Obituary: Dr. Indra Rastogi estimated to have delivered 20,000 babies in Hamilton

No wonder Dr. Indra Rastogi was often called a Superwoman."

The obstetrician and gynecologist - who died Oct. 18 at age 84 - had a busy practice on Charlton Avenue East, across from St. Joseph's Hospital, delivering babies all hours of the day. Her son, Dr. Roop Rastogi of Toronto, estimates she delivered 20,000 babies during a career in Hamilton that spanned 1967 to 2008.

But she was also an active member of the Indo-Canadian community and the Hindu Samaj Temple, along with her late husband, Dr. Hirsch Rastogi. They helped found the India Canada Society of Hamilton.

She helped organize cultural events, including plays, and was also known for her singing. She had numerous hobbies like crocheting and bridge, was an impeccable dresser and was an attentive mother, making what her daughter, Veera Rastogi, recalled were highly labour intensive" Indian meals from scratch. After she retired, she learned Spanish and went on a medical mission to South America.

She was just so energetic and did everything," said her daughter, a corporate lawyer in New Jersey. She had every talent in the book."

She recalled one time her parents were throwing a large party and her mother got called away to deliver a baby.

She told everyone to keep enjoying themselves and she would be right back," she said.

Sure enough, she returned a little while later, got changed, merged herself back into the party and continued playing the harmonium.

It was typical," added Veera. She was a Superwoman. Without missing a beat, she'd show these different facets of her life. She was a role model for many of my friends."

Her children said she wouldn't have it any other way, especially working to deliver the babies of her patients instead of letting an on-call doctor attend to the birth. The result was she was recognized constantly while out in the community, or even on vacation, by former patients and their children. Her son, a radiologist, said she sometimes delivered 10 babies a day.

She was a celebrity," said her son. She delivered so many people. They came up to her time and time again. People were always happy to see her. She told me no matter how hard she'd worked, she'd do it again. She would never take it back."

Her daughter joked about being irritated when she was a teenager over the constant approaches to her mother. She said her mother was even approached a few weeks before she died in a nursing home by an elderly woman who told her she had delivered three of her grandchildren.

Rastogi was born in Pilibhit, India, on Dec. 20, 1937, to Shri Ram and Savitri Devi Agarwal. Her father was an engineer and her mother a homemaker. Her son said that, during that time in India, education for women was not a big thing, but he said his grandparents believed in higher education for their daughter. He said his mom was a top student and got into King George's Medical College in Lucknow, India, at 16. She graduated with a medical degree in 1959.

She met her husband at the medical college and they married in 1963, the same year they immigrated to Cleveland, Ohio. They came to Hamilton four years later, first settling on the west Mountain and then moving to Ancaster in 1976.

On social media, many had fond memories of Rastogi, with work colleague Cindy Melick-Torchia calling her a Superwoman and an inspiration to everyone."

This is a tremendous loss to our South Asian community," said Swati Sharan. She was a marvellous woman."

Rastogi is survived by her son, Roop, daughter, Veera, and four grandsons. She is also survived by brothers, Krishna and Vishnu. She was predeceased by her sister, Chandra, and husband, Dr. Hirsch Rastogi, a gastroenterologist, in 2018.

Daniel Nolan is a Dundas-based freelance contributor for The Spectator. Reach him via email: news@thespec.com