To physicist Dr Nariman Mistry, more important than any of his professional or personal achievements was the guidance he could offer his children, hoping he had taught them morality, integrity and pride in their accomplishments. In keeping with his life and values, the family requested that following his demise at the age of 83 on July 1, 2021 at his residence in Ithaca, New York, instead of flowers, a tree be planted or a donation be made to Doctors Without Borders, a cause he supported.
During his nearly four decades of association with Cornell University, his career focused on particle physics when he worked at the synchrotron (particle accelerator) to study the fundamental properties of matter and energy, noted a write-up forwarded by his brother Jangoo. Nariman was an active member of the Radiation Safety Committee and served as its chairman for many years. He also enjoyed teaching graduate students, and traveling to other countries to work at other facilities.
Dr Nariman Mistry and his watercolor painting
Born in Bombay to Burjor and Jer Mistry, Nariman had completed his graduation in physics from St Xavier’s College and left for New York at the age of 21 to pursue physics at Columbia University. He received his PhD in 1963. While attending Columbia he worked on a project studying neutrinos (a neutral subatomic particle with a mass close to zero which rarely reacts with normal matter). When the three professors leading this research were awarded the Nobel Prize in 1988, Nariman and his wife Virginia were honored to travel to Stockholm to attend the awards ceremony.
He shared many wonderful tales of his travels, and took pride in his punctuality: he happily related the story of arriving for a meeting in Moscow just on time, having taken a plane, train and bus, despite weather problems and travel delays.
After his retirement from Cornell in 2003 he pursued a second career as a self-taught artist, painting watercolor landscapes, scenes around Ithaca, and birds, among other subjects. His work appeared in regional galleries and he was an enthusiastic participant in the Greater Ithaca Art Trail. With his lifelong devotion to the piano, he served on the board of the Cayuga Chamber Orchestra and was its president for some years. A Renaissance man, he additionally enjoyed gardening, bird watching, canoeing, sailing, cross-country skiing, hiking, camping. He was extremely well-read and enjoyed assimilating new information and understanding complex problems on any topic. An adept mechanic, plumber, electrician and carpenter, he was the go-to person for any breakdown at home.
Ten days prior to his demise, he and Virginia had celebrated their 57th wedding anniversary. The couple have four children: Roshan Swope, Manek, Premila and Jal, as also seven foster children they cared for. He enjoyed bonding with his grandchildren and continued to have close ties with his brothers Jangoo and Ronnie. P. M. G.