While I’ve seen Aunty couple of times in SBOA when I was a kid at school, I got to meet and know her from 1999. From day one, I have been impressed and inspired by her kindness, knowledge, confidence and her all around skills. I fondly remember the trips and the time we spent together. When we visited Prexy and family in London, we got to meet Aunty there as well and we all very much enjoyed her company and cooking.

I have learnt quite a few things from Aunty over the years and always looked forward and enjoyed her company when she visited NJ every year. Aunty always cooked a wide spread and packed food for us which used to last for a week. I still remember when Nethra was a baby and we were moving from our Mahwah home to Princeton, Aunty volunteered and came over for couple of days to help with the packing. Aunty was a very giving and helpful person and was like family to us. My mom and Aunty became good friends over the years. We were lucky that my mom had Aunty’s friendship in the last 2 decades and she was a positive influence for my mother. 

Aunty was such a warm, genuine, positive and caring person and it was so easy for everyone to connect with her. Not everyone has that ability to make anyone feel at ease instantly! I very much miss not having spoken to Aunty back in February. In the back of my mind, I did not think it was anything serious and was thinking that it was a matter of time that she would recover fully and we’ll get to see Aunty in NJ☹

It was so nice to see Aunty easily engage with her grandkids – be it knitting, baking, arts, cooking and taking Uber to drop and pick up kids. I remember Aunty taking the Subways here in NJ/NYC as well as in London and going about on her own confidently. Aunty will be very much missed and I’m grateful and blessed for knowing and spending quality time with Aunty over the years.

Our sincere condolences and best wishes to Prexy, Karthik, Vinay, Mira, Anita, Hema, extended family and friends. Aunty’s kindness and warmth was contagious and her memory will live on forever!

Mani will always be remembered fondly and missed very much. I met Mani in the US when our grandkids were born and since then, we have spent a lot of time together over the last 17 years.

We became good friends and thanks to Mani, I got to travel with her to Tirupathi quite a few times and Shirdi as well. I was always very impressed with how Mani made the arrangements and got people together. She always had a smile and handled everything with a ease. Every year, Mani did the thithi for her late husband and did it with such care and thought.

I very much miss talking to her on a regular basis. Mani was a loving mother and a very affectionate grandmother who doted on her grandkids and she was a great friend to many of us.

I was praying every day for Mani's recovery and I was in disbelief for few days. May her soul rest in peace. My very best wishes to Prasanna, Karthik and the entire family.

It came as a shock and we were so saddened by the news.

Along the way, we lost her contact....
Though we don't see or contact mum, nevertheless we never stopped talking about her good loving character and support which touched many.

Mom was a successful woman who has lived well, laughed often and loved muchwho had gained more respect too.
She will be missed and remembered forever.
Pray for her soul to be enlightened. Om Nama Shivaya

Our sincere condolences
Xavier & Indra

I had heard so much about "Prexy's mom" during all of my undergrad years but the privilege of meeting aunty in person would come much later in my life. When I look back at her life now and try to remember her through all that I have learned about her from friends who knew her for much longer than I did, I realize it has been my loss that our paths didn't really cross until after 1997. 

During the summer of 1998, I needed a time critical favor in Chennai. I could have turned to anyone for that but I felt comfortable to reach out to Prexy (who was in the US) for I knew he would do what he could without thinking twice. Needless to say, within a few days, he connected me with aunty and she was there for me, providing me with that timely help, without asking a single question. It stuck me immediately at that moment what an impactful and kind human being she was.

I had many opportunities to interact with her since then and I got to understand what a towering, affectionate, and a kind person she was.
I often use her as a role model in my conversations with my own family.

My last interaction with her was on Nov 18, 2019 in Chennai. It was a very brief meeting and I regret now for not making it last longer. As we parted ways, aunty waved goodbye to me with the same warm and gentle smile that she always adorned. That's the last image of her I would always carry in my mind.

Aunty treated all of Prexy's friends like her own children. It was not just the care and affection she gave us all, but it was something more powerful. She actually made us feel like she was a mother to us. As I type this and think about what she meant to me, that's what strikes me the most. How effortlessly aunty blended into many of our lives and and how effectively she has made us all miss her.

Mani aunty was sort of the person you need not have known at all for her to have made your life just a little better. But for those of us who knew her, she made our lives so much better.

Let's continue to celebrate her life and all the beautiful memories she has left us with.

Peace and Strength to Prexy, Karthik, and everyone else in the family.

Generally it doesn't take me time to write on any thing.  But really struggling to find words to write in here for the last one week. 

I should have told many things to her when she was around. I missed meeting her as her health started to deteriorate and finally couldn't even be there for her final journey. There is a deep sense of guilt, regret and pain. 

Mani aunty. such a charismatic and elegant woman of substance. I remember meeting her first time as a child in Adyar IIT residence of Ramanujam pedannana...there was an aura around her. An elegance that I was not aware of till then.  The way she draped her saree, the way she got the table ready for lunch...the way she used to watch us play board games and the way she used to run behind Kathu as he took the telescope and ran to terrace saying he want to see comets!  For a town girl..this was all great memories

As a teen, I was super thrilled to hear her stories around temples, architecture, history and I felt like I was actually listening to speaking geography encyclopedia.  Her profession took her to places and if you had a chance to hear her, you would actually experience the travel through her stories...such was the impact.  I started to explore places and we all three sisters love traveling today and probably she had a very silent impact on the way we look at things as we travel.  Influencers need not be always speakers.  The live by example and guide us through their actions. She was surely one.

Though I was not that close to her, like I was with Chitra pinni...I always loved meeting her in marriages and social events in Chennai. When Divyan and Hema came to Bangalore, I remember her coming along with srila akka and pedannnana and train stories filled us with laughter.  Every interaction was fulfilling.  As many in the family would remember, her cooking skills probably came in from ammama...

As an adult, I have to write one incident that moved me. Mom and I were in GRT to buy some jewellery just before my wedding. Amma was not a person who would use cards for purchase. When the final bill came, she was short of few thousands and offered to pay by cheque. But the cashier refused to accept. Just as we were discussing this, Mani aunty came along with some of her clients. The minute she saw my mom, she came and greeted us with her usual big smile and enquired how things are. My mom hesitatingly explained the situation and immediately she said she will pay by her card and amma can give her the cheque.  The cashier saw Mani aunty and came running with the owner.  As she introduced my amma as her sister, the cashier immediately said that he will take the cheque and deliver the jewels in few.  I was amused.  That day, I learnt a lesson on the power of networking.  She was cordial, comforting and approachable to people around her.   She was always there to support my mom and they both had a mutual admiration

Recently in a wedding (pappulu akka son's wedding with my husband's cousins sister daughter), we met and enjoyed spending an evening and dinner together.  She kept telling..you are not on the bride side, but with us on the groom's side and was smiling seeing my husband enjoying the tease. such is her charm, wit and humour sense.  Absolutely adorable human being and a very humble soul.

I have seen her standing strong supporting all in family when Prabha aunty passed away....she adored the family...she perseveringly sailed through life's ups and downs.  To me she will always remain a favorite aunt. 

My deepest condolences to Babji anna, Kathu, and families and also to Chitra pinni, sundaram chinnnana, Hema, Srila akka , Girish anna and pedannana.. Sharing your grief and loss ! 

I am sure she is in a better place, far away from human suffering and watching over all of us.  Om Shanthi!

""Don't grieve for me, for now I am free; I'm following the path God laid for me. ..""

I had the privilege of knowing Perry’s mom over the last 25 years. I remember her as a very kind, gentle, and soft spoken spirit.  She was always with a smile that conveyed a million words of love, care and confident strength. 
The first time I met her was in mid 90s when I visited her before I left for US to be Perry’s roommate at university. She made me her delicious signature dosas and sides. Over the years I have admired her relentless pursuit of helping others and her kind words of encouragement. Her love and her care for Perry and his family when we saw them together in New Jersey are precious memories. She left in peace fulfilled with the comfort and care of Perry and her family. We miss her.

Mani aunty for me is a true inspiration and a super fantastic strong woman who handled and managed everything with a lovely smile on her face always ❤️. Right from my childhood I always looked up to her for the superb dress sense , passion for traveling and multi tasking while taking care of her kids and everything. Still can't believe she is gone that too so soon. I will continue to have the lovely memories of her being right next to me all through my marriage as a pillar of support Praying that she is in a painless world now. Om Shanthi

I am very sad as the news and reality sink in...But I know atthama is watching over us right now and she is in a better place.

Atthama was such a kind, sweet and active lady. Even though I knew her for a relatively short period of time, we bonded ao well and we made many happy memories together when she was visiting us in 2019.

She will be really missed and I am sad I won't have the opportunity to get to know her more and spend more time together in the UK or India.

I will also miss our Sunday Kriya sessions

When she was visiting us in the UK, we used to do kriya together in the morning. I would go to the living room, our "kriya meeting place" and she would always be there before me patiently sitting on the sofa. She was always so calm, kind, composed and peaceful enjoying a cup of coffee before we start. I remember this moment so vividly and fondly. Then she would guide the kriya session making sure I am doing it right sharing all the tips she knew. It was a lovely time. I could add so many more moments more.

My family from Ukraine sending the condolences as well. They are glad they could join Zoom to say the good-bye.

My mom also was lucky to meet atthama in the UK. She was really found of atthama. Despite their language barrier they got on really well right away. My mom is especially sad of the news as we were hoping atthama will come to visit Ukraine.

I know she is in a good place watching over us right now ♥️

Like everyone else who knew her and loved her, I haven’t really accepted the reality that my beloved Mani Peddamma is not with us anymore. When my mom called me in early January this year to tell me the news of Peddamma’s diagnosis with ANCA-Vasculitis, I remember thinking, “eh, what’s that?” and then, “never mind, whatever it is, it’s going to be fine because its Peddamma, and she can beat anything.”

And initially, that’s exactly what happened – she went into remission quite quickly after starting treatment. We all breathed a collective sigh of grateful relief. The side effects were horrendous though and not something that she could deal with by herself. After being with her for a few days in Chennai, my parents convinced her to come to Bangalore, so they could continue to care for her and help her as she recuperated.

But within a few days, it was clear that there were other things starting to go wrong and she was hospitalized in early March. My cousin Prasanna flew down from the US, and for the next 24 days, it was an up-and-down journey of tests and treatments and specialists and ICU and second opinions, and back to the ward, and back to the ICU, and so on.

My other cousins and I did our best to send emotional support and love across the distances, calling every day and texting, sometimes just to chat and sometimes to share the latest research on her condition or share contacts of experts who could provide additional consultation. She received the best medical care she could possibly get, and the best support, with my cousin always with her and my parents spending their days at the hospital.

On the 28th, we all had a Facetime chat in her hospital room, and she was sitting up and speaking and laughing at our silly jokes, with her face all fresh and bright although she was in between multiple rounds of dialysis. And I really thought, thank God, and started to count down to the summer when I hoped to be able to visit and hug her.

But 5 days later, fate made other plans. We were on video chat with her again, but this time to say a final goodbye. I will continue to believe that even as she took her last breaths, with my cousin holding her and my mom gently stroking her hands, she heard all of our voices telling her how much we loved her and thanking her for enriching our lives.

She was one of the toughest people I know, her self-reliance, resilience and stoicism being legendary among family and friends. She was also the softest and kindest person when it came to her sisters’ children (me included) and simply doted on all her grandchildren (Divyan included). She loved to cook, made the most amazing dishes, and visiting her or having her visit meant being pampered with lavish meals. She loved to sing, had a lovely voice, and our big regret is not having any recordings of her singing her favorite hymns and devotional songs from her Art of Living prayer sessions.

I wish I’d called her more often and asked her to tell me more stories of her countless trips around South India and other parts in her professional capacity as a tourist guide. Her passion and knowledge of temple history and architecture, especially, was really something to behold and appreciate first-hand. I wish I’d asked her to teach me to cook some of her favorite dishes or sing some of her favorite songs. I wish she’d been able to see her grandkids Mira and Vinay go to and then graduate from college. I wish her other son, my cousin Karthik, had also been able to be with her at the end. I wish we’d all had more time with her. I wish I could have hugged her one more time, or listen to her teasingly call me “bonthha kodi” one more time.
I wish.
I just wish.
Will love you and miss you always, Peddamma. Rest well and rest in peace.

I met Mani when working for her son Perry and wife Anita looking after both her grandchildren when they came to work in London 2010 as a nanny

We would collect the children and sometimes have coffee out together . She told me stories about her travels and work with Kuoni as a travel guide ...

Mani had a kind heart ...she was a good listener and always willing to go that extra mile to muck in and help me out with Mira and Vinay .

I got to know Mani over several weeks and we kept in touch when she returned to India . It was my intention to stay with her in Chennai for a visit but due to my own health surgeries , I could not travel so many hours .

It is with sad regret I heard the news of her passing so suddenly ....

Fondly remembered , lady of culture , lady of Chennai ... this is for you Mani :

May you rest in peace and watch over the family .

For Perry : sending my heart felt warmest sympathies .

Mani enriched all of us .. gave her heart and soul to all around her

Will miss you and our chats
Blessings Michele Selwyn London

Mani my role model
I have always admired Mani for the way she lead her life. Fiercely independent and would take every thing in her stride. I always used to feel that she was ready to face any challenges that life gave her. No one could shatter her spirit and strength.
A great philanthropist in her own humble way, she would never hesitate to lend a helping hand . Yet when it came to spending money on herself she would think a hundred times.
Mani you will be truly missed you were not only a friend but a mentor to all of us. So proud of Prassana and your sister who were with you till the end.
Send us your blessings as always till we meet again
Geetha

Mani you will be in my heart always.Such a poised,graceful and strong personality.Always ready with your guidance and support.My partner in so many trips and visits to various temples,used to marvel at your knowledge and passion..
You are irreplaceable as a friend and mentor.Always with a giving nature,ready with a helping hand always..Faced her challenges with never a complaint..Always learnt from her..Mani so very proud to have had you in my life .I know you will take care of us always.
Thankyou Prasanna for holding us all together.. blessings and love.

In remember her fondly. She would come to the US and stay with us every summer, never expecting to be treated like a guest but helping us in every way she could. I remember the amazing meat dishes she made for the kids, and the lovely way she took care of my garden daily. She knit beautiful blankets and stitched our clothing when we needed it. When visiting India she made sure we enjoyed ourselves.
She was a loving grandmother and looked after us well. I was always so impressed with her intelligence- may she Rest In Peace. It will not be the same without her

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