Announcements
(You can reach the Chopra family at rcestate1991@gmail.com.)Sunnyvale Get-Together: the Chopra family will be hosting an open house style event on Sunday, May 12th at our family home. Please RSVP here:
http://evite.me/McNHvWn7HXCauses
We are fundraising for the following charities in honor of Rahul:
Rahul Chopra Honorary Fund in support of Blue Leadership Collaborative
Rahul cared deeply about representation in Democratic politics. He knew that training diverse leaders who are culturally competent to take their careers to the next level is one of the best ways to give campaigns a competitive edge. We are proud to share that we have established a memorial fund in Rahul’s name to support Blue Leadership Collaborative. BLC hires, trains, and retains diverse leaders to manage Democratic campaigns.
Please mark in memory of "Rahul Chopra" and notify the Chopra Family (rcestate1991@gmail.com).Founded by Chef José Andrés, WCK is first to the frontlines, providing fresh meals in response to humanitarian, climate, and community crises.
LightHouse for the Blind and Visually ImpairedPlease mark in memory of "Rahul Chopra" and notify the Chopra Family (rcestate1991@gmail.com).
LightHouse aspires to create a world where blind and low vision people flourish. Their mission is to promote independence, community, and equity created by and with blind and low vision people.
Links
Obituary
Rahul Chopra of Washington, DC, passed away unexpectedly on March 11th.
Kind, hilarious, and deeply irreverent, Rahul’s laughter will remain in our hearts forever. His energy, optimism and passion in work and life will be sorely missed by his friends, coworkers, and family all around the world.
Rahul was born in Vancouver, Canada, on October 24th, 1991, to Vijay Paul and Abha (Jindal) Chopra, and grew up in Sunnyvale, California. Rahul scarcely knew life without his brother Jay, his companion since the age of twenty months. Despite crying when he realized Jay was a permanent member of the family, the two grew to be inseparable, often fondly called “the Chopra Brothers” for their zest, synergy and collaboration.
Although Rahul was born with a visual impairment, he never let it limit his potential. He had an innate sense of curiosity and a keen sense of observation that led to him becoming one of the top political operatives and researchers in the Democratic Party.
Rahul always had a strong interest in politics and society. In high school, he was captain of the speech and debate team, and won several awards for public speaking, even delivering one of the two commencement addresses at his graduation. He was nominated to attend California Boys State where he was not only successfully elected city judge but also voted best judge for that summer.
Rahul took the next step by attending UC Irvine, where he majored in political science. Rahul’s love for policy and advocacy knew no bounds both inside and outside of the classroom; in addition to making the Dean’s Honors list multiple times, Rahul was also active in numerous extracurricular programs that balanced his love for continuous professional development and social enrichment. From bhangra performances to student government he was known across a campus of more than 20,000. He left the day after graduation for Washington D.C. to participate in an internship program.
Coming to our nation’s capital, Rahul was determined to build a career that would make the world a fairer and more just place. Starting out as an intern for Dianne Feinstein and then Mike Honda, he went on to work in the U.S. Senate, American Bridge, across various senate campaigns and multiple cycles at the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. Rahul's joy throughout all of these jobs was a desire to build a better society and to mentor the next generation of researchers – always with a knowing smile or kind word.
In 2022, Rahul served as Senator Mark Kelly’s research director. He was proud to play a central role in helping Senator Kelly prevail in one of the most competitive Senate races in the country, winning by nearly five points, and allowing Democrats to protect their majority in the Senate.
Most recently, Rahul served as the research director for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, where he utilized his encyclopedic knowledge of congressional politics and rueful love for the House’s chaos. Rahul was incredibly proud of the diverse and talented team of 40 he built at the DCCC and took constant joy in seeing them grow and succeed.
Quick to smile, Rahul was warm-hearted to all. He was kind when nobody was looking. He was instinctively focused on those around him--the kind of friend who, if he saw you on the street, he’d drop whatever he was doing to say hi and check in. He did it with his kindness. He did it with tenderness. He did it with his signature laugh that friends could recognize immediately across the room. This is what set Rahul apart, and because of that he had a wide circle of loved ones and admirers.
Rahul loved a good time, good food, good conversation, and all things Star Wars. He truly lived each day to the fullest. Rahul was a beacon of joy in our lives.
We will miss him dearly. Rahul was taken from us too soon due to undiagnosed diabetes and complications from pneumonia. We will always carry his memory with us.
