Obituary of Chidanandan Cheruvari Madathil

Cheruvari Madathil Chidanandan, beloved husband, loving father, and adored grandfather passed away on 1st January 2017 surrounded by his loved ones in Virginia, USA. Born on 23rd July 1939, he is survived by his wife of nearly 45 years, Sujaya (Madhumal Adiyeri) Chidanandan, son, Anish Chidanandan and daughter-in-law Lasika Rao, daughter Archana Chidanandan and son-in-law Harold Schultz, granddaughters, Yukta, Abigail, and Veera, and brothers C.K. Tirthanandan and Ashok Shekharan. Chidanandan was preceded in death by his parents C. K. Shekharan and Madathil Kalyani, sister Meera Jafferali, brother C.M. Ajayan, and sister Pushpa Shekharan. Chidanandan was passionate about football (soccer). He was a fearsome forward and a prolific goal scorer who wore the number 10 jersey for most teams he played for. Over the course of his career, he played for his hometown team Brothers Club, his university team, the Kerala State Football Team which he captained, and Mohun Bagan. During his time as a Captain in the Indian army, he was also captain of the Madras Regimental Center (MRC)'s football team. After completing his short-commission service in the Indian Army, Chidanandan worked for a finance company in India and then worked in Saudi Arabia till his retirement in 2006 when he returned to live in Chennai, India. During his years in Saudi Arabia he spent considerable energy and time to aid battered domestic help from India and worked to serve the less fortunate. In his later years in Chennai, he worked tirelessly raising funds to improve the facilities for his hometown and state football teams and promoting the sport. His musings on Indian football have been published in well-known publications in India. Chidanandan was warm and kindhearted with a ready smile. He has never met a stranger and was always looking out for his friends, neighbors and family. He believed in the one God and that all are created equal. He will be missed deeply by his family, friends, and fans. The family is thankful for the outpouring of love and support it has received.