Ratnakar (Raj) L. Lawande, age 83, cherished husband, father, brother, and grandfather, passed away peacefully on February 11, 2023. He is deeply loved and will forever be remembered by his wife of 50 years, Rekha Lawande, his two children, Reena Pande and Neil Lawande, their respective spouses, Ashvin Pande and Sahr Lawande, his four beloved grandchildren, Nikhil, Sonia, Rishaan, and Rajan, and countless other family members.

He was born in 1939 in Candolim, Goa, India, then a Portuguese colony, as the fifth of seven children. In his early teenage years, he moved to Mumbai to further his education, eventually attending Topiwala National Medical College in Mumbai, India. He subsequently immigrated to the United States in 1966 where he completed his medical training at Georgetown Medical Center in Washington, DC. For several decades, he was a beloved Ear, Nose, and Throat surgeon in Manassas, VA and practiced at Prince William Hospital. Upon retiring, he spent summers in Virginia and winters surrounded by palm trees in his Spanish-style home in Port St. Lucie, Florida.

He lived life to the absolute fullest. He will forever be remembered for his humor, his wit, and his enduring desire to bring others joy and laughter. He always had a smile on his face and had an uncanny ability to bring a smile to the faces of all those he encountered. He loved to entertain, travel, listen to classical Indian music, savor a great meal, and play golf. And he loved a good argument! But nothing gave him more joy than spending time with friends and family, especially his grandchildren, always cracking jokes and making sure everyone had a good laugh.

In place of funeral services, a celebration of his joyous life will be held in the spring. Details will be forthcoming.

And lieu of sending flowers, please honor his memory by telling a joke and making someone smile!

He will be greatly missed by all who knew and loved him.