Obituary of Sarojini Laha

Sarojini Laha, MD (Saroj) of Jamestown, NY, sadly left us on September 21st, 2023 after battling cancer. She passed away peacefully at home with her family and friends by her side. She was cremated on September 22nd, 2023. She was born October 1st, 1942 in Peddapalli, AP, India to the late Ramachander Rao and Laxmi Devi Enganti. She attended Osmania University (Hyderabad, AP India) where she obtained her medical degree (MD). Her postgraduate studies were in UK hospitals where she was board certified in general surgery, becoming a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons (FRCS). For further education, she came to the USA and served as a resident and fellow in New York's Mount Sinai Hospital, as well as in New London, Connecticut. She returned to India (Mumbai) and worked to pursue her interests in Neurosurgery at Grant Medical College. She came back to the USA where she met her future husband at the University of Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh, PA. They were married in 1976. Their daughter Rani was born in Pittsburgh. They moved to Jamestown, NY in 1978 for private practice opportunities in Neurosurgery for her husband and made Jamestown their home. Not wanting to remain inactive, Saroj completed Psychiatry residency in Warren State Hospital, Warren, as well as Hamot and St.Vincents hospitals in Erie and Pittsburgh psychiatry hospital in Pittsburgh, PA. She then joined the staff at Warren State Hospital and worked there for several years. She was board certified in Psychiatry. She was a member of the American psychiatry society and Buffalo Psychiatry association. After retirement from Warren State Hospital, she continued private practice in Psychiatry in Jamestown, NY and at times assisted her husband in neurosurgeries. She later worked for the Veterans' Administration (VA) until her death. Five years ago, she was stricken with cancer which went into remission for a while. Despite excellent care locally and at Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo, NY, the cancer returned to take her life. She was a compassionate physician, a loving wife and mother. She dedicated her time to healing others, providing solace, and words of comfort to those in need. Her strong, yet gentle personality, and her indomitable energy and fighting spirit, made her an inspiration to all who knew her. An avid sports fan during her school years, she was a state champion in table tennis. She participated in other sports as well- badminton, tennis, floor hockey, etc. She also enjoyed watching all sports. She loved to play bridge at Moon brook Country Club and occasionally dabbled with visits to the casino. Though she is no longer physically present, her spirit will forever reside within our hearts, and of all those who crossed her path, reminding us to embrace life with a positive outlook. She was blessed with loving and caring family and friends who looked after her comfort during her illness. Special thanks to our friends Maureen from Toronto, Canada, Sumi and Mia from Atlanta, GA, and Deanna, Rosemary and Jamie from Chautauqua Hospice. We would also like to thank her nephew, Siddhartha, her niece Ramya, and her son-in-law, Avik, for all their help. She is survived by her husband, Ranjit Laha, MD, daughter Rani (Dr. Avik Mukherjee, PhD)), brother Jaganmohan (Chandrakala), sister Indira (Lakshman), and nephews Kalyan (Divya), Srinivas, Narender (Sandhya), Diwaker (Anita), Siddhartha (Rachael); nieces Rama (Raja), Himabindu (Venkateshwar), Deepika (Narsing), Divya (Jaipal), Ramya Enganti, PhD; many cousin brothers including Sudhaker Balmuri, DDS (Neeraja). She was preceded in death by her parents, her three brothers (Janardhan, Jagadishwar and Jagapathi). Funeral proceedings for cremation were arranged by Lind Funeral Home. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to: Chautauqua Hospice & Palliative Care at 20 W. Fairmount Avenue, Jamestown, NY 14750; WCA Foundation (Laha Cancer Fund) at P.O. Box 840, Jamestown, NY 14702-0840; or St. Susan's Soup Kitchen at 31 Water Street, Jamestown, NY 14701. To leave condolences online, please visit www.lindfuneralhome.com.