HANUMANTHA RAO NISANKARAO

01/28/1926 - 07/30/2022

Hanumantha Rao Nisankarao was born on January 28 1926 in Chirala, Andhra Pradesh India to parents Peda Rudriah and Venkatalakshmi. He was the youngest of his siblings: Venkatratnam, Pulliah and Mangama. After losing his father at the age of three, his mother eventually took Hanumantha at the age of nine to live with his maternal grandparents, Venkateswarlu and Kanakaratnam. The family was in the textile business, manufacturing cloth dyes for Imperial Chemical Industry (ICI).

When he was sixteen, Hanumantha began his undergraduate studies at Andhra Christian College. He initially studied biology, chemistry and physics, but found himself uninterested in the subjects. Hanumantha even served as his College Secretary, organizing events and student activities. He quickly took a liking to economics, eventually earning a Bachelor of Arts. Hanumantha also helped mobilize a demonstration against the British during India’s fight for independence.

On May 2 1944, he married Visalakshi Draksharam in Chirala. Hanumantha worked as a Certified Accountant to support his growing family. Hanumantha and Visalakshi had six children: Ganalatha, Chandralatha, Sashikala, Savithri, Srinivas and Venkateswar between 1948 and 1960. Together, Hanumantha and Visalakshi raised all six children to be caring, kind and hardworking. Drawing from his own passion for learning, Hanumantha made sure his children were well-educated, well-informed members of their community. All six children helped to support the family businesses, doing their part to manage a Coca Cola retail distribution company and a large bus depot.

With the help of his second daughter, Hanumantha first arrived in the United States in 1981. During the 1980s and 1990s, he traveled back and forth between India and the U.S. as a permanent resident. He watched his family grow even more, as his children eventually all settled in the U.S and had children of their own. Hanumantha and Visalakshi eventually settled permanently in Houston, Texas living with their oldest son but never too far from any of their other children.

Hanumantha is the embodiment of strength and resilience. He has suffered the loss of three children, and he lost his beloved wife in 2014, only two months before what would have been their 70th wedding anniversary. Hanumantha never lost faith, even during the darkest of days. He was a devoted Hindu, keeping with a consistent, yet evolving, spiritual practice throughout his life. He remained an avid learner, religiously reading multiple newspapers every day. He was truly a wealth of knowledge. He was also diligent in taking note of his thoughts. He kept a detailed diary of interesting facts and ideas he had, making sure to share with those around him.

Hanumantha passed away on July 30 2022. He is survived by three children, nine grandchildren and ten great grandchildren.