Rajeswari Selvaratnam

Rajeswari Selvaratnam, 86, of Indianapolis, passed away on February 05, 2024. She was born in Colombo, Sri Lanka on August 11, 1937. Rani (as she was affectionately known) received a bachelor’s degree from University of Peradeniya in Sri Lanka and was a high school teacher before moving to Bangkok, Thailand with her family in 1973.

Rani is survived by her daughters, Shivi Selvaratnam of Carmel, IN and Vatsala Syed of Conshohocken, PA; grandchildren, Arjuna and Anisha Mahenthiran and Jasmine and Sara Syed; and sister, Thilakeswari Ramalingam (Ragu) of Brisbane, Australia. She was preceded in death by her husband Sinnathamby Selvaratnam (Selva), father Chinnathamby Sabharatnam, mother Maheswari Sabharatnam, brother Sabharatnam Pathmanathan, and sisters Maheswari Cumaraswamy, Sundareswari Yoganathan, and Mangaleswari Krishnadasan.

A funeral service will be held at the Aaron Ruben Nelson Mortuary, 11411 North Michigan Rd, on Thursday, February 08 at 1:30 PM. In lieu of flowers, if so desired, we ask that donations be made to Manitha Neyam Trust (MNT) at #97, Charter Road, Acton, MA 01720 ( https://manithaneyam.org ) in her name. Both Rani and her husband (Selva) spent the latter part of their lives as philanthropists and were great supporters of this Trust’s endeavors. One of their signature acts of compassion was in donating their house in Ratmalana, Sri Lanka to MTN which became a home for the elderly now known as Selva Ilam. They made a large impact on so many people back home in Sri Lanka through their donations and support and will be forever remembered for their kindness and generosity.

Services will be live streamed.  To watch live please click here .