eethara Sivam Sr Obituary (1940

Sreethara Sivam, known to most as Sivam, passed away on Monday, January 25, 2016, at Reedsburg Senior Life Center with his devoted wife, Marie and family by his side. He was born on November 13, 1940 in what was then British Malaya. His father was an educator in the English school system and his mother he described as kind, well read, and sought out for her wisdom regarding religious matters. Sivam was the third boy in a family of five boys and two girls. Both English and Tamil were spoken in the home. His mother died when he was ten and his father when he was fifteen. The Japanese occupied the country during WWII when Sivam was a preschooler, and his father adapted to teaching in Japanese. Education was always a top priority; many years Sivam got a double dose, attending English school in the morning and Tamil school in the afternoon. He also learned Malay and Chinese from his friends. He moved to the capital city to attend pre-college and then the newly established University of Malaysia. He finished his B.S. majoring in chemistry at the University of New South Wales in Australia. Sivam came to the United States and earned Masters' Degrees in Organic Chemistry and Education at Iowa State University. When he came to interview for a teaching position at Reedsburg, he said that if he were offered the job, he would take it. The big rivers and the hilly terrain of the area made him think of his homeland. He and Dorothy had met in Malaysia where both were teachers, married in Australia and raised their family of four in Reedsburg, parting in 1993. He had become a citizen in 1974. His teaching career spanned nearly thirty years, most of it being in the Reedsburg District. He retired at the end of 1996 for health reasons. Teaching, traveling, and being in positions to organize and make decisions were the things Sivam loved to do. Sivam did win The Woodson Outstanding Teacher Award, but was particularly honored when graduating classes asked him to be their commencement speaker. With the advanced chemistry classes, he put on "shows" for fourth grade classes to promote an early interest in science. Some of you may still have a bottle that has been silvered on the inside, one of his favorite projects. In addition to teaching chemistry and physics, Sivam loved involvement in student activities from being senior class adviser to beating someone at badminton or chess. He also spent time on the hospital board and the city council. Every several years he visited his homeland and other countries, including the Philippines where he met Marie some ten years ago. Sivam was preceded in death by his son Karl, his parents, and three brothers. He is survived by his wife, Marie, and her daughter, Marian Grace Hernandez. His legacy lives on in the lives of daughters: Laura (Jeff) Hill of Atlanta and Maria Sivam (friend, Thomas) of Houston, and son: Michael (Janelle) Sivam of Sauk City and their mother, Dorothy. He is also survived by grandchildren: Aidan Hill, Tyler Hill and Cora Sivam, brother: Palu and sisters: Thevy and Nesam in Malaysia. His family would like to thank Reedsburg Area Senior Life Center for their care these last two months. Also, we are thankful to Dr. Robert Turner for his care of Sivam through the years, to Pastor and Mrs. Marvin Singh for ministering to him and the care they have given the surviving family, and to all of you who have befriended Sivam through the years. A Celebration of Life service will be held at 11:00 A.M. on Saturday, January 30, 2016 at the United Methodist Church in Reedsburg with Pastor Marvin Singh officiating. There will be a visitation from 9:00 A.M. until the time of the service at the church. In lieu of flowers, memorials to the Reedsburg Area Medical Center Foundation would be appreciated. The Hoof Funeral Home is serving the family. Visitation: Service: Saturday January 30, 2016 Saturday January 30, 2016 9:00 A.M. to 11:00 A.M. 11:00 A.M. United Methodist Church - Reedsburg United Methodist Church - Reedsburg