Surendra Gupta

Suren was born in Delhi in 1937 to Mohan Lal and Shanti Gupta (Gupta). He pursued engineering at Jodhpur Engineering College and taught there until 1963. After that, he moved to Manhattan, Kansas, and eventually earned his master's in engineering from the University of Missouri in 1965. His first job was with Boeing. In 1966, he returned to India to get married, and on March 6, 1967, he married Vimlesh Rani Agarwal. Shortly after, he was offered another chance to return to Seattle, Washington, to work with Boeing in aerospace engineering, where he contributed to the design of the 747 airplane. While in Seattle, they welcomed their son, Sudeep, on December 6, 1968. The family then moved to St. Louis to work for McDonnell Douglas, where he worked on the F14 fighter jet after completing a thorough security check. In September 1972, due to layoffs, they decided to move to Ames, Iowa, where he worked for the Iowa Department of Transportation in bridge design. On March 19, 1974, they celebrated the arrival of their daughter, Anjali Gupta.

Suren spent 31 years with the Iowa DOT from 1972 to 2003 and later consulted with WHKS Engineering in Ames, where he officially retired in 2011.

In Ames, he became a familiar face in the community, actively working on the Equal Opportunity Commission of Iowa. He built strong connections with business and government leaders at both the local and state levels. He was known for his ability to bring people together and find common ground to solve any problem or project.

This is beautifully illustrated by his key role in bringing the Hindu Temple to Madrid. He was instrumental in helping his "brothers," Drs. Anil and Subhash, realize their father's vision for the temple. Suren contributed to the temple's design and construction, working alongside other dedicated members and friends of the Hindu community. He managed to unite people from all over India to create a historical monument in Iowa for the Hindu community. He also enjoyed weekend get-togethers with his friends, where they would have a scotch and dinner, share current events, and sometimes even disagree, but always end with a hug, handshake, and a promise to meet again.

Suren will be with his parents, brothers Vijayendra and Inder Kumar Gupta, in his next life. He will always be cherished by his wife, Rani. His son, Sudeep, his wife Anushree, his daughter Anjali, and his son-in-law, Vishal Gupta, will also be with him. He was blessed with five wonderful grandchildren, Sachin, Akansh, Krish, Priya, and Pooja, whom he loved , and they loved him back. His greatest joy was taking them out for lunch or dinner whenever and wherever they wanted.