Dr. Anju Varshney, 66, of Fayetteville passed away on May 12, 2022. She was cremated the next day according to Hindu rites by her twin sons Lav and Kush. She is survived by them, her husband Pramod, daughters-in-law Nina and Sonia, grandchildren Arya, Ribhu, Kaushali and Rohin, and friends and family around the world. She was sharp, optimistic, gregarious and courageous, and lived her motto “Life Happens, Keep Smiling” for the last fifteen years as a breast cancer survivor. 

She was born at her ancestral home in Aligarh, India in 1955 to Maheshwar Prasad and Vimla Devi Varshney, by whom she was predeceased. She grew up all over the world, including Kharagpur and Allahabad, India, Baghdad and Mosul, Iraq, and Bangkok, Thailand. She made Syracuse her home in 1978 after marrying Pramod, a professor of electrical engineering at Syracuse University. From this base, she continued to explore all corners of the world.

Dr. Varshney completed a bachelor’s degree in zoology from the University of Mosul, two master’s degrees in microbiology and science education from Syracuse University, and most recently a doctorate from the Hindu University of America. In her professional career, she taught science at the secondary level including earth science, biology, and chemistry. Most notably, she was a founding faculty member of the Syracuse City School District’s alternative school for teaching students caught with weapons in their regular middle and high schools, originally known as the Violence is Not the Answer (VINTA) program and later the Syracuse Renaissance Academy at Carnegie. 

She had a sustained presence in the community both through deep friendships and volunteer work. Among other efforts small and large, she served on the board of the Friends of the Rosamond Gifford Zoo, was newsletter editor and treasurer of the India Community Religious and Cultural Center, helped organize the inauguration of the Hindu Mandir of Central New York, served as advisor to the Syracuse University Hindu Students Association, and volunteered with the Rescue Mission and the refugee resettlement program. Six years ago, she started a group to knit caps for babies at Crouse Hospital. Thousands of Central New York newborns benefitted from these handmade caps. Through a proclamation of the Assembly of the State of New York, she was recognized as a woman of distinction for this effort in 2022.

Anju nurtured innumerable Upstate and Syracuse University students, starting with her sister Anita after their mother’s passing and including several nieces and nephews. She filled a motherly role for her husband’s international graduate students. She continually learned and mastered new skills throughout her life, including foreign languages, Kathak dance, cooking, knitting, crochet, stained glass, floral design, gardening, home repair, and quilting—giving away most of her creations. She emphasized persistence and simply trying your best without concern for what others may think: traits that she passed on to her sons.

The family will host a remembrance celebration from 1:00-4:00 in the afternoon on May 28 at 4972 Tall Oaks Drive, Fayetteville, New York  13066. The event will begin with a havan (homa fire ritual) at 1:00 followed by lunch at 2:00. Attendees are encouraged to address the gathering with their memories of Anju starting at 2:30.

In lieu of flowers, please support Innovators in Health (www.innovatorsinhealth.org) or any other cause that you believe in.