Obituary
Veena Goel

Veena Goel, beloved mother, grandmother, sister, aunt, friend, and doctor, recently of Cary, North Carolina, passed away on September 4, 2024 at the age of 82. She studied medicine at Maulana Azad Medical College in Delhi, India, and graduated with her MBBS, with honors, in 1964. She emigrated to the United States in 1967 and completed her pathology residency, in Massachusetts and New York programs, obtaining her medical license to practice in the United States. Dr. Veena Goel was double board-certified in both nuclear medicine and pathology. While living in upstate NY, she enjoyed many professional roles during her almost 60-year career in medicine at various local and regional hospitals and labs. She also served as a physician in the Army Reserve, from which she retired as a Lieutenant Colonel. Her favorite role was as a general practitioner, having an established practice for over 40 years in Mechanicville, NY. She cared for both young and elderly, often treating multiple generations of families. Her patients, the relationships she shared with them, and her sense of service in supporting the community, meant a great deal to her. It was common for her to make house calls and share her personal phone number with patients. In professional roles throughout her career, she introduced her children to her love of medicine and service - Veena often brought her children to the lab or her office during holidays, weekends and summers - sharing with them her curiosity and a model for their own future careers - whether in medicine or not. After many years of service, she retired from the practice of medicine in 2022, and relocated to North Carolina to enjoy the company of her children and grandchildren. Veena was married to Dr. Brij G Goel for almost 25 years. He preceded her in death in 1990, after a short battle with leukemia. Together they raised five children - three daughters, Niti (Dennis Walling), Nisha, and Renu (Gregory Renck), and two sons, Prateek and Prashant. With her three brothers-in-law and respective wives having each passed away before her, she was the matriarch of her husband’s family. She was also preceded in death by her parents. In addition to her children, Veena is survived by her two sons-in-law, seven grandchildren; her brother and his wife, Sudhir and Tej Bansal; and her sister and her husband, Sudha and Vinod Singhal; as well as several nieces, nephews, grand nieces, and grand nephews. Veena was an active member of her community in upstate NY, including serving as president of TRICIA (Tri-City India Association) in 1981. During her tenure, she established the first Spring Festival of India celebration. This event now takes place annually in June, at the Empire State Plaza Convention Center, Albany, NY. With generosity of time and philanthropy, Veena supported several charitable organizations, including a local women’s shelter. She took part in several fund-raising events, including walking the London Marathon in 1998 with the Leukemia Society’s ‘Team in Training’, in memory of her husband. She similarly participated in the 60-mile, 3-day Susan G Komen Breast Cancer Walk in 2000. Additionally, in memory of her husband, a cardiologist, she funded a library and a cardiac catheterization suite at local hospitals as well as an annual scholarship at Niskayuna High School - presented to a graduating high school senior planning a professional career in the health sciences. Veena loved to travel. She traveled extensively around the world, intrigued by different expressions of nature as well as diverse cultures and arts. In addition to regular trips to India, which retained a sense of home for her throughout her life, she traveled for pleasure. Her extensive travel notably included opportunities afforded by the Army Reserve to explore Europe, which she used to also support her then teenage children to appreciate travel at a formative age. She encouraged her grandchildren to travel as much as possible and discover art and cultures in all its forms. She also participated in several altruistic trips to provide medical care to the disadvantaged communities of both Ghana and Guatemala. She fondly spoke of two different round-the-world trips which led her to various wonders of the world and to meet fascinating people. Veena’s travels, along with a natural inquisitiveness made her incredibly well-read and versed in the arts. She enjoyed engaging in conversations about wide-ranging themes including painting, sculpture, poetry, literature, religion and Shakespeare. She was well-loved by friends and family for her numerous stories regarding her life experiences and her sense of humor. She is already deeply missed. The family entrusted City of Oaks Funeral Home & Cremations with a private cremation service. In Veena’s memory, the family requests donations to any of the following charitable organizations: St Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis TN; University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, TX; Hindu Society of North Carolina in Morrisville, NC; Albany Medical College in Albany, NY; Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Inc in Ryebrook, NY; Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation in Dallas, TX; Duke Cancer Institute Fund of Duke University in Durham, NC; and Transitions Hospice Home, in Raleigh, NC.