Obituary of Sudha Rai

Sudha Rai, 77, of Markham, Ontario, passed away peacefully at her home on November 16, 2023. Sudha
was born in undivided India during the Partition War in 1947. Her family, and millions like them, fled
from the city of Lahore as refugees, first to Kashmir, and eventually settled in Delhi.

She attended Miranda House, a constituent college of Delhi University, completing both her bachelor’s
degree and a master’s degree in social work. She was quickly hired as a staff social worker at the
Kalawati Saran Children’s Hospital, where a chance meeting on a hospital ward introduced her to the
man who was to become her beloved husband, Hari.

Over their 37 years together, Hari and Sudha built a beautiful life. They kept a lovely home, the doors of
which were always flung open happily for family, friends and guests. She loved her friends, many of
whom she met in the 1970s and 1980s and remained close with until the end of her life.

Sudha was extremely dedicated to her work. She spent most of her career in Toronto working at the
Catholic Children’s Aid Society. She went to extraordinary lengths to ensure the wellbeing of the
children and families she served and found great satisfaction in doing so.

Sudha had a joyful spirit, keeping within her a childlike enthusiasm for all manner of fun. She was also a
deeply spiritual woman, who took immense comfort in her Lord and in devotional music. And though
she suffered with serious health issues for many years, spending the last years of her life in a weakened
condition, she still managed to find joy in family vacations, holiday celebrations, visits with her friends,
quality time with her sisters, and her undisputed greatest thrill, being a grandmother.

Sudha is survived by her daughter, Meera Rai Govindaraj, son-in-law, Manish Govindaraj, beloved grand-
daughter, Tara Govindaraj, sisters Nandini Bali, Kusum Dutta and Renu Sharma, and twelve nieces and
nephews: Suchitra Khaneja, Sunanda Vaid, Pankaj Vaid, Atul Bali, Madhavi Irani, Sangeeta Vaid, Ranjana
Arora, Chetan Vaid, Munish Dutt, Rajeev Dutt, Rupali Sharma and Vibhor Sharma. She is preceded in
death by her dear husband, Hargovind Rai, her parents, Madan Gopal and Raj Vaid, her brothers, Sat Pal
Vaid and Mohan Vaid and sister Nirmal Vaid.

Sudha will also be fondly remembered by the diligent caregivers who looked after her in the last several
years of her life – Josephine Hernandez, Payal Shah, Chami Gunarathna, Chhotin Sherpa, Cynthia
Samson, Dipa Odedara, Reena Rani and Arshdeep Kaur. The family’s gratitude to these strong and loving
women knows no end.