Gandam Samuel Jayakar Obituary

Dr. Gandam Samuel Jayakar, a resident of Grosse Pointe Woods, passed away peacefully on April 8, 2024, at the age of 89, surrounded by his beloved wife of 61 years and family.

Dr. Jayakar was born on October 7, 1934, in Chirala, a small town outside of Hyderabad in Andhra Pradesh, India. He was the oldest of six siblings. His beautiful and loving mother, Janaki, took care of his disabled father and all six children on a school teacher's salary. She was a devout Christian and raised all her children to become medical doctors. Dr. Jayakar's mother had a tremendous impact on his character and helped promote strong values of being in service of others. Before immigrating to the United States in 1970, he and his wife, Dr. Saroja, worked as Christian missionary physicians in the rural areas of southern India. His dedication to serving as a healer in the name of Christ laid a strong foundation for all of his talent, work, and accomplishments.

With an unwavering commitment to medicine, he was a surgeon for over 50 years and served as a medical corps major in the United States Army Reserves. He obtained his medical degree from Christian Medical College Vellore in India and completed his surgical residency at St. John Hospital in Detroit. Dr. Jayakar was on staff for many years at Saratoga Hospital where he was the Vice-Chief of Surgery, Holy Cross Hospital, and St. John Hospital. He was a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons and a Fellow of the International College of Surgeons. His love for teaching was evident in the many years he spent imparting his knowledge to surgical residents at St. John Hospital in Detroit, medical students at Wayne State University's anatomy lab, as well as his youngest son, Dr. Shaun Jayakar, and his granddaughter Catalina who is finishing her third year of medical school.

Dr. Jayakar and his wife, Dr. Saroja Jayakar, established a thriving medical practice, from the ground up, in southeast Michigan, including the construction of their medical office building which is actively in practice today by his family.

Dr. Jayakar was known for his devotion to God and the church, and he was a dedicated member of Grosse Pointe Baptist, now Crosspointe, and a founding member of Faith Asian Christian Fellowship. Through his generous contributions, he supported the construction of Rockwood Memorial Telugu Baptist Church in Andhra Pradesh and helped many others in need with his time, talents, and financial support.

Dr. Jayakar had a deep love for music, particularly for gospel, old Bollywood and classic country music. He was known for his competitive spirit and enjoyed playing tennis. He passed his passion for tennis onto his children where he was their built-in coach. His bigger-than-life personality was infectious. Dr. Jayakar's circle of friends spanned diverse cultures, religions, and backgrounds. He loved to travel with his family to various parts of the world. He passionately debated politics with his family and always ended these lively debates with a good hearty laugh.

Dr. Jayakar was instrumental in supporting many extended family members to immigrate to the U.S. and settle in the Detroit area. This family fabric that Dr. Jayakar created will remain one of his many lasting legacies.

Dr. Jayakar is survived by his beloved wife, Dr. Saroja Jayakar; three children Sanjit, Sandra (Michael), and Shaun (Arunima); and grandchildren Elise, Olivia, Samuel, Catalina, Thomas, Sonya, Shyla, Sabina, Noah, Luke, and Emmanuel; his siblings Dr. Mithra (Beulah), Dr. Shymala (Dr. Jeyasurya), Dr. Vasantha (Vinod) and their families. Predeceased by his three siblings Dr. Nirmala (Dr. Ravi), Dr. Sulochana (Arun), and Dr. Emmanuel (Dr. Grace).

His funeral service will be held on Thursday, April 11th at CrossPointe Christian Church in Grosse Pointe Woods at 10 AM.