With my eye full tears I wish him peace in the Heavens. God bless his soul.

Remembering Amiya Kumar Sen-
My uncle Prof. Amiya Kumar Sen loved art from his childhood.
One of his childhood paintings preserved in his home back  in India was done in 1941. The painting was done on paper with natural colours extracted from leaves and flowers. White  used in the painting was from edible lime used in paan(beetel leaf) and black from  charcoal.


It was 1969, in an undergraduate class at Columbia, when I first met Amiya “Professor Sen” at the time.  One day after class, I approached him to inquire about working in plasma physics.  Who would know that would begin a nearly 50 year friendship, unique in my life. 

The five years that, as a graduate student, I worked with Amiya were transformative for me.  Amiya was so interactive and encouraging. The endless discussions with him about our work, and more, in his office, in the lounge over his 3:15 coffee, in his home office, was a prime source of my graduate education.   And it cemented our friendship.

Throughout the decades I continued to be a beneficiary of Amiya’s warmth and ideas.  There was no time that I would not be greeted by his radiant smile – which I am sure he cast on all of his friends and family.   I always left visits with Amiya feeling better than I arrived, and every visit was animated by his endless enthusiasm for new experiences and new ideas.  Amiya provided me the endless support and nourishment that one usually only gets from close family members.  Amiya, I both thank you and miss you.

Stewart


To Amiya, The Nectar of the gods

Before conception 
You were already
An exception

Your pure spirit 
Not meant for here
The gods misplaced you
 Sending you near

To earth

And at your birth
Propelled you on a mission
To understand Man’s 
Metaphysical condition

As you grew
You analyzed and synthesized
Dissected and projected
Obsessed and professed
Until you discovered 

The Truth

Age is a state of mind
Limitless love one can find
Art and beauty
Project us beyond time

An invisible cord that binds 
Connects the solid state
Of all mankind
Creating a human Fusion
That is not a religious illusion

But when cruelty reigns
Amiya is wracked with pain
“I was not meant to be here”
He will say in dismay
For harsh reality has 
Hit the light of day

Then the children 
Come out to play
And beckon him to stay
“Oh-Oh lets have some fun”
Suddenly he is radiant
Like pure gold Sun

Love,
Renee

I still cannot believe that my uncle is no more in this world. I am at a loss of words now.  I have innumerable memories of him which I would share later on. 
The  poem 'An Ode To Buddha' is written by my uncle Prof. Amiya Kumar Sen,  who apart from being an eminent scholar and scientist was also an Artist and a poet. I would like to share this poem and the email sent  by him to me. 

My loving and affectionate uncle, be happy wherever you are. You will in my heart and memory forever.

The Email and the poem:

Hi Saro,
I did see the photos and shared them with Amar and his family. We all
enjoyed it a lot. That was very thoughtful of you. By the way, I tried to call you a week or so ago without success.
I am resending the poem again. Please send it to Phuch, Manjoo and HemShankar.
Love,
Phuchkaka.

 For those who may not know this side of myself.
Cheers,
Amiya
                  An Ode To Buddha

                  Oh Gautama
             You journeyed far beyond
             The ontological dialectic of the day.
             Searching for Gods
             In all Heavens and earth
             You created an epiphany
             Of man's humanity for man,
             In all its splendor
             Love and compassion
             As the only categorical
             Imperative in this
             Restless Universe of chance.

             A timeless shanti
             Pervading all space
             Spanning all time
             Piercing all bodies
             Minds and souls
             Congealing into a radiant
             Luminosity of Nirvana
             Enveloping the deep black hole
             Of human sorrow and suffering
             Is your eternal legacy of love.


I was privileged to be Amiya's first Ph. D. student at the Columbia Plasma Physics Lab and benefit from his deep intellect and caring academic support.  I got to know Suzanne, saw the deep love they shared, and spoke often with Amiya about his enormous loss at her passing.

We stayed in touch over the years, during which I saw how Amiya continued his irrepressible curiosity about and relentless pursuit of the most challenging scientific questions. In recent decades our conversations touched on the ups and downs of life, with major focus on swapping prideful accounts of children and grandchildren.

Amiya's warmth, humor and deep commitment to family and friends was a treasured source of inspiration to me, and I will miss him.

I've had so many lengthy intellectual conversations with Amiya.  He truly is a man of the world - thoughtful, incisive, wise, and curious.  Plus, he shared my love of coffee and espressos ... always after a meal, and just the right time to talk politics, health, or just make a lot of dirty jokes :-)  I'll miss you, my friend ... you've always been a family guy, and you've passed on your will and spirit to Amar, who has multiplied that into his own kids.  Let's hope the baldness stops with Amar :-D 

Dearest Amiya,
Your boundless energy and zest for life will be missed by myself and all at the Pilates studio. Your vibrant spirit lifted and inspired more than you know. You left a lasting impression on all who came into contact with you. I, in particular will miss our conversations. I’ll try to spread your generous worldview down here, while you continue to on your new journey. 
Your Friend,
Rob

My beloved Uncle, I took a LOT of time to imagine, you are no more in New York, where you had been. But, I am sure, you are still with us, sharing our joyful times. You are the uncle, who loved both me and my younger brother a LOT, my JOYFUL MEMORIES shall remain UNFORGETTABLE throught my life; especially you used to bring us LOVELY TOYS, each time you came to India from United States during my childhood. I shall be GRATEFUL FOR EVER to you for giving me the PRICELESS ASSISTANCE during my DIFFICULT TIMES, when I was struggling to get my Ph.D. degree, at the time when two (so called stately recognized University Professors) treated me unfairly, unprofessionally, which are contrary to academic norms. Uncle, I am extremely proud to be your nephew and I shall remain the same during the rest of my life. I prayed to our lord Jesus Christ to request him to take care of you in paradise.

My uncle Prof Amiya Kumar Sen led a beautiful life that can be emulated.       He was a celebrated scholar of international repute. He had a mix of profound academic sensibilities with a great sense of humour. He led a simple life keeping fit,enjoying work at Columbia, spending quality time with family and occasional travels to the country home.He loved travelling.Uncle loved coming to India and spending time with us. As a kid, I remember uncle as the person to look upto for all the lovely toys and special chocolate from the States.I realised that uncle has become a friend as I grew older.His deep practical insights and advice into life and it's  problems has helped me.He lives on forever in our memories.We need to follow his path on the journey of life.

OBITUARY

Amiya Sen

December 14, 1928 – March 28, 2018

Riverside Memorial Chapel

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