Obituary of Nochur Ramanathan

It is with the greatest sorrow that we announce the passing of Shri Nochur Ramanakrishnan Ramanathan Iyer (Nochur Ramanathan). Ramanathan was born in Kerala, close to his ancestral home of Nochur. (Later on, he would take on “Nochur” as his name after his move to Canada.) He would move to Bombay at the age of 16 and later on move with his family to Canada. He described this in detail in the autobiography that he wrote called, “A Family’s Journey”.

Over that time period, he had two successful careers: the first in India, at the Bank of India; the second in Canada, at the Royal Bank of Canada. He approached his work as he approached every other part of his life: with enthusiasm. He loved his work, his colleagues, his clients; every person who had the good fortune to interact with him likewise adored him. 

The cornerstone of his life was his family. Ramanathan was one of 6 siblings who were close to each other. They maintained this connection over the years despite being separated by oceans. He was happily married to his wife, Girija, for over 50 years. They had two sons to whom they were very attached. This is to say nothing of the large extended family of cousins, in-laws, nephews and nieces who often called and visited to stay in touch with him. 

Ramanathan was known for his big smile that could light up any room and the boundless enthusiasm and optimism that he always brought with him. He made friends easily and with everyone he met. He made bold decisions and lived unapologetically. He lived virtuously and led by example; it was plain to everyone around him what a genuinely good person he was.

His passing leaves a big void. Ramanathan is survived by his wife, Girija; his sons, Prashant and Subhash; daughters-in-law, Priya and Divya; grandchildren, Keshav, Nithya, Kiran, Siddharth; and siblings, Narayanan, Seetha, Parashuraman, Kamala and Rajalakshmi.