50th Marriage Anniversary with Friends at Baldwin, Long Island, New York
50th Marriage Anniversary with Friends
at Baldwin, Long Island, New York, December 14, 2025
by
Mr. Arpan DeAngelo
Joyeeta
Offering a Typical Bengali Celebratory Painting
Shriya
Helping Grandpa to Invite Speakers
The
50th Anniversary of the marriage of Dr. Sabyasachi Ghosh Dastidar and his wife Dr. Shefali represents a very auspicious and remarkable achievement to raise a
wonderful family as they have done and to live amicably through five decades
truly deserves high praise and kudos.
The
wonderful event to celebrate this sacred anniversary was held at the Kali Bari
Temple's gathering hall of Mother Kali in Baldwin, New York. It was an intimate setting in the
function hall decorated so beautifully with a performance stage highlighted
with a huge photo of Dr. Sachi (as friends refer to him), and his wife Shefali
when they were married 50 years ago.
Shriya
Dancing Three Separate Dances, and Sang One Song
Shriya
Singing, on Right
The
ceremony included an introduction by Dr. Sachi who related a wonderful story of
how he and Shefali met through university department chair (McClure) at their Florida State
University, Tallahassee, Florida, campus. Conversation started with introduction
by their son Shuvo, followed by granddaughter Shriya, or Lakshmi for her
grandfather. Other selected friends gave inspiring speeches highlighting some
of the remarkable achievements of these two long time educators who taught
mostly in the Long Island area of New York. Discussion started with Mrs. Swapna
Mukherji who was Sachi’s engineering college classmate in 1961. She was
followed by Hindu Priest Sri Samiran Chakroborty, Prof. Dr. Minna Barrett, Prof.
Jill Hamberg, Prof. Dr. Alireza Ebrahimi, Prof. Dr. Kusumita Priscilla Pedersen, Mrs. Nandita Bagchi, Dr. Piktu
Mukherji, and song by Mrs. Subhra Goswami, dance by Ms. Sweta Goswami, and song
and several dances by granddaughter Shriya Ghosh Dastidar, who also ended the
chat session with a dance. Bangladeshi Hindu monk Sri Sunil Maharaj called to
wish Ghosh Dastidar family and other attendees best wishes! Monk is involved in
helping the disadvantaged supported by U.S. non-profits and Ghosh Dastidar family.
Mrs. Swapna Mukherji, a Famous Engineer, the First Presenter, known to Sachi GD since 1961
Prof.
Dr. Kusumita P Pedersen Speaking
With
Guha Family
Dancer
Sweta Goswami (left), singer Subhra Goswami (2nd from Left), and
Organizer Sumedha J Dastidar (right)
As a friend of the family for almost two decades it was an honor for me to be invited to this event which was highlighted by their 11-year-old granddaughter Shriya performing beautiful classical Indian dances. Shriya was spell bounding as she danced with the steadfast poise and graceful elegance of an experienced professional dancer.
Priest Hon. Sri Samiran Chakroborty Speaking
Cousins
Nico Lakshman and Shriya Lakshmi on Building Tour
After
this and other performances and speeches by close friends and colleagues, we
were able to get some beautiful photos of the whole family which included
Sachi, Shefali, their son Shuvo and their daughter Joyeeta, as well as their
granddaughter Shriya, daughter of Shuvo and his wife Sumedha, and grandson Nico
Lakshman, of daughter Joyeeta. To see them all together as a happy family which
began fifty years ago is like looking back in time and witnessing the miracle
of creation and the importance of family in nurturing each generation as each
of the soul’s blossoms in their own uniquely beautiful ways.
"C:\Users\User\Videos\Dec 14 25 Song.mhtml" (Shriya's song)
Because
of the snow in the area after many years, traffic was a bit slow to reach the
suburb. However, once we reached the temple party hall, tea, coffee, drinks and
snacks started our wonderful and enjoyable gathering. Later we were served a
nice Indian/Bengali lunch cooked by the Kali Temple volunteers. Friends went
back home after relaxation before dark.
Happy
50th Ceremony!
*********
Here is a presentation by Prof. Jill
Hamberg at Sachi and Shefali’s anniversary party
I can’t
believe it’s 46 years since I first met the Dastidars. It all began in Sept.
1979 when Sachi and I became colleagues in the same department at SUNY Old
Westbury. The next spring there was a transit strike and Sachi let me stay with
his family near the college so I could get to work. What a wonderful way to get
to know the Dastidar family! I admired how Sachi was juggling being Mr. Mom,
taking care of toddler Joyeeta while at the same time preparing numerous new
course syllabi. Shefali was still with infant Shuvo before they could move to
New York.
That
started decades seeing the Dastidar clan flourish. I did this through various
endeavors:
· Being an
aunty or maashi to Shuvo and Joyeeta as they grew up, and greeting their marriages and
children
·
Following Shefali’s career as a planner for New York City as well as
participating with her in Planners Network.
· Seeing
the evolution of Sachi’s long, distinguished university career
·
Supporting their founding of Probini and then ISPaD, as well as effectively
recruiting others to work with them.
·
Celebrating Sachi’s numerous books and articles and learning from him about the
fraught history of east and west Bengal before and after partition.
· Taking
joy on their many adventurous trips around the world
· Meeting
their devoted friends, especially Jay Hyman
·
Attending events at their home and local venues, including marking Shuvo’s
earning his Eagle Scout badge. AND FINALLY
· Cheering
Sachi becoming the first South Asian in New York City elected to public office
-- his local community school board.
What a
loving partnership -- as a couple, as parents and grandparents, as
professionals, educators, humanitarians and activists. Happy anniversary!
*********
Comments:
Wishing you Kaku (uncle) and Kaki (aunt) -- a very happy 50years of marriage anniversary! Wishing you many years of love and togetherness! ❤️💕🫶🧡🥂🎊🍻
Rana (a medical doctor, Kolkata, India); December 16, 2025
******
A life lived meaningfully and well. Architecture
to politics, economics and minority rights.
Dwijen Bhattacharjya (professor, U.S.); December 17, 2025
*******
Those are
beautiful pictures … I can make a gift to your school if you prefer.
Congrats Sachi
and Shefali
Warm
regards,
Tom
(professor); December 20, 2025
******
Sachi,
*****
Heartfelt congratulations on this golden milestone of 50 years of marriage. Your journey together reflects love, patience, mutual respect, and a life dedicated to family, learning, and service. May your bond continue to inspire generations to come. Wishing you peace, joy, and good health always. 🌸
ReplyDeleteKeep up the good work.
ReplyDelete