Dr.Gift Siromoney's Home Page

From Family and Friends

In Celebration of Dr.Gift Siromoney!

To his parents he was a gift from God. For us friends and students he was gifted with intelligence, wit, curiosity, and a spirit of exploration. He crossed boundaries and explored the worlds of nature and Tamil culture. He applied his acdemic discipline, Mathematics, to ancient Tamil script and popular art form, Kolam. He analysed them and described them in the language of Mathematics for further discoveries about their form. What he discovered he left as a gift to many. We get a glimpse of the breadth of his interest, a sense of wonder and curiosity from his "From a Campus Resident's Diary". They span from the appearance and habits of birds, plants and insects to their generic names, popular names, and names in Tamil. The diary is an introduction to a lesson in curiosity and a sense of wonder. There were no boundaries in his friendship either. He made friends easily by his smiles, ready wit, and sincerity in his relationship.

I know the Siromoneys as my abiding and strong friends. My admiration and respect for them stems from how they exemplified a perfect marriage. They are the best couple I have met whose marriage I consider as "perfect". I saw mutual respect, admiration and love in the marriage. They blossomed as Mathematicians, not settling for the average life. Each gave space and time for the other to pursue her/his interest and to arrive at extraordinary heights in their fields. At the same time they enjoyed their life together, traveling and visiting friends and relatives. They nurtured a brilliant and talented son, Arul. They rubbed shoulders with world renowned mathematicians but never forgot their relatives and friends. Their unassuming simplicity was what endeared them to their friends and students.

It takes two to make a perfect marriage. The Siromoneys complemented each other. I think of their marriage as a ballet of a couple. The man's strong hands holds and presents her "to dance" her best while performing his own dance. The dance goes on with Dr.Mrs. Rani Siromoney continuing the dance holding the strength of Dr.Gift Siromoney in her heart. They nurtured Arul not only to have the same sense of curiosity, wonder and exploration but also helped him develop his talent as a musician.

Ida Doraiswamy (M.A. Mathematics: 1953-55, friend since 1955, Ph.D and M.Div. from US)
Formerly: Professor of Mathematics, State University, Elizabeth City, NC, USA
Currently: Ordained Minister, Dallas Texas, USA.