Chethan Naga Babu

Chethan Naga Babu, (15), of Brentwood, Tennessee passed away on Sunday, September 14, 2025, at Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital, leaving an indelible legacy of love, joy, fun, and faith for his family and friends and all he impacted. On Saturday morning, while riding his electric bike, Chethan was involved in a tragic accident. As his bike slid at a sidewalk intersection, his body collided with a fire hydrant, sustaining a blunt abdominal injury. He was transported by EMS to Children’s Hospital, where the emergency and surgical teams worked for more than 12 hours to repair extensive damage to his liver. Despite their heroic efforts, the injuries proved too great. Chethan’s family is deeply grateful to the Vanderbilt team for the extraordinary care and compassion they provided during his final hours.

With profound sorrow at his passing, we celebrate and honor the beautiful life of Chethan. He was filled with light, love, and pure joy, and generously shared these gifts with everyone around him. He deeply loved his family, Jesus, and his friends, and will always be remembered as one who brought happiness – and a spark of mischief – to every encounter. Chethan loved people, saw the good in everyone, and had an infectious, cheerful countenance.

Chethan was born to Nicole Francois and Ashok Naga Babu on November 30, 2009, in Aurora, Colorado. In the middle of two wonderful sisters, Anjali and Neela – all of them as close as can be – Chethan was always up for adventures and laughter whether at home, at the lake where he was the designated boat captain, at the beach, or traveling the world as a family.

Chethan was a sophomore at Brentwood High School, and an active and skilled member of the Mountain Bike Team. He was involved in the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Center, learning business skills and recently starting his own enterprise flying drones to film classic and exotic cars.

Mechanically and technically adept, Chethan enjoyed tinkering in the garage, working on cars, fixing old electronics, and applying his curiosity to solving complex problems. Even as a young boy, his Lego creations were legendary.

With adventure in his DNA, Chethan loved to wakeboard, surf, swim, ride anything with wheels including mountain bikes, scooters, and even built a bike ramp in the front yard where he worked on perfecting his jumps.

Chethan’s faith was a big part of his life. He initiated and led a Monday morning Bible study at Chik-fil-A, co-led a Wednesday lunch Bible study at school that drew hundreds of students, was an active member of the student ministry at Fellowship Bible Church, and created numerous Instagram videos sharing scriptures and inspiration. Last summer, he raised money and went on a mission trip to Guatemala with Fellowship Student Ministry, helping to build houses and educating middle and high school kids about Jesus Christ.

For one so young, Chethan fully embraced life and had a lasting impact on others. He will be remembered as a free spirit, a true connector, a friend to all, an includer, and someone who gave other kids a place to land. Chethan was a loving son, a great brother and protector, a leader who was bold in sharing his beliefs, fearless and adventurous, witty, and curious. With his signature radiant smile, high-fives, hugs, and thumbs-up for all, Chethan created shine each day and brought people together.

Chethan is survived by his parents, Nicole and Ashok, sisters Anjali and Neela; grandparents Prakash and Ratna Babu, Peoria, Illinois; uncles Jason (Elizabeth) Francois, Apache Junction, Arizona; Jason (Jem) Maddux, Silver City, New Mexico; Ashvin (Chandrika) Babu, Raleigh, North Carolina; Anand (Nicola) Babu, Seattle, Washington; and many loving cousins.

He was welcomed into Heaven by grandparents Peggy and William Francois.

A Celebration of Life for Chethan will be held on Sunday, September 21, 2025, at 2:30 p.m. at Fellowship Bible Church 1210 Franklin Road, Brentwood, Tennessee. A reception on the lawn will follow with food trucks, visiting, and volleyball, honoring his love of playing outside. Guests are invited to wear casual, bright-colored attire in honor of Chethan’s joyous, free spirit, including athletic wear to play outside if desired.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a memorial contribution to the Brentwood High School Mountain Bike Team or the Fellowship Bible Church Guatemala Mission Trip Fund. Chethan’s family invites you to live with joy, laughter, faith, love, and adventure, just as he did.