Lekha Wickramasekaran, née Chandralekha Ariathurai, passed away in Santa Barbara, CA on March 5th, 2025.

Lekha is reunited with her beloved husband, Raj "Papa" Wickramasekaran, who departed this world less than a year before she did, after sharing 53 years of loving matrimony.

A devoted mother, mother-in-law, and doting grandmother, she generously opened her home to many throughout her life, providing guidance and love when people needed her.

As an electrical engineer and computer scientist, Lekha broke barriers, becoming the first woman inducted into UC Berkeley's EECS Honor Society, Eta Kappa Nu, in the early 1970s—a pioneering achievement when women rarely entered engineering. She contributed to the space shuttle program and JPL for many years, while also succeeding as an entrepreneur, authoring "The Ramayana: An Indian Epic," and becoming an excellent cook. Through active involvement in the community, she touched many lives.

Her rare combination of brilliance and compassion enabled people to feel instantly valued in her presence. Lekha brought warmth and humor to every interaction, creating moments of joy that friends and family continue to share in her memory.

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