Alpana Joshi

In Loving Memory of Alpana Joshi

1953 – 2026

Today, we gather to remember and honor the life of Alpana Joshi—a remarkable woman, a loving wife and mother, a scientist, artist, musician, traveler, animal lover, and, above all, a courageous and deeply spirited human being.

Alpana was born in Bombay, India, to Shrikrishna and Sushila Sharma. She was an exceptionally gifted student and a true trailblazer. She earned her M.Sc. in Chemistry from IIT Bombay in 1975, followed by an M.S. in Pharmacognosy from the University of Mississippi at Ole Miss in 1978.

Her scientific career spanned nearly four decades. She worked as a Research Scientist at Hoechst Pharmaceuticals in Bombay, at the National Center for the Development of Natural Products at Ole Miss, and later as a Research Chemist with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in Atlanta, where she served until her retirement in 2018. During her years at Ole Miss, she was involved in the early research and development of compounds derived from the marijuana plant and the Malaysian Yew in the search for treatments for cancer.

But Alpana was much more than her impressive professional accomplishments.

She was a go-getter—fearless, determined, witty, and wonderfully unconventional. She loved sports and was herself a basketball player at the University of Bombay. She had an astonishing knowledge and enthusiasm for football, soccer, and tennis.

She was also a gifted artist. Through her beautiful oil and watercolor paintings, she brought to life the poetry and imagery of Omar Khayyam. She was a talented Hindustani semi-classical vocalist and loved singing bhajans, particularly those associated with Kishori Amonkar.

She was an excellent cook, an ardent traveler, and especially loved visiting wildlife sanctuaries. Her love for animals was extraordinary. For more than thirty five years, she cared for and nurtured dogs and cats with remarkable devotion and compassion.

In 1979, Alpana and I were married at the sacred Temple of Guruvayoor in Kerala. Our association began 52 years ago, and we were blessed with 47 years of marriage and two daughters, Elizabeth and Riti.

For me, Alpana was my companion, my friend, and an inseparable part of my life’s journey. She brought intelligence, humor, courage, creativity, and an unmistakable spark to everything she touched.

She was, in every sense, a trailblazer—a dynamic woman who lived life on her own terms, loved her family deeply, pursued knowledge fearlessly, and extended her compassion to creatures who could not speak for themselves.

Her physical journey has now come to an end. But the love she gave, the lives she touched, the paintings she created, the songs she sang, the animals she cared for, and the memories she created with her family will remain with us.

In the Bhagavad Gita, Bhagavan Krishna reminds us:

न जायते म्रियते वा कदाचिन्
नायं भूत्वा भविता वा न भूयः।
अजो नित्यः शाश्वतोऽयं पुराणो
न हन्यते हन्यमाने शरीरे॥

“The Self is never born, nor does it ever die.
It is eternal, everlasting and ancient;
it is not destroyed when the body is destroyed.”
— Bhagavad Gita 2.20

And so, with love rather than sorrow, we offer Alpana back to the Divine from whom all life comes.

May her Atman journey peacefully toward the Divine Light.
May Bhagavan hold her in His eternal embrace.
May her memory remain a blessing to all who knew her.