Krishna Kumar

Dr. Krishna Kumar, Emeritus Professor of Physics at Tennessee Tech University, died on January 22, 2014 at Cookeville Regional Medical Center from pulmonary complications of congestive heart failure. On Saturday, February 1st at 4 pm, a memorial service will be held at First Presbyterian Church, 20 N Dixie Ave, Cookeville. Rev. Pat Handlson and Rev. Jervais Phillips will officiate. Visitation will immediately follow the service at the church. He was born in Meerut, India, to a loving family of parents, five siblings, and maternal grandmother. He enjoyed reading books from early childhood. This led to his passing the Master of Science (Physics) at age nineteen and his first job at the National Physical Laboratory in New Delhi. In 1956, he left for USA, where he received admission and scholarship at Carnegie Tech, Pittsburgh, PA. There he acquired a Ph.D. in Nuclear Physics, as well as a most wonderful American wife. His research work, presented in five books and hundred-twenty publications, took him for lecture tours, and few weeks-to few years stays in fifteen countries on four continents. This included years abroad in England, Denmark, Sweden, France, Norway and Japan. Everywhere he was treated with so much love and respect, that he considered himself to be the luckiest person in the world. He joined Tennessee Tech in 1980, where he received the prestigious lifetime chair of University Professor of Physics, which was crucial to his international travel, as well as bringing international scientists to Tennessee Tech. He retired in 1999, but worked from home on a new theory published in a book in 2007. At the time of his death, he was working on his memoirs of a 60-year career in theoretical nuclear physics. He was a member of the Cookeville (Noon) Rotary club for many years. He was a Paul Harris Fellow. He was a member, treasurer, and President of the Board of Trustees of the Unity Church. He had also been an elder at First Presbyterian Church. He is preceded in death by his brother Mahesh Agarwal and sister Usha Agarwal. He is survived by his wife, Katie Kumar of Cookeville, his son Raj Kumar of Cookeville, his son Jai Kumar and daughter-in-law, Sabrina Kumar of Sylva, NC, and sisters Sudha Mittal of Washington, DC, Manju Gupta of India and Kusum Kansal of New Jersey. Memorial contributions may be sent: TTU Foundation, TTU Box 1915, Cookeville TN 38505 (memo: Dr. Krishna Kumar Physics Scholarship Endowment) or submitted online to the Bryan Symphony Orchestra at www.bryansymphony.org/support/give-now.