Dr. Inderjit Katyal

Inderjit (February 15, 1937 – September 14, 2021) was the devoted husband of 49-and-a-half years to Vijay, beloved father of Monica and Neeraj, and dearest younger brother of Om Prakash Katyal (Santosh) and Pushpa Kapoor (the late Raghunath Rai) of Chandigarh and the late Prakash Dhall (the late Devraj) of Moradabad, India. He is also survived by his many brothers- and sisters-in-law, nephews, nieces, cousins, and longtime friends and colleagues.

 Born in Jhang, India, Inderjit spent his early years in Lahore, and after the Partition, moved with his family to the hills of Shimla. He graduated from Amritsar Medical College in 1962 and spent a few years in service in a village with no electricity before leaving to pursue an opportunity for further training at Nassau County Medical Center in East Meadow, NY. A cardiac specialist, he spent 7 years as an attending physician at the Veteran’s Administration Hospital in Northport before settling into a 30-plus-years long private practice at Brookhaven Memorial Hospital and Stony Brook University Hospital, where he helped set up the cardiac catheterization unit in the then newly-built center and served as an assistant professor of clinical medicine.

 Inderjit was utterly devoted to his profession. Routinely mired in long working hours, he nevertheless found immense joy in practice and connections with people that never diminished. Outside of work, he took pride in making a home and a beautiful garden in St. James, in having hearty discussions and get-togethers within his circles, in watching movies and overly dramatic serials, and more often in his later years, traveling abroad and locally. He was ever appreciative of the opportunities this country afforded him and imbibed the best values of American culture, yet at heart he remained Indian, especially a Punjabi, with fondness of friends, food, and family. He will be remembered for his kind, gentle, and ever generous disposition, for his stories, and for his smile that was present to the very end.

 In lieu of flowers, a donation to the American Heart Association or Alzheimer’s Association would be sincerely appreciated by his family.

Visitation and a prayer service will be held Sunday, September 19, 2021 from 10am-12pm at Moloney’s Lake Funeral Home, 132 Ronkonkoma Avenue, Lake Ronkonkoma, NY followed by cremation. Guests are kindly requested to be COVID-19-vaccinated and to wear a mask for the good of public health and in consideration of others.

Livestream link:  https://vimeo.com/event/1293241/d95b4faf66