Saraswathi Thankam Parameswaraiyer

Saraswathi Thankam Parameswaraiyer (P. S. Thankam), 77, beloved wife, mother and grandmother passed away at home in Pleasanton, CA, on May 15, 2015. Born on June 4, 1937, in Trivandrum, India, she started her career as a Hindi language teacher at age 17, and went on to win the President of India's award for teaching excellence before she retired in 1997. She was adored by her students, many of whom remember her fondly for her kind and gentle manner, and for encouraging and inspiring them at a young age. Mrs. Thankam was a woman of many talents. Passionate about languages, she wrote numerous poems in Hindi and Tamil, for use in her classroom, and as special gifts for her loved ones. An expert seamstress, she enjoyed making clothes for all her family, and applied her creativity and innovation to all aspects of her life. She touched the hearts of everyone she met, and is universally remembered for her infectious optimism, patience, kindness, generosity of spirit, and her incredible strength of character. She is deeply missed, and survived by her husband P. Viswanathan, daughters Maya, Jothi, and Bindu, sons-in-law Sankaran, Shirish, and Raghav, and grandchildren Shreyas, Tejas, Uma, and Nina.