Rajinder Kumar Chitkara, 87, passed away on August 28, 2025.  He will be remembered by his wife Usha; his daughters and their spouses, Renu (Elan) and Ritu (Jory); his grandchildren (Priya, Kai, Layla, and Kieran); his sister Phool, and his many cousins, nieces, nephews, colleagues and friends.  He was preceded in death by his brother Ramesh.

Rajinder, known by many as "Raji", was born and raised in India where he spent 32 years of his life.  He was the proud son of Karori L. and Shanti D. Chitkara.  A child of the partition, he grew up to study medicine at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi. Raji moved to the United States in 1969, and settled with his wife in New York in 1971, before moving to Palo Alto with his family in 1991.

Raji (aka "Dr. C") was a well-respected physician, professor and mentor in the field of pulmonology and critical care, with deep impact at Long Island Jewish Medical Center (NY), Stanford University Medical Center, and the VA Palo Alto Medical Center.  His passion for the field of medicine was rivaled by his passion for sports, especially his New York-based teams.

Raji was a beloved husband and partner, a loving and supportive father, and a doting and devoted grandfather. He was the bedrock for both his personal and work families, and though he will be truly missed, his impact will endure.

Services to celebrate Raji's life will be held on Wednesday, September 3rd at 10am at Spangler Mortuary Sunnyvale, 174 N. Sunnyvale Avenue, Sunnyvale, CA 94086.

ANNOUNCING THE DR. RAJINDER K. CHITKARA ("DR. C") REMEMBRANCE FUND
In lieu of flowers, we have set up an endowment fund in memory of Dr. Rajinder K. Chitkara ("Dr. C") as a way to remember him and honor his life's work.  The endowment payout from The Dr. Rajinder K. Chitkara ("Dr. C") Remembrance Fund shall be used to support fellows in the Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine in the Department of Medicine, or its successor organizational unit ("the Division"), with a strong preference for fellows who also work in the Palo Alto Veterans Affairs Medical Center. The Fund may also be used to support programs related to the education, training, development and/or support of researchers, trainees, and faculty in the Division.  Examples include, by way of example only and not by way of limitation, a visiting lectureship or other lectures, mentoring and research support for trainees, early career faculty and researchers, travel to conferences, or bridge research funding for early-career faculty.  The Fund shall be used under the direction of Mark Nicolls, MD, and once Dr. Nicolls is no longer an active faculty member at Stanford, the Fund shall be used under the direction of the chief of the Division. If, in the judgment of the Board, changed circumstances should at some future time render the designated use of the Fund no longer appropriate, then the Board shall use distributions from the Fund to further the objects and purposes of Stanford University, giving consideration to our special interest as evidenced by the purpose described above.

Donation checks may be made payable to Stanford University with a memo note of The Dr. Rajinder K. Chitkara ("Dr. C") Remembrance Fund (code: KHAFW) and mailed to Stanford Medical Development, at: University Hall, 485 Broadway, 4th Floor, Redwood City, CA  94063. Gifts can also be made online at https://give.stanford.edu/stanford-medicine . In the second drop-down, select "Other Stanford Designation." In the Other box, please note " The Dr. Rajinder K. Chitkara ("Dr. C") Remembrance Fund (code: KHAFW)," and in the Your Gift Specifications section, mark that the gift is in memory of Dr. Rajinder K. Chitkara.