY, with service and burial details in Oswego to be announced at a later time.
The family requests, in lieu of flowers, that anyone wishing to make donations in Sachi’s memory choose one of the following: Gubbi “Sachi” Sachidanandan Youth Golf Memorial , checks payable Mallards Landing Golf Course, Attn: Aaron Seaman, Golf Manager 2750 Lake Washington Road, Melbourne, Fla. 32935; the Holly Hall Retirement Community in Houston, Texas, online at https://hollyhall.org/giving/giving-form/; or Oswego College Foundation Inc., University Development, 215 Sheldon Hall, Oswego, NY 13126 (Reference fund #2854, for benefit of Ruth’s Herb Garden).
Arrangements are in care of the Dain-Cullinan Funeral Home, Oswego, NY.
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