Monday, July 8, 2013
Monday, January 28, 2013
My father, his life & times…
Yesterday was my dear father's first death anniversary, and we had a wonderful memorial service that was a fitting tribute to his memory. One thought that kept coming back to mind was how God honours those who honour Him.
We thanked God for his wonderful life and the grace that He bestowed on him all through the 68 years... This was my tribute to him...
My father, his life & times…
My dearest Appa, M.Samuel
Chandrakumar was born on 8 July 1943 at Nazareth, South India to Rev. S.A.
Maduranayagam and Christina May Pushpam. I never had the privilege of knowing
my paternal grandparents as he lost them in quick succession when he was barely
in his early teens. But he had such fond memories of his parents - his father
was a teacher-turned-Reverend in the Tirunelveli Diocese, known for his
Bhajanai (the art of narrating Biblical stories with
music in a concert-discourse format), while his mother was a very intelligent
trained teacher too.
Born to such God-fearing parents
with a zeal for spreading the gospel, it was no wonder that Appa’s love for the
Church knew no bounds as he was closely connected with it all through his life.
Church music was the love of his life, and he learnt to play the organ by
himself at the St. John’s College Chapel at Palayamkottai. Later as a student
at College of Engineering, Guindy, he was one of the first organists at the
House of Prayer, Adyar, during its early days. Throughout the 1980s, Appa was
the evening organist at St. Thomas English Church and he never missed a Sunday
evening – come rain or shine! After moving to Madipakkam, he spent all his time
training the choir there and downloading music from the Internet. Worship,
according to him, had to be lively and he would go to any length to ensure it!
A quality that I admired the
most in Appa is his passion for everything that he did – be it gardening,
raising pets or even his profession. He was a person who loved his job and gave
it his 100%. God blessed him with a profession that suited his adventurous
traits. Those were the days when communication technology was still at its
nascent stage, and mobile phones were non-existent. His job involved creating
communication link for the State Police force by installing wireless repeater
stations throughout Tamil Nadu. At every VIP visit, election or cyclone, Appa
would lead from the front, surveying hills and mountains along with this team,
trekking through forests and even camping in the wild! However hard the
assignment, his energy was infectious, and he would never take ‘no’ for an
answer! The result was a robust communication infrastructure for the Tamil Nadu
Police that became a model for other states to follow.
Through all his professional
success, Appa led a life of humility and I was truly touched by his compassion
for those in need. When he was in service, relatives and friends used to
frequently request police help for various matters, and as a child, I used to
watch him listen to them so patiently and immediately act on their request. He
would do everything possible to help them, sometimes by even appealing to his
superior officers - such was his love!
Looking back, I cherish the
times spent with Appa and the godly heritage that he has left behind. As a
family, we thank God for giving us Appa – he was truly the best husband, father
and grandpa anyone could possibly have. Our heartfelt thanks to you all today,
for taking the time to join us in honouring his memory.
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