Padma Hiranandani

Padma Hiranandani Reichwald, loving and resilient wife, sister, aunt, and friend, was born on June 2, 1944 in India, to parents Motilbai and Rewachand Hiranandani. She passed away peacefully on August 31, 2026 in Poughkeepsie, NY. She is survived by her loving and ever-devoted husband, Larry Reichwald, her loving brother and sister-in-law, Hiro and Anita, her loving sister-in-law, Ratna and Mohini, her loving nieces Shana, Veera, Vineeta, Lita, Lalita and her loving nephews, Ram, Vivek, Prem, Mohan, Kaveesh and Shan and their children. She's predeceased by her nephew, Monesh, her parents, her brothers, Naru, Vishno, Gul, and Lachman, and her sister, Drupadi. She lived a life shaped by resilience, love, generosity, honesty, and an open heart. She left behind a community of people who were better for knowing her.

Padma's story began in India. She survived polio at five years-old and was also an India-Pakistan partition survivor. She lost both her parents at a young age. Supported by her brothers, Hiro, Naru, Vishno, and Gul, and the blessings from her sister Drupadi, and with her characteristic bravery and determination, she made her way to the United States in 1962, building a full and meaningful life. She met her husband, Larry Reichwald, a talented educator, in Manhattan, NYC and they were married in 1977. They were inseparable for a very happy 49 years. They supported each other until her final moments.

Padma made it through many surgeries due to polio, but she never let her health and physical challenges stop her from thriving in life. She learned to drive, travelled all over the world, and received her BS in Laboratory Technology from SUNY Albany and her Master's Degree in Laboratory Science from C.W. Post College. She embarked on a career in laboratory science, working many years at the Blood Bank at Montefiore Hospital, and later as a Research Scientist for the New York City Department of Health, and as a Blood Bank Manager at Queens Hospital.

She carried that spirit into everything she did. Padma spent more than four decades deeply involved in leadership at Heart and Hand for the Handicapped (HHH), giving her time and energy to an organization that supported differently-abled children in India and the U.S. She served HHH in many leadership roles, including multiple terms as President, and tirelessly championed initiatives that brought hope, mobility, independence, and smiles to countless children. She was an important presence including 3 years as member of Board of Trustees at Hindu Samaj Temple in Wappinger Falls, NY where her warmth and generosity were well known. Padma was also very proud to create Geetmala in 1998, a Bollywood music radio show at the Vassar College radio station, WVKR, that brought her culture and music to the Indian community in Poughkeepsie, NY. The show continues to this day at Vassar.

She loved to celebrate with friends and relatives, and above all, to be with the people she loved most. She will be deeply missed, and in her own words taken from some of her writing she said, "My hope is that I have touched some lives in a meaningful way. I ask for God's blessings. I have no regrets."

The Antyesti, the final rites of passage, will be observed on Wednesday, September 2, 2026 from 4-6pm at the McHoul Funeral Home, Inc., 895 Route 82, Hopewell Junction.