Tapati Raybarman

Tapati Raybarman, also lovingly known as Mamoni or Tobe (aka Tapu-bebe) or Adun by her siblings, was born on July 2, 1937, in India, as the second daughter of Sudharani and Jitendranath Barman. Raised in a close-knit and loving Bengali household with deep family values which emphasized academics, arts and culture. She grew up in the steel township of Burnpur. Surrounded by eight sisters and two brothers, she had a nurturing spirit that defined her life.
She loved gardening, sewing, cooking, Bengali poetry and Rabindra Sangeet. Her favorite singer was Hemanta Mukherjee and she even tried her hand at playing the Sitar. She also completed her M.A. in History at Burdwan University, briefly teaching at Burnpur Girls Highschool.
She was the second among her eleven siblings and early on stepped forward to help raise them. She was firm in making sure everyone ate their vegetables, attended classes and made good grades. Her siblings still recall how every Durga Puja she would find the latest styles from Western magazines and have them made locally.
Some of Tapati's earliest joys were in gardening. With the help of her gardener, she developed a passion for collecting different varieties of roses as well as other exotic plants. She found joy in cultivating vegetables and flowers and even experimented with varieties that were uncommon in India at the time.
She was an avid enthusiast of classical Bengali poetry and knew hundreds of poems by heart. She recited poems frequently and also encouraged others through out her life. As a constant reader of Bengali novels she always had a book by her bedside.
In 1965, she married Sujit Kumar Raybarman. In 1970 Sujit immigrated to the US, and she quickly followed the year after. Sujit's career required frequent moves, and with great sacrifice and selflessness, Tapati and Sujit made the difficult decision for her to return to India with their sons , so her kids so their children could have a stable home environment. It was one of many quiet sacrifices she made for the good of her family-choices rooted in love rather than recognition. Throughout life's many transitions, she made selfless sacrifices to ensure stability and opportunity for her family.
Settling in Ohio in 1988, Tapati rekindled her passion for gardening, surrounding her home with flowers and vegetables she lovingly tended. She was also a gifted cook, and a woman of sharp intellect, independence, and unmistakable personality. She always kept strong ties to her siblings in India through her regular phone calls. Till her last days she always stayed updated to what was going on whether it was her close friends across the US, India or Siblings and their families across the world or their children and grandchildren. Who was sick; who changed jobs; who graduated; who was getting married. She was always calling them with comforting words or guiding them from her own experiences.