In Memoriam: Dr. Virender Gautam’s Passing
by Alexandria Zine
Professor of Economics, Dr. Virender Gautam or VG given by the community, passed on this spring. Through this loss, his memory lives on in the form of students, loved ones, and alongside his “Rules to a Better Life.” Born on April 26, 1958, in a city of one of India’s uppermost states, Haryana’s Hisar city, Gautam has been a beacon of inclusion, of life’s passionate purpose, since his beginning. After becoming a U.S. citizen, he worked to be a motivational merger between the Western culture and the Indian culture.
At Cape Cod Community College (4Cs) and simply on the Cape, he was a part of local non-profit establishments. He loved student-run clubs and all the chances to hear the insight of students. Gautam felt that “it’s where the rubber meets the road!” His students knew of this impactful meeting point. Former student Matthew Vazquez remembers these moments since becoming an assistant professor of Economics at 4Cs. “When you were around him, he just radiated that kind of energy and you couldn’t help but be in a better mood, more focused on what you were doing. He was pretty magnetic in that way. He was a huge influence on me and my path. You have a choice to be happy and there are steps to doing that. I’m going to miss his energy. He was such a positive person.”
Like his father Dr. O.P. Gautam, who studied at Hisar’s Haryana Agricultural University (HAU), he received his Master of Science [in Information and Technology] from Iowa State University (ISU). While at HAU, Gautam was an instructor of Livestock and Home Science Economics before attending ISU in 1985. In 1992, after leaving his position as a full-time instructor at North Dakota State University, Gautam has been at 4Cs. Every creation to better the academic atmosphere is still in use by students. memory that he created still lives on the grounds of 4Cs and beyond. Following his father’s retirement and immersion into Vishvas meditation, Gautam was the president of the Vishvas Foundation of Massachusetts’ three hundred members in the goal of meditation and service. He placed much dedication into the display of cultural pride. John Cox, 4C’s President and enduring friend, knows well that “VG’s life was well lived, shaping so many lives.”
As Gautam once wrote: “Diversity comes with its challenges too. I wear a sanyasi outfit that represents a giving up of desire for the fruit of actions. It represents a strive for true selfless community service. Many years ago, the department administrative assistant got an anonymous call that I needed to change my outfit or else. I know what it feels like to feel different because of how I appear outwardly.” Gautam knew that this distance exists, but he touched negativity with an unwavering focus on life’s center. He was a listener and a guide, accepting all social standpoints, cultures, political and financial points, and religious/philosophical views. To highlight and share his roots with others, Gautam organized two, large Indian classical dances that were performed at the Tilden Arts Center and much more.
His heart dedicated itself to be a professor/mentor, his parents, his sister, his friends, his dogs, the community, his garden, economic and political matters, and meditation. To his students, he made all aspects of life and the mind possible to tread upon. He showed it was true for each student. From the view of the 4Cs community, these ripples traveled beyond campus grounds as Gautam organized international trips for every student of his. There were many service projects. One project, called Beads for Hope Project, helped children in need in Nicaragua by gathering food and educational tools. In Haiti, Gautam and his students brought the sum of fundraisers and clothing to an orphanage. A water main or well was set up in Haiti’s Saint Marc, a rural village. Several study groups visited India, the U.A.E., and South Korea.
The extracurricular projects of the Economics Club and Rotaract Club meant a lot to Gautam with his ongoing support for twenty years. Since 1994, he guided the Economics Club’s thirty members through fundraisers, international trips, academic networks, and student scholarships. Two scholarships were founded and are offered annually by this club because of his efforts. Since 2001, his support in the Rotaract Club made scholarships possible and the Rotary Club’s connection to the 4Cs Educational Foundation. The fundraising through coffee stands and more that he organized gathered more than $30,000. No matter a student’s background, financially, Gautam made it possible for everyone to experience all that 4Cs has.
To his colleagues, Gautam valued life to the fullest extent. Angela Fellows, a colleague, remembers that he “had so much wisdom, peace, happiness and kindness that shines on everyone.” Another colleague, Sergio Marini, remembers the close and far reaches of this care. He was “dedicated to his dogs. He would call them his "children" and deeply care for them. I remember that he would get up in the middle of the night to carry his dogs down the stairs so that they could go outside to relieve themselves. Unfortunately, one night, while not fully awake, while he was carrying one of his dogs down the stairs, he ended up falling and injuring his shoulder. While he described to me what happened, he was much more concerned with the fact that the dog was not injured in the event, rather than worry about his own injury.” To John French, a close colleague, the two agreed that “this life was not terminal, that there was something greater to come.” For Hindus, “rebirth begins immediately after death...an entry into a new life. VG has now entered that place and I know that he is still watching over us all.”
Categories: Featured, Professors