KANNANKOTE (SRI) SRIKANTH

January 6, 1953 – September 24, 2024

On September 24, 2024, Kannankote Srikanth (or "Sri" as he was known to many) passed away peacefully surrounded by loved ones at his home in Lexington, MA, a town in which he lived for 41 years.

Born in Bangalore, India in 1953, Sri was known for his mischievous ways as a child. He would often share stories of practical jokes on his friends, playing pranks and getting in trouble at school with his teachers, and playfully arguing with his 3 siblings over who was at fault for making their parents mad. Even as a child, Sri's biggest joy came from making others laugh and smile.

Sri left India for Buffalo, where he spent a year at Amherst Central High. He did a brief 18 month stint at a university in Liberia, West Africa, during his early college years, where his father was a professor of chemistry before returning to Buffalo at the State University of New York, Buffalo, as a math major. Buffalo really held a special place in Sri's heart. It is where he and his wife, Rajini, spent their newlywed years, and, despite his distaste for the snow, is a place that he returned to many times over the course of his life.

In his professional career, Sri was a CEO and tech executive for several big companies, but his most meaningful role at work was that of mentor. He loved helping people recognize and meet their potential in the workplace, and was never too busy to make a phone call, write a recommendation, offer advice, speak on someone's behalf, and just generally show up for those for who worked for him.

But Sri's most important role, as he said many times, was that of a family man. He and his partner of 48 years, Rajini, got married young—she was 19 and he was 23. Despite their young age, Sri knew that this partnership would go the distance. Throughout their relationship, he was supportive and loving, championing her career, partnering equally with her in raising their two daughters, and making sure to share laughter each day, no matter what.

Sri was an involved father, who, despite his busy work schedule, always found time for his children, Netra and Vanita. He shared a love for music with his girls, raising them on the Beatles, Queen, and the classics of the 70s. He would also develop an appreciation for late 90s and early 2000s pop and rap music, perhaps the result of losing control of the radio while chauffeuring both his daughters into Boston for orchestra rehearsals each weekend for many years. As his girls got older, Sri remained a constant presence in their life, supporting them through college, marriage, motherhood, and many ups and downs.

As wonderful a father Sri was, he was an even better grandfather. He may have missed working after his retirement, as he threw himself into grand-parenting like it was a full time job. He had a deep love for and engagement with his grandchildren; he drove them to activities, waited for them at the bus stop, cooked for them, played chess with them, and thought about their well-being all the time. He had special nicknames for each one, and reveled in the one-on-one time he got to spend with them. He was their biggest fan, and they were his in return.

When Sri was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in October of 2023, his first thought wasn't for himself, but for how those who loved him would react to the news. He approached cancer treatments with the same optimism, hope and positive attitude with which he approached life. If it meant getting to stick around for his partner, kids, grandkids, and siblings, he would do whatever it took. His battle with this devastating disease was courageous down to his last day.

There is a huge hole in all of our hearts without Sri. His passion and love for life and his kindness for all those whom he encountered is palpable; everyone who met Sri, even once, has a fond memory to share about him, due to the fact that he went out of his way to find a connection, however small, with each person he knew. We will continue to honor his legacy each day by living life with purpose and showing up for those who we love (with a laugh and a practical joke thrown in for good measure!).