Sai Kameswara Rao Sista

In Memoriam: Sai Kameswararao Sista, MD Written by: Swathi Kameswari Sista, MD MPH We mourn the loss of Doctor Sai Kameswararao Sista, who passed away peacefully and surrounded by family on September 19, 2022 at the age of 80 years. He is survived by Padmavathy, his beloved wife of nearly 45 years, his daughters Seema and Swathi, his brothers and sisters Viswanath, Lalitha, Subbu, Kasulu, Padmini, their spouses and children, and last but certainly not least his much-adored grand-dog Franklin ‘Chitti Babu’ Sista. Sai Kameswararao Sista’s life spanned a wide, vibrant array of interests and experiences, from the practice of clinical Gastroenterology to the ardent study of the Bhagavad Gita. He embodied the finest principles of both Medicine and Sanatana Dharma throughout his life and demonstrated unyielding compassion, discipline, fortitude, and optimism in all of his pursuits. Sai Kameswararao was born in Maruteru in Andhra Pradesh India on April 28, 1942 to Saraswathi Tata and Ramachandra Rao Sista. It was during his early, formative years while growing up amidst fragrant coconut groves and lush rice paddies in the West Godavari district that he cultivated his love of music, Sanskrit, the great outdoors, and family. In 1959, he began his medical studies at Guntur Medical College. In 1964, he received the SIRIS Gold Medal for excellence and outstanding merit in Internal Medicine, and graduated with an MBBS in 1965. Soon thereafter, he earned his MD degree in General Medicine and subsequently became an Assistant Professor of Medicine in 1970 which is where he developed his passion for teaching and medical education. In July 1972, he immigrated to the United States and began his Internal Medicine Residency at Sinai Grace hospital in Detroit, Michigan followed by a much-coveted Gastroenterology fellowship at Mount Carmel Hospital in 1977. With a clinical practice spanning over 50 years, Dr. Sista touched the lives of thousands of patients and hundreds of students, residents, and fellows in training. Sai Kameswararao Sista married Padmavathy Aka on December 5, 1977 at Satyanarayana Swami Temple Kotha Pattabhipuram in Guntur, Andhra Pradesh. Over the course of their nearly 45-year marriage they opened their hearts and home to their family and friends, with Sai as the steadfast patriarch and Padma as the generous matriarch of their families. Sai provided nurturing guidance to all he encountered, particularly his siblings with whom he sustained close-knit friendships. He instilled a love of life, travel, service, nature, and science in his two daughters and sought to fill each and every day with music, laughter, and the divine song of the Bhagavad Gita. In fact, in 1978, Padma gave a Telugu translation of the Bhagavad Gita written by Kameswararao’s paternal uncle Sri Sista Subba Rao to him and the rest, as they say, is history. Kameswararao began teaching Bhagavad Gita in English at the Bharatiya Temple in Troy, Michigan in 1984. After concluding his English lecture series in 1994 he began teaching the Gita in Telugu, his mother tongue, from 1996 to 2002. In 2002, he resumed teaching Gita classes in English at the Bloomfield Township Public Library until his retirement in 2015 after which he moved to Orlando, Florida. Since that time, he continued to provide live-streamed Gita summaries with his ultimate lecture in early June 2022 where he poetically enough summarized the 18th and final chapter of the Bhagavad Gita one last time. For nearly 40 years, he shared valuable insights into the philosophies of this divine scripture and provided immeasurable inspiration to many with his unwavering faith and love of the Almighty. Whether he is remembered as a compassionate physician, inspirational guru, music enthusiast, or warmhearted soul, his greatest source of pride and joy was his family. His generosity of spirit was shared freely with his siblings, in-laws, nieces, nephews, and of course his wife, daughters, and grand-dog. With the Celestial Song in his heart and ours, we celebrate the life of Sai Kameswararao Sista, a true renaissance man who embodied hopeful optimism, unfaltering faith, and a genuine love for life. Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaaya

Sai Kameswara Rao Sista

April 28, 1942 - September 19, 2022