Thiruvananthapuram: Reputed Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer S Padmakumar, who held important positions in the civil service and retired as the chief secretary of Kerala government, passed away at a private hospital in the city on Tuesday evening. He was 84.

The cremation will take place at Thycaud Santhi Kavadam at 1 pm on Thursday. The body has been kept in a mortuary.

Padmakumar is survived by his wife Vimala, who hails from the Cherukad family at Kollengode, Palakkad, and children Dr Asha (PRS Hospital), Dr Rajkumar (UK) and P Vijayakumar (Technopark), son-in-law Dr Sreekumar (Medical Superintendent, Cosmopolitan Hospital) and daughters-in-law Neeta (UK) and Adv. Supriya.

Former Union minister and IAS officer S Krishnakumar is the younger brother of Padmakumar.

Padmakumar was born as the son of C P Sivasankara Pillai of Chittaloor family of Ambalamukku in Thiruvananthapuram on February 6, 1934. He cleared his B A in Economics with a first rank, after doing the course at the University College. Studying at Delhi School of Economics, Padmakumar took his M A. He was selected to the Indian Police Service in 1956, but did not join. In the next bid Padmakumar got selected to IAS.

His first job was in Kozhikode, as assistant collector. He moved to Malappuram as sub-collector later. In 1960, when Pattam Thanu Pillai became chief minister, Padmakumar was chosen as his secretary, the first IAS officer to hold that post. He went on to hold positions like Kottayam district collector, Development Commissioner, managing director of Travancore Titanium Products, revenue secretary, finance secretary, additional secretary (planning) and the chairman of KSIDC.

Padmakumar held a good rapport with former home minister P T Chacko and ex-chief minister K Karunakaran and was known to have had proximity to prominent leaders like T V Thomas, K M Mani, P C Sreenivasan and Baby John.

He retired as chief secretary in 1992 when Karunakaran was the chief minister, and had the rare privilege of receiving a eulogy from the state cabinet at retirement. He was named in the primary first information report in the Palmolein case, but was exempted after a detailed inquiry.