Many gathered to reminisce about the life of Professor Deepak Kar, whose legacy continues to have a lasting impact on all who knew him.
- The memorial service of Professor Deepak Kar was hosted on February 25.
- His colleagues shared their memories of him.
- Professor Kar was a beloved scholar and mentor to many.
The memorial service for Professor Deepak Kar filled up Senate House with friends, colleagues and loved ones on February 25, 2026. Kar passed away on December 21, 2025, after a battle with cancer.
Kar was a well-respected and loved scholar and mentor. He was described as “A citizen of the world” by Professor Nithaya Chetty, dean of the faculty of science at Wits. This indicates how impactful he was to the lives of many on a global scale. He contributed extensively to the study of physics and advanced the global search for dark matter.
Kar was also known for his contagious laughter. “Indeed, Deepak carried those qualities with grace – and a cheeky laughter- he had a child-like curiosity that I found particularly charming,” said Professor Zeblon Vilakazi, Vice- Chancellor and Principal of Wits university.
Chetty said, “In so many different respects I valued him as a colleague, in the official university obituary I described him as a larger-than-life character and I mean that sincerely, he had a tremendous zest for life.”
From left to Right: Professor Zeblon Vilakazi, Professor Nithaya Chetty and Professor Deena Naidoo. Photo: Bonolo Mokonoto 
Audience members at the memorial service of Professor Deepak Kar. Photo: Bonolo Mokonoto 
Professor Zeblon Vilakazi at the memorial service of Professor Deepak Kar. Photo: Bonolo Mokonoto 
Professor Nithaya Chetty at the memorial service of Professor Deepak Kar. Photo: Bonolo Mokonoto 
Dr Nandini Kar at the memorial service of Professor Deepak Kar. Photo: Bonolo Mokonoto 
Wits Choir at the memorial service of Professor Deepak Kar. Photo: Bonolo Mokonoto
Dr Sukanya Sinha Postdoctoral fellow at the University of Manchester and a mentee of Professor Pak, shared a collective tribute from the students that were impacted by his life. “He would adjust his supervision style to each and every student, because he appreciated that everyone was different – every student needs to be handled differently,” she said.
“He really thought very highly of his students, and he thought that they actually could make a difference to the world [ as he has done], and that is something- as students you would love to see in a supervisor,” said Dr. Sinha.
Vilakazi said beyond science, Kar represented a powerful, quite confidence that world class science and discovery can emerge from Africa and stand shoulder to shoulder with the best of the world.
The service indicated that he was and will continue to be a beloved member of the Wits community.
FEATURED IMAGE: The memorial service of Professor Deepak Kar image. Photo: Wits Marketing
RELATED ARTICLES:
- Wits Vuvuzela, Ahmed Kathrada’s legacy memorialised, Aug 2022
- Wits Vuvuzela, Sanele Dhlamini mourned at Wits memorial, May 2018
