Vadhula S. Lakshmi

Vadhula S. Lakshmi passed away at home in Washington, D.C. on the night of December 16th, 2025 after a brief period of illness. She went peacefully and in the company of her family.

Vadhula S. Lakshmi was born on January 15th, 1938 in the village of Kolathur, Tamil Nadu. Her parents were Rajalakshmi Ammal and Kolathur Narayana Iyer Nataraja Iyer. From childhood, she was known for her patience and her selfless decision to postpone her own education to care for her parents. She was deeply devoted to Gnanananda Swami of Tapovanam, and upon his recommendation, married V. N. Srinivasan. They were united in loving marriage for 63 years, and he now survives her.

After marriage, Vadhula S. Lakshmi worked as an elementary school teacher for 25 years while tirelessly raising her children and supporting her extended family. Her children are: Vadula Jayaraman (m. Chitra Jayaraman), Gowri Ganesh (m. Ganesh Subramaniam), Kalpakam Shastri (m. Arun Shastri), and Rajgopal Srinivasan (m. Anupama Rajgopal).

She will be fondly remembered as Lakshmi Teacher to the many generations of students whom she educated, and as Lakshmi Patti to her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. In retired life, she was passionate about Carnatic music, spiritual discourses, and keeping in touch with the many branches of her thriving extended family. She was especially close with her sister Saraswathi Venkatasubramanian, who passed away in March 2025.

Vadhula S. Lakshmi is survived by her husband, V. N. Srinivasan; her children and their spouses; seven grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; as well as many, many other family members whom she loved and cherished, and who loved her in turn. Of her six siblings – Mangalam Shankaranarayanan, Saraswathi Venkatasubramanian, K. N. Subramanian, K. N. Gopalan, Lalitha Dandapani, and Shantha Krishnan – she is survived by Shantha Krishnan.

Her cremation will take place on December 19th at Carewell Cremations, 2929 Eskridge Rd Suite N, Fairfax, VA 22031. From 1–2pm, there will be a visitation period open to friends and family. Following that, there will be a private ceremony and cremation from 2–3pm.