Edward David Allitt “RamaChandra” 12/19/59 - 11/23/18
Ed was the co-founder of Kula Kamala Ashram, where he compassionately served the community alongside Swaminiji, his wife of 24 years. Together they envisioned and worked to realize a world with more peace and less harm, more love and less hate, more unity and less divisiveness.
Ed held academic degrees in Electrical Engineering and Architecture. He was a recipient of honors and awards for his work with the United States government.
In 2008, Ed became a yoga instructor and began teaching alongside his wife. Ed earned numerous certificates in yoga studies and yoga therapy and became known for his compassionate straightforward teaching and wisdom. Many of his students have shared that his words helped them connect with their own heart and with the heart of their community.
Ed was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer in 2013. He used nutrition, homeopathy, ayurveda, and other holistic approaches in addition to conventional chemotherapy protocols in order to keep the disease at bay. Initially expected to survive less than a year, Ed enjoyed five beautiful years of life as a result of the combined efforts of his medical care and holistic care teams, as well as the love and support of his family and community. He passed quietly in his sleep at about 5am the morning of November 23, 2018.
Ed leaves behind his wife, their son Jay McCallen (35), their daughter Casey Bertolami (37) and two grandchildren Christopher (10) and Alaina (4).
Ed’s beloved extended family includes his niece Kathy Koch Howarth and nephew Robert Cavaliere, and his brother-in-law Alan Koch, who raised him after Ed’s father and mother passed away.
Ed is predeceased by his sister Danea Koch and both of his parents James Smith Allitt and Anna V. Chundak.
Ed was an incredible person with a compassionate heart. His friendship extended to everyone who crossed his path. He was and remains an important influence for those who knew him and for his students.
Ed believed death to be as meaningful as life and so he donated his body to science, in the hopes that researchers might find more information about colon cancer that will help future patients.
Ed is and has always been one with the light.
A Celebration of Life was held in honor of RamaChandra on December 19, 2018, what would have been Ed's 59th birthday.
Ed held academic degrees in Electrical Engineering and Architecture. He was a recipient of honors and awards for his work with the United States government.
In 2008, Ed became a yoga instructor and began teaching alongside his wife. Ed earned numerous certificates in yoga studies and yoga therapy and became known for his compassionate straightforward teaching and wisdom. Many of his students have shared that his words helped them connect with their own heart and with the heart of their community.
Ed was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer in 2013. He used nutrition, homeopathy, ayurveda, and other holistic approaches in addition to conventional chemotherapy protocols in order to keep the disease at bay. Initially expected to survive less than a year, Ed enjoyed five beautiful years of life as a result of the combined efforts of his medical care and holistic care teams, as well as the love and support of his family and community. He passed quietly in his sleep at about 5am the morning of November 23, 2018.
Ed leaves behind his wife, their son Jay McCallen (35), their daughter Casey Bertolami (37) and two grandchildren Christopher (10) and Alaina (4).
Ed’s beloved extended family includes his niece Kathy Koch Howarth and nephew Robert Cavaliere, and his brother-in-law Alan Koch, who raised him after Ed’s father and mother passed away.
Ed is predeceased by his sister Danea Koch and both of his parents James Smith Allitt and Anna V. Chundak.
Ed was an incredible person with a compassionate heart. His friendship extended to everyone who crossed his path. He was and remains an important influence for those who knew him and for his students.
Ed believed death to be as meaningful as life and so he donated his body to science, in the hopes that researchers might find more information about colon cancer that will help future patients.
Ed is and has always been one with the light.
A Celebration of Life was held in honor of RamaChandra on December 19, 2018, what would have been Ed's 59th birthday.