Marcel Chowriamah

Marcel Chowriamah, MSK 1942 ~ 2018
Marcel or as he was lovingly called by his children and grandchildren; “Papi”, was an exceptional man who was loved by all. His temperance, concern for others, eagerness to learn about the world and his wisdom were the traits that defined the wonderful man that he was. He will be dearly missed and will always be cherished. He peacefully passed away while visiting his children in the United States on July 24, 2018.
He was born and raised in Stanley, Rose-Hill, on the island Republic of Mauritius, to Pakion Chowriamah and Therese Arekion on September, 8th 1942. Of South Asian ancestry, Marcel was raised with a deep love and respect for his Tamil Indian cultural heritage, as well as his Catholic tenets.
After graduating from high school, he went on to earn a Bachelor of Commerce from Loyola College (Chennai, India) and a Masters in Business Administration from the Xavier’s Labour Relations Institute (Jamshedpur, India). He then returned to Mauritius where he worked as a public relations officer for the Government of Mauritius. Throughout his life and career, he travelled extensively to Asia, Africa, Europe and later on, the United States.
An independent historian at heart, he weaved deep bonds of friendship throughout his travels that transcended both cultural, religious and ethnic barriers. He relentlessly labored to showcase the history of Christianity among Catholic Indians, specifically gearing his research efforts towards the importance of Indian cultural identity within Catholicism. This was exemplified through his years of dedicated service for the Indo Mauritian Catholic Association. He fervently believed that it is possible to be a faithful catholic while still conserving key aspects of the Indian culture and its major festivals. For his unique contribution in the sociocultural field, he received the Member of the Star and Key of the Indian Ocean or MSK – one of the highest honors awarded by the then President of Mauritius, Hons. Sir Aneerood Jugnauth.
He and his wife, Marceline were married on May 5th, 1979 and were about to celebrate their 40th wedding anniversary next year. They faithfully raised their two children, Vinnarasi and Gnanapragassen, together in Stanley, Mauritius. He was a passionate person, with an infectious sense of humor and certainly transmitted a lot of it to his children.
With abiding respect for his cultural, ancestral and religious background and coupled with a heart full of kindness, love and service to others, Marcel taught his greatest life lessons to his son and daughter.
Marcel is survived by his wife, his 2 children; his son in law, Jay Chintaram; his daughter in law, Tara Chowriamah and his 5 grandchildren: Isha, Nikhil, Milan, Helaman and Mahonri.
Funeral services will be held on Friday July 27 at 6:00 pm at St. Therese Of the Child Jesus Catholic Church (7832 N Allen St, Midvale, UT 84047). Prior to the funeral, a viewing will be
held at the same location at 5.00pm. Following the funeral ceremony, a small get-together will be held at the same location, in the Cultural Hall, from 7.00pm to 9.00pm.
Service Information
Viewing July 27, 2018 at 5:00 - 6:00 PM
St. Therese of the Child Jesus Catholic Church, 7832 N Allen Street, Midvale, UT, 84047





Funeral Service
July 27, 2018 at 6:00 - 7:00 PM
St. Therese of the Child Jesus Catholic Church, 7832 N Allen Street, Midvale, UT, 84047