Srivastava, Rama Rani

MENANDS — On June 5, 2022, Rama Rani Srivastava passed away peacefully in her sleep at her home in Menands, surrounded by family.

A loving wife, mother of three daughters, grandmother to three granddaughters, beloved human to two dogs, aunt to nephews and nieces around the world, and friend to countless people, she was a vibrant, joyful woman who lit up the world with love, laughter, and wit.

Rama was born in Dumraon, Bihar, India in 1940, into a loving and extended family where generosity was a way of life. Everyone who entered her parents’ home was treated like family, a legacy she continued into her own adulthood. She married Dr. Kalika Prasad Srivastava in 1958, and in the 1960s they moved to Troy, building their life and forging bonds across communities in their new country. Rama made friends with people of all ages, charming them with charisma and conversation, making each person she spent time with feel heard, respected, and treasured. She had a talent for talking to children, helping them feel cherished and showing them she valued their opinions despite (or perhaps because of) their age. Her drive to make the people she loved as happy as possible made her a lighthearted spark in every room she entered, and an irreplaceable rock for her husband, children, and the many people who thought of her as one of their mothers in the world.

She was a firecracker with a quick but quickly forgiving temper and a wildly generous heart, and enjoyed both the ridiculous and profound. She expressed her love through what she valued most: education and nourishment. As a founding member of the Tri-city India Association and the Hindu Temple Society, and as a supporter of Emma Willard School (where she sent all her