Reni Joseph, Ph.D.

Beloved wife of Dr. Suresh Mathew, cherished mother of Hannah, Jason, and Shayna, passed away peacefully on Monday, November 11, 2024.

Reni was born in Kerala, India, and spent her childhood in Pondicherry. She was a gifted Organic Chemist with numerous scientific publications to her name. Reni earned her graduate degree from the National Chemical Laboratory in Pune, India, and Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule Aachen in Germany. She went on to complete a Postdoctoral Fellowship at Harvard University, followed by a Fellowship at the National Research Council in Ontario, Canada. Reni worked as a Principal Scientist at MDS Pharma in Montreal before relocating to St. Louis after her marriage to Suresh. She was a Professor at St. Louis College and was deeply involved with the American Chemical Society (ACS) at both local and national levels. Reni served as Program Chair and Chair of the ACS Committee on Minority Affairs, in addition to serving on various committees at the National Science Foundation (NSF).

Reni was a devoted wife and mother, a loving daughter and sister, and an adoring aunt to her nieces and nephews. Her warmth, compassion, and generosity made her an amazing presence in the lives of all who knew her. As a professor, she was highly respected by her students, always prioritizing their needs and fostering an environment of learning and growth. She was an avid traveler and loved classical music.

Services: A funeral service will be held at Schrader Funeral Home, Ballwin, 14960 Manchester Rd, Ballwin, MO 63011, from 11:30 AM to 12:30 PM, followed by a burial service at Bellerive Gardens Cemetery, 740 N Mason Rd, St. Louis, MO 63141. Friends are invited to sign the family's online guestbook at Schrader.com.