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collegial relationships, and an academic niche that
overshadowed the ostensible finished product. To Dr.
Garg, none of us were ever finished products.
Although his intellectual gifts were obvious, it was
his humility and kindness that enhanced his national
and international reputation. Dr. Garg tempered
any acknowledgement of his own achievements by
deferral to the achievements of others or by cautionary
lessons of how one could do even more. he truly
enjoyed people. he forged friendships and mentoring
relationships with hundreds of people. he was always
available for each and every one of us. he was a
national leader in the American Board of Psychiatry
and Neurology examinations, and in all aspects
of the Child Neurology Society, Professors
of Child Neurology, Child Neurology
Foundation, and the American
Academy of Pediatrics. his focus in
all of these endeavors was to grow
the programs and to strengthen
neurologic education. Dr. Garg was
the driving force behind the Child
Neurology Society high School
Neuroscience Prize, which identifies
and rewards budding neuroscientists
of exceptional potential. he was a
reviewer for half a dozen journals and
sat on the editorial boards of several more
both in the United States and India. he was
an integral member of the Neurological Society
of India. Together with Dr. Vinod Puri, he established
a joint annual Indian-American Neurophysiology
conference in Delhi, India. Before he fell ill, he was
selected for the 2012 Child Neurology Society’s
Lifetime Achievement Award. he truly was amazed
that he was to receive this award, remarking that he
was not nearly old enough to warrant it. Though now
poignant, that sentiment only reinforces how much he
had accomplished, and how highly esteemed he was
within the world of child neurology.
While Bhuwan held us all closely, he held his love for
his family most tightly. To appreciate the depth of
that love, one needed only to listen to him talk about
his wife, daughter, and grandchildren to truly see the
light in his eyes and hear the brio in his voice. Early
in his career in the United States, Bhuwan married
Rukmini (familiar to all as Ruku), who is an obstetrician-
Dr. Garg’s scholarly
work not only increased
our understanding of
the developing nervous
system but furthered the
careers of his trainees.
gynecologist. he once related the story of their move
from St. Louis, Missouri, to Minneapolis, Minnesota. It
was not entirely clear from the retelling whether the
distaff Dr. Garg embraced the colder climate with open
arms, but the wind chill was no match for their ardor.
They went on to raise their daughter, Nisha, a graduate
of Swarthmore College and Fordham University School of
Law. Nisha and her husband Adam gave their parents the
best presents that could be imagined, two grandchildren.
Though known for his volubility in discussions, Bhuwan
almost always projected an underlying serenity about
life. To our knowledge, his daughter’s wedding and
his grandchildren’s births caused the only sustained
perturbations in his customary calm, reflecting
the depth of his affection for them. Within
his family, Dr. Garg’s paternal influence
extended beyond his immediate family.
he was a father figure to his siblings;
one of his brothers is a physician.
Bhuwan saw what was good in all
those close to him. At his memorial
service, his nieces and nephews
affirmed the love and respect
accorded him within his extended
family. They recounted more than
one proposed marriage that came to
fruition only because of his counsel
to doubtful parents of a would-be
bride or groom. Although Bhuwan’s
family was the center of his world, no one
felt like an outsider in his presence. Every year
the Gargs opened their home for get-togethers with their
‘‘Riley family.’’ The blending of homemade Indian cuisine
and hoosier food was a metaphor for how we all were
accepted into the Garg family.
Dr. Garg was not a physically large man. But, as befitting
a truly wonderful person, his presence transcended his
physical stature. Dr. Garg achieved what he did because
he so cared for the people around him. his kindness and
compassion were contagious. While he encouraged those
around him to do scholarly work or develop programs of
lasting importance, it was his enthusiasm and warmth that
caused others to invest themselves in his vision. he made
people, institutions, and the specialty of child neurology
immeasurably better by being with us, and has left us not
only a legacy of passion for knowledge, but an unfading
memory of how to bring out the best in ourselves and
others.
Child Neurology Society Newsletter | Fall 2012 9