Jamuna Josephine Alexander

The St. Francis High School community would like to extend our condolences to the Breen family on the passing of Jamuna Josephine Alexander, grandmother of Naveen Breen '16.
Jamuna Josephine Alexander, age 79, of West Chicago, went to her heavenly home on Tuesday, September 25, 2018 with her loving family by her side.

Jamuna was born May 24, 1939 in Karaikal, Pondicherry State, India, daughter of Soundararaj Pillai and Jegaraj Ammal, granddaughter of Ponnuswamy Pillai.

Jamuna enjoyed life in itself!  She enjoyed shopping (especially purses), dining out, celebrity gossip, wildlife, gardening, and cooking for her loved ones. She practiced her faith through daily mass, the Rosary, and reading the Bible. Through challenging and happy times, she was grateful and thankful to God.  Her passion for her family and faith served as beacons in her life.

She is the bonding force that holds the family together, allowing each to grow with their own uniqueness.  Jamuna and Alex share a beautiful marriage of 57 years and have passed on their moral compass to their children and grandchildren.  They are soulmates and their journey together is an inspiration to us all.  This is not an end to their love story, rather the next chapter.  Love this strong, endures and lives forever!

Jamuna is the youngest of five daughters and grew up in a quaint ocean side town of Karaikal (India), immersed in a rich diverse culture. Her parents passed on a deep tradition of culture, faith, and family which served as her guiding light throughout her life.  As a child, she cherished playing with her sisters.

Jamuna’s sisters and their children created a tradition of spending every summer together with their parents in their family home.  The days were filled with countless laughter and love, late night competitive card games, trips to the beach, sharing family meals, and the days always ended with family prayer time.  The memories of these days still live on vividly in the minds and hearts of the Soundararaj lineage. 

Jamuna served as the President of the Ladies Club in Trichy (India), organizing social and community development events.  She was always eager to welcome new members and neighbors to ensure all felt included.  The house was always bustling with friends.

She supported her husband in migrating their family from India to the United States in 1980, leaving behind everything and everyone and taking on a new culture, language, traditions, and way of life. Their next move was to Massachusetts, which led to new friends with a similar heritage, thus gaining back some of what she sacrificed and missed.  In her element now, she enjoyed hosting dinner parties, was involved in her local church and community, and overcame her language barrier.  She continues to enrich the lives of all those who know her.

She is survived by her husband Arokiaswamy Alexander of 57 years; daughters Hemalatha (Dr. Nirmal Raj) Nirmalraj of Omaha, NE, Anita (Dennis) Breen of West Chicago, IL, Helene (the late Christopher) Turnis of West Des Moines, IA; grandchildren Madan, Maya, Manav Nirmalraj, and Naveen Breen; and many dear nieces and nephews.

Jamuna was preceded in death by her son Rajasekar Alexander; parents Soundararaj Pillai and Jegaraj Ammal; sisters Regina Nathan, Clara Stephen, Lora Raj, and Valentine Edgar; and son-in-law Christopher Turnis.

St. Francis High School

2130 W. Roosevelt Road, Wheaton, IL 60187
Phone (630) 668-5800
Fax (630) 668-5893