Avinash Laxman Lagu

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Avinash Laxman Lagu passed away on Tuesday, January 12th, 2021 at the age of 79 after a short illness. His death was peaceful. He was surrounded by family, had just watched the Indianapolis Colts in a playoff game, and was very happy to be at home. He was an incredibly generous, kind, and faithful husband, father, and friend. He radiated pride for his family and particularly his grandchildren. Even people who met him only once remembered his infectious laugh, curiosity, respect for all, and inexplicable ability to recall obscure facts. Playing “Trivial Pursuit” with him was always a losing proposition.

Avinash was born in Maharashtra, India and studied chemistry at Ramnarain Ruia College, an affiliate of the University of Mumbai. He emigrated from India to the United States in 1969 and received a Phd in Chemistry from the University of Cincinnati in 1974.

Avinash met his beloved wife Mary (Saul) at the University of Cincinnati in 1970. He initially told her his name was “Harvey,” but she quickly told him that she was sure his name was not “Harvey.” When they first met, he had paper towels covering all the flat surfaces of his apartment (“This way, I never have to dust.”). Despite this, they married in 1972. They lived briefly in Norwich, NY (where he worked for Norwich Pharmaceuticals) and Hillsborough, NJ (where he worked for Johnson & Johnson), but they have lived in Indiana since 1979. He always said to his daughters, “No matter where you go, you will always be a Hoosier. Just like your Dad.”

He spent 25 years as a chemist at Eli Lilly & Company, where he worked on many products that eventually came to market, including recombinant human insulin and human growth hormone. He also published a number of scientific papers about his areas of expertise, capillary electrophoresis and high-performance liquid chromatography. After retiring, he traveled, regularly made (and reheated) delicious chai tea, and also perfected his bridge game, achieving Ruby Life Master Status. He was always trying to instill practicality in his idealistic daughters, and they came to realize that he was right about many things. He loved watching football, listening to Indian music, browsing the Carmel-Clay Public Library, and spending time with his grandchildren (who he proclaimed be “geniuses”).

His nearly 80 years were full of joy. He is survived by his wife of 49 years, Mary Lagu; his daughters, Tara Lagu (Estey Ticknor) and Maya Lagu (Eric Braunstein); 3 grandchildren and 2 step-grandchildren. He will be missed, but his family is grateful for the precious time they had with this wonderful man. In lieu of flowers or gifts, please direct donations to the Carmel-Clay Public Library (specify: In memory of Avinash Lagu):  https://carmelclaylibrary.org/images/pdfs/carmel/honorarium.pdf or https://carmelclaylibrary.org/donate-now