Birth: 18 May, 1943, Bangemudha
Death: 20 July, 2021, Tokha

When Professor Dr Yog Ratna Sthapit’s children were growing up, they often saw their house filled with students reaching out to him for letters of recommendation or asking for revision classes.

Sthapit happily helped students who came. Their success brought him great joy. His children often heard him say that being able to do his job well was his biggest source of happiness.

Born in 1943, Sthapit got his school-level education at Juddho Daya School and studied in Nepal until he earned his Master’s degree. He was decorated with the Mahendra Vidya Bhusan award after he topped his class in MSc. He then completed his PhD in Mathematics from Lucknow, India.

After returning home, he authored a handful of books with his colleagues and students. Some of the more popular ones are ‘Basic Mathematics’ (Vol I and Vol II), included in grades XI and XII syllabi, ‘Algebra and Geometry’ for Proficiency Certificate Level, and ‘Three Dimensional Geometry’ for BSc and BA courses.

At the age of 25, he tied the knot with Roopsova Sthapit, and together they had three children. They remember him as a loving father and a strict disciplinarian, but empathetic to their feelings. Sthapit supported his children’s choices, especially over their careers.

At the Central Department of Mathematics, Tribhuvan University, where he worked, he was loved for his devotion to teaching. To this day, he is known for his patience and hard work as he was always willing to go the distance to help his students. Sthapit’s consistency and dedication didn’t go unnoticed; he was soon named the department head.

Sthapit’s other source of joy was reading. A morning person and a bookworm, he also loved good food. His friends say that he could never say no to momos, fish, and mangoes.

Sthapit had been diagnosed with hypertension and heart ailments. A few of his students remember him teaching in class with sweat dotting his forehead and him panting. But he would still continue with his class.

As the years went on, his health deteriorated. In 2017, he had an open-heart surgery. He retired thereafter and started spending more time at home.

Soon, he was bound to a wheelchair. Nepal Mathematical Society organized a program to honor Sthapit’s contribution to the field and his efforts to popularize Mathematics in higher education.

A few weeks ago, he was admitted to Grande Hospital following a stroke. He had recovered a little after a few days at the hospital. But then his condition suddenly deteriorated. He passed away on July 20, at the age of 78. He is survived by his wife, two daughters, and one son.