Gour Chandra Mitra

On January 11th, 2022 at 11:57am, our beloved Sri Gour Chandra Mitra, age 83, transitioned from this earthly plane to make his joyful journey home. He was surrounded by love at his daughter’s home in Newtown, CT when he took his last, peaceful breath. He was born to Krishna Chandra and Provabati Mitra in Kolkata, India, and was the fourth of ten children.

Having graduated from the Birla Institute of Technology as a mechanical engineer, Gour’s true passion was to wield his technical prowess in his own business, as he believed in finding success and independence through his own merits. He was a quiet man of firm discipline and hard work and was yet to embrace a life of retirement. Gour unequivocally devoted his life to the betterment of his family through determination and an unfaltering faith in and devotion to God. He was an exemplary role model to anyone who recognised and revered the magnitude of his self-discipline, piety and generous heart.

Though his life was taken by a rare and aggressive glioblastoma, he remained blissfully unaware of his condition, and spent the last nine months of his life in a precious state of childlike innocence and pure heart in the serenity of his daughter’s home. The spring, summer and autumn of 2021 was experienced as a celebration of his love for beauty, nature, music, and film.

He will be deeply missed by his loving wife of 54 years, Basanti, his daughter and son-in-law, Anáil Moon Devī and Sanjoy Basu, his son and daughter-in-law, Joydev and Michelle Jeovanny Lopez, and his six grandchildren: Rajeshri, RajKieran, Radhika and Rishav Basu and Vishal and Zella Mitra. He also leaves behind seven surviving brothers and sisters and their families in India.

Family and friends are invited to Gour’s  funeral rites at the Ballard Durand Funeral Home, 2 Maple Avenue, White Plains, NY 10601, on January 15, 2022 from 9:30am to 12:30pm, to honour and remember him, to pay last respects and to continue on in our celebration of his life.

In lieu of sending flowers, please consider a making a donation in Gour’s memory to Street Children International via PayPal to @streetchildren.