Obituary of Pramila Narasimha Rao

As we sadly announce the passing of our dear Pramila- wife, mother, sister, daughter, friend, educator, and author- we choose this opportunity to celebrate her life and achievements, and bask in the warmth of her watching over us and the world she left behind. Dr. Pramila Rao had a remarkable ability of making everyone feel heard and loved. Her smile was infectious, bright and wide. She radiated positivity and always placed herself in the role of a mentor. Her mentorship extended from her own kin, to children in the Northern Virginia area, to her peers at Marymount University. She accomplished more in one lifetime than many would in several. She was the founder of Ashta Education, a K-12 tutoring company initially focused on SAT/PSAT test-taking, that later exclusively providing one-on-one coaching in a creative writing workshop for middle and high school-aged children. She was the author of five books addressing cultural issues in HR management, and submitted countless papers to academic journals. Added to that, she was constantly striving to improve her proficiency in Japanese and spoke fluent Spanish. Her hard-earned doctorate relied heavily upon her countless phone calls to survey respondents in Mexico, with whom she carried on entire conversations in Spanish. Armed with a Masters’ degree from Grand Valley State University in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and a Ph.D from George Washington University in D.C, Pramila joined Marymount University nearly twelve years ago, and loved her work as much as she did her family. She conducted her last online class from her hospital room two weeks before her passing, refusing to excuse herself from her “primary responsibilities”. Her prolific writing and submissions to HR conferences brought her the joy of traveling to other countries, where she was happiest to connect with her international peers and academic idols, while she soaked up the local culture and customs. She was a professional member of SHRM, where she was called upon to conduct coaching programs and develop learning modules. Pramila would regale her children with stories about traveling to evening classes while six months pregnant on a public bus in Grand Rapids. Her older children then witnessed her taking on her doctoral studies while carrying their youngest sibling. Her commitment to education and furthering her own knowledge was inspiring to all those around her. Most of all, Pramila was an excellent mother, an amazing wife and friend, and a great cook. Pramila went to all the parent-teacher conferences, dance classes, and music lessons that a parent could attend. She was fiercely loyal, independent and a true Mama Bear. Her children remember the curly-haired teddy bear images she would draw on notepads, and the random scribbles of love that every bagged lunch carried. Her husband was the luckiest and most frequent target for her delicious and varied packed lunches, which she dutifully forced on him to ensure his healthy eating habits. We wish we could describe to you her fragrance - it was a kind of honeydew lavender. Or her laugh, which was loud and unapologetic. We wish we could show you the scarves she loved, the bindis she wore, the sound her beaded pants would make as she walked. We wish we could show you how cute she was when she was unhappy with her children, or frustrated with her husband. How even when she scolded us, there was so much love. She was the anchor of our household. She was our superwoman.