A warning before we begin! I clearly inherited my dad's penchant for long-winded storytelling. But I think he'd want you to know what was important to him in life, and I want you to know what we, his family, loved about him.

My dad, Arjun Mallik, was born as V. R. Mallikarjuneswara in 1932 in Malleswaram, Bangalore (India) to Professor Ramaswami Ayyar and Kamalambal, and was affectionately known as Malli to his family and friends. He was the youngest and last surviving of six siblings (his "Anna" Panchanadeeswaran, Balambal, Bhageerathi, Kamakshi "Kanchi," and Mathrubhutheswaran "Madhu"). He grew up during the Indian independence movement and shared his vivid memories of marching with other student freedom fighters. He remained deeply influenced by Mahatma Gandhi's philosophy throughout his life.

Dad embodied his father's values of education, scientific inquiry, thrift, and devotion to family. He graduated from Central College in Bangalore, then interrupted his studies briefly to financially support his aging parents and family. He travelled by propeller plane to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (then Malaya, as he continued to call it for rest of his days) where he worked as a chemist for the Rubber Research Institute. Returning to Bangalore, he completed his master's degree in chemistry at the Indian Institute of Science. His thesis on drugs to treat tuberculosis required expensive amino acids, so he synthesized his own using waste hair he collected from local barbershops. His ingenuity and scientific contribution earned the Lady Bannerjee gold medal, an accomplishment of which he remained proud for years to come.

Dad and my mom, Saroja, agreed to an arranged marriage and wed in 1968, a loving partnership for over 56 years. He left India to join her in the U.S. and eventually became a proud American citizen, despite flunking one question on the citizenship test. (No, Dad, the national anthem is not Yankee Doodle!) He enjoyed a long and varied career in the U.S., working in many branches of chemistry, including at Methodist Hospital in Brooklyn, NY and Fisher Scientific in Fair Lawn, NJ. One of his most meaningful accomplishments was developing infant formula that very premature babies could digest, at a time when such options didn't exist. He was proud to tell you he published 45 research papers and secured 5 patents, and also fondly reminisced about his bowling league, playing racquetball, and going on whitewater rafting adventures with his friends from work. Upon retiring, he launched into a second career, supporting Mom as the administrator of her medical practice. But chemistry remained his passion, and he continued to collaborate with his mentor, Dr. Alan Clemetson, and other scientists well into his 70s and 80s.

Dad was also a scholar of Sanskrit and a deeply devout person. One of our family members called him "a guide for our religious, cultural, and spiritual problems." Dad was among the founders of the Hindu Temple in Flushing, Queens, and served as one of its first priests. He officiated numerous poojas (religious ceremonies) for friends and family, giving detailed English translations of each Sanskrit shloka (verse). Dad was a firehose of knowledge and, sadly, the rest of us could absorb just a fraction, but he instilled a deep appreciation of our culture through example. Dad was actively involved in many cultural organizations: Bharathi Society, Kannada Koota, Basava International, and the Carnatic Music Association of North America, to name just a few.

As much as Dad held our religion and culture dear, he had an ecumenical spirit and sought the common threads across religions and cultures. Dad was genuinely welcoming, warm, and loving as he became the patriarch of our big multi-religious and multi-ethnic family. In addition to his beloved wife, Saroja, daughter, Kamala (me), son-in-law, Nathan, and grandchildren Rohan and Anjali, he is survived by numerous sisters- and brothers-in-law, nieces and nephews, and their children, who he also loved as his grandchildren: Rajam, Neela, Anna, David, Sarka, Jasmina, Evelina, Emil, Adela, Albert, Jayam, Anne, Yuzun, Hansol, Parvathi, Saraswathi, Narayan, Anand, Bethany, Devin, Lydia, Cora, Suchi, Josh, Priya, Lakshmi, Mike, Alan, Tara, Kaylin, Julia, and Steven. He was also a special Chittappa (paternal uncle) to Sriram, Jyoti, Nakshathra, Nishant, and Shamali, and uncle to his sister Bhageerathi's many children and grandchildren and their spouses.

Dad believed in being a moral support to everyone in our big clan. He was generous with time, money, and attention, supporting us in all manner of pursuits, big and small. He attended dance recitals, band concerts, hockey games, and whatever else to cheer us on. He even stuck on as a Pequannock Township High School band parent for another year after I moved on to college. More than anything, he took the time to know you and just be together, whether that was reading the comics in the Deccan Herald  (Kamala), playing cricket in the backyard (Rohan), or scribbling doodles together (Anjali).

As his daughter, I also got to enjoy the lighter side of his personality. He loved "The A-Team" more than anyone possibly should. Time and time again, he proved that there was nothing that duct tape, rubber bands, a trip to Radio Shack, and a little improvisation couldn't fix. Most people would say he had infinite patience, but poke the bear one too many times, and you might end up with a glass of water poured over your head at the dinner table – ask me how I know! And he delighted in making me groan with a "good" dad joke.

The last few years were difficult for Dad as his health declined, but he remained excited to see his family to the end, to share a hug, a kiss, or hold hands. We are forever grateful to his loving caregivers Ola, Amaka, Tola, Ade, Olu, and many others who made it possible for him to continue living at home. We love you and miss you, Dad. Be at peace. You are with us everywhere.

If you wish to make a memorial donation, please consider the Alzheimer's Association https://act.alz.org/site/Donation2?df_id=32112&32112.donation=form1 or the Gandhi Memorial Center www.gandhimemorialcenter.org