Kleiboeker Family Tree - Person Sheet
Kleiboeker Family Tree - Person Sheet
NameChandra M. "Ban" Banerjee 
Birth28 Aug 1932, Calcutta, India
Death10 Nov 2017, Murphysboro, Illinois
Burial2 Dec 2017, Carbondale Unitarian Fellowship
FatherSukumar Banerjee
MotherNihar Mukherji
Notes for Chandra M. "Ban" Banerjee
Chandra M Banerjee was a Professor at the Southern Illinois University School of Medicine where he taught respiratory physiology.
Obituary:
“Chandra “Ban” Banerjee was born August 28, 1932 in Calcutta, India to Sukumar and Nihar (Mukherji) Banerjee. Growing up in colonial India, he developed his curiosity about the world while watching ships in Calcutta Harbor headed to destinations around the globe from the roof of the famiy home.
Ban had fond memories of growing up in Calcutta in a a household which included his grandparents and the families of two uncles as well as his own. He liked to talk about the details that are different from contemporary life — for example, eating lobsters all the time because it was plentiful and cheap and feeding soaked chickpeas to elephants during weekly trips to the zoo. He was a state ping pong champion and taught his sons how to play so they could enjoy the game many years later.
Ban lived during a transformative time of Indian history. During World War II, he stayed in a village while the Japenese bombed Calcutta. He attended St. Xavier’s College which is located across the street from where Mother Theresa was doing work that would ultimately lead to her canonization. Later he witnessed the events of the independence movement and the influence of Gandhi.
After finishing college, he earned a medical degree at University of Calcutta Medical College in 1956. In 1957, wanting adventure, he sailed from Calcutta to London where he practiced at Northhampton General. A year after arriving, however he sailed to the US in 1958 on the Queen Mary where he would do residencies at Staten Island, NY, Thunder Bay, Canada, and Rochester, NY. He then received a scholarship to pursuea PhD at the Medical College of Virginia (now Virginia Commmonwealth University). It was while he was at MCV that he met his future wife, Janet.
After completing his PhD, he worked as a researcher at Hazelton Laboratories in Reston, VA. Two years later he returned to teaching and research at Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia where he taught respiratory physiology. In 1974, he and Janet brought their young family to Carbondale where he accepted a teaching / research position in the newly formed Southern Illinois University School of Medicine. He was a popular professor who earned multiple teaching awards for showing students the elephants during his tenure. He had a keen interest in campus affairs.
Ban maintained a lifelong interest in learning and current events. He went to the library frequently and read the paper every day. Throughout his life, he loved to travel. He traveled all over — even late in life, he and Janet still managed to travel to many countries on six continents. He often taught as a way to see new places such as Dominica, Guadalajara, Japan, Hong Kong, Australia, and Nepal.
Ban was a lifelong explorer and accomplished researcher. Known for his wit and humor, he preferred the simple things. He took wonderful care of his family. Overall he was very content with his life and his family and felt that his work was done. He passed away at home on November 19, 2017. Ban is survived by his wife Janet, his four sons, their spouses, and seven grandchildren — Kyle, Aaron (Jacob), Dean (Nancy, Caleb, Olivia, Anabelle), Neal (Rochelle, Nelson, Reid, Ian) one brother, Budhu, and two sisters, Muna and Lally, in India. He is preceded in death by his parents and brother, Madhu.”
Obituary:
“Chandra “Ban” Banerjee was born August 28, 1932 in Calcutta, India to Sukumar and Nihar (Mukherji) Banerjee. Growing up in colonial India, he developed his curiosity about the world while watching ships in Calcutta Harbor headed to destinations around the globe from the roof of the famiy home.
Ban had fond memories of growing up in Calcutta in a a household which included his grandparents and the families of two uncles as well as his own. He liked to talk about the details that are different from contemporary life — for example, eating lobsters all the time because it was plentiful and cheap and feeding soaked chickpeas to elephants during weekly trips to the zoo. He was a state ping pong champion and taught his sons how to play so they could enjoy the game many years later.
Ban lived during a transformative time of Indian history. During World War II, he stayed in a village while the Japenese bombed Calcutta. He attended St. Xavier’s College which is located across the street from where Mother Theresa was doing work that would ultimately lead to her canonization. Later he witnessed the events of the independence movement and the influence of Gandhi.
After finishing college, he earned a medical degree at University of Calcutta Medical College in 1956. In 1957, wanting adventure, he sailed from Calcutta to London where he practiced at Northhampton General. A year after arriving, however he sailed to the US in 1958 on the Queen Mary where he would do residencies at Staten Island, NY, Thunder Bay, Canada, and Rochester, NY. He then received a scholarship to pursuea PhD at the Medical College of Virginia (now Virginia Commmonwealth University). It was while he was at MCV that he met his future wife, Janet.
After completing his PhD, he worked as a researcher at Hazelton Laboratories in Reston, VA. Two years later he returned to teaching and research at Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia where he taught respiratory physiology. In 1974, he and Janet brought their young family to Carbondale where he accepted a teaching / research position in the newly formed Southern Illinois University School of Medicine. He was a popular professor who earned multiple teaching awards for showing students the elephants during his tenure. He had a keen interest in campus affairs.
Ban maintained a lifelong interest in learning and current events. He went to the library frequently and read the paper every day. Throughout his life, he loved to travel. He traveled all over — even late in life, he and Janet still managed to travel to many countries on six continents. He often taught as a way to see new places such as Dominica, Guadalajara, Japan, Hong Kong, Australia, and Nepal.
Ban was a lifelong explorer and accomplished researcher. Known for his wit and humor, he preferred the simple things. He took wonderful care of his family. Overall he was very content with his life and his family and felt that his work was done. He passed away at home on November 19, 2017. Ban is survived by his wife Janet, his four sons, their spouses, and seven grandchildren — Kyle, Aaron (Jacob), Dean (Nancy, Caleb, Olivia, Anabelle), Neal (Rochelle, Nelson, Reid, Ian) one brother, Budhu, and two sisters, Muna and Lally, in India. He is preceded in death by his parents and brother, Madhu.”