Vinayak V. Ranade

Vinayak Vasudeo Ranade was born in Wani, India a small town in the state of Maharashtra.  He was the eldest son of four children.  His father was an artist and unusual for the times, his mother was a life insurance agent and writer.  He received his Doctorate in Organic Chemistry from the University of Bombay, now Mumbai University and finished post-doctoral work at the University of Michigan.  He and his wife, Meghana arrived in the United States in November 1964.

Dr. Ranade was Emeritus member of the American Chemical Society and held positions as a research chemist at Abbott Laboratories, Mallinckrodt, and DuPont Critical Care.  He retired from the Rosalind Franklin School of Medicine as a medicinal chemist in 2011. He was awarded the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research Fellowship and was elected fellow of the American Institute of Chemists.  Vasant, as he was commonly known, was the co-recipient of the Genia Czerniak Prize for Nuclear Medicine and Radiopharmacology.

The Ranade couple spent over forty years in Libertyville, Il where they enjoyed the love and friendship of their coworkers, neighbors, and community members who became family.  Vasant particularly enjoyed music programs even though he struggled with hearing loss.  The couple traveled all over the world and enjoyed coming to West Lafayette to spend time with their daughter and her family.  Vinayak, Vasant and now Vin – a new nickname given by his friends at Westminster Village, resided in West Lafayette for 13 years.  The adjectives most used to describe Vin was kind and thoughtful.

His wife, Meghana (Usha) preceded him in death in 2011.  He is survived by his daughter, Tanuja Sheth and son-in-law, Ketan Sheth and their three daughters, Saiya Sheth, Kaveri Sheth, Sejal Sheth, and her husband, Saurabh Arora.

A private memorial service will celebrate his life and an online memorial concert will be scheduled in the coming months for all to enjoy.  Details will be provided at a future date.

Memorial contributions can be made to http://www.deafkidscode.org an organization providing tech education to children who suffer with hearing impairment, or to The Meghana and Vinayak Ranade Family Endowment at https://connect.purdue.edu/InMemoryofVinayakRanade which provides grant funding for women educators on their pathway to tenure.