Dr. Sitaraman Subramanian also known as (Sub and Mani) passed away peacefully surrounded by family on Tuesday, October 6, 2020, at the age of 81 years old.
Sub was born on April 6th, 1939 in Palghat Kerala, India to Sitaraman and Lakshmi. He grew up in Trichur Kerala and graduated from secondary school in 1955. He went to Keralavarma College for undergraduate and after that went to Durbinga Medical College for his MBBS and Patna Medical School for his MD degree and graduated in 1964. In 1965 he moved to New Delhi, India to work as a Senior Research Officer at Patel Chest Institute where he completed his training and did research on High Altitude Pulmonary Edema. At Patel Chest Institute, Sub was known for helping his patients who could not afford their treatment by paying for it with his own money. He also authored multiple scientific papers on pulmonary disease and High Altitude Pulmonary Edema.
In 1971 he married his wife Saraswathi “Sara” and they decided to move to the United States. He completed a fellowship in pulmonary medicine at Cleveland Metropolitan General Hospital. He then completed a Critical Care fellowship at Albert Einstein Medical Center in Philadelphia. In 1975 he moved with his family to Mt. Vernon, Missouri where he worked at Missouri State Chest Hospital and was an Associate Professor at the University of Missouri Columbia School of Medicine. In 1982, he moved with his family to Carthage Missouri where he opened a private practice and worked at McCune-Brooks Hospital. He also consulted at hospitals in the surrounding area like Aurora, Monet, Nevada, Lockwood, Jasper and Joplin. After 35 years of working in southwest Missouri, Sub retired in 2017. After retirement, he moved to Overland Park, Kansas to be closer to family and his grandchildren.
Sub’s career was filled with many accolades and achievements. At McCune-Brooks Hospital he was known as father of their pulmonary program. He developed many pulmonary services for the hospital and was responsible for bringing education and training to nurses and staff on pulmonary function testing, bronchoscopy, and a ventilator training program. In the late 90’s, Sub noticed that many of his patients who worked at a local Popcorn plant in Jasper were developing a rare lung disease. He contacted NIOSHA (National Institute of occupational safety and health) where under further investigation they discovered a rare lung disease occurring in workers at the plant due to occupational exposure to inhaled flavoring vapors. The manufacturing plant has now changed their procedures and practices to keep workers safe, thanks to Sub’s discovery. Sub also received the Humanitarian of the Year Award in 2013 from the Carthage Chamber of Commerce. The award is given to an individual in the community that has gone the extra mile to contribute their time and efforts to benefit the health and healthcare of the Carthage community.
Sub loved the practice of medicine and helping patients. He always felt it was the most rewarding career and loved the community of Carthage and McCune-Brooks Hospital. Sub was the happiest when he would hear that his work helped someone feel better. He enjoyed working with all his colleagues at the hospital and looked forward to talking with the other doctors in the doctor’s lounge. Sub was always known for his kind heartedness and affinity to help people.
One of Sub’s favorite past times was playing tennis. Sub enjoyed spending time with his 3 daughters and playing tennis with them. In the 1980’s and 1990’s, it was common to see them at the Carthage Junior High tennis courts. He wanted his daughters to follow in his footsteps for his love of tennis and a career in medicine. They all still enjoy tennis and have careers in healthcare. Sub loved his family and was so proud of his 3 daughters and 8 grandchildren.
Sub will always be remembered as a great father, grandfather, husband, sibling, friend, and coworker. He was loved deeply and will be missed by many. Sub is preceded in death by his father Sitaraman, mother Lakshmi, brother Raju, brother Rajaram, sister-in-law Kalyani and brother-in-law Krishnamurthy. He is survived by his sisters Shanta, Mythli, Vijayam, Jayam, Bhavani, brother Chandru, sister-in-laws Neelam and Sujata, brother-in-laws Ekambaram, Sankaran, and Visvanthan. He is also survived by his wife of 49 years Saraswathi (Sara), daughters Manju, Kala and Maya, son-in-laws Anand, Tyler and Chetan and 8 grandkids Jayanth, Chetan, Deven, Rohan, Lakshmi, Shiva, Shaant and Aarya. He is also survived by many nephews and nieces.
In Lieu of Flowers please donate to the American Lung Association www.lung.org. An organization that Sub was part of for many years. Your donation funds lung disease and lung cancer research, new treatments, lung health education, and more.
Visitation and Hindu Funeral Service:
Date: Thursday, October 8th
Time: 3:00pm
Location:
Johnson County Chapel & Memorial Services
11200 Metcalf Avenue, Overland Park, KS 66210
Services will be held indoors and masks are required. If you are unable to attend a live stream broadcast will be available through the website www.johnsoncountychapel.com
