Enlightening our hearts this Diwali

A famous Sanskrit hymn goes:

Tamso Ma Jyothir Gamaya (Lead me from Darkness to Light)

Anuj lighting up the world with the Goodness of his heart and Diwali Candles. October 1993.

Anuj holding a Diwali Sparkle. October, 1988.

Reminiscence

Thank you for being the angels who look upon us every second of the day.

Immortality

"What we do for ourselves dies with us. What we do for others and the world remains and is immortal."
-Albert Pine

We miss you today. Just like we have for the last 1094.

April 9th: Remembering Anuj on his Birthday

“This very moment is a seed from which the flowers of tomorrow's happiness grow.”

April 9th, 1976, a seed was born. 33 years later, as we look back at Anuj’s life, we can’t help but be inspired by this beautiful flower. The time we shared with him, the memories we treasure, and lessons we learnt are a testament to the role model that Anuj had become to many of us.

Inspiring and giving hope to people in need is what Anuj always dreamt of. This is the same vision that gave birth to the Anuj Mohan Scholarship Fund.

Last week, Mohan Family was able to do just that by kick starting two awards as part of the Scholarship Fund at his high school in Lucknow, India.

Two scholarships, each recognizing the recipients’ top of class standing for class 10 and 12 respectively would be awarded each year assisting them with future academic efforts.

The seed most certainly bloomed into a beautiful flower that spread happiness among us all. With him in our thoughts and mind every second of the day, we hope these scholarships would continue to breed great role models who will do their part in sowing the right seeds to happiness and in turn continue to keep Anuj’s legacy alive.

Letters of Friendship

Friendship is like the breeze,
You can't hold it,
Smell it,
Taste it,
Or know when it's coming,
But you can always feel it,
And you'll always know it's there,
It may come and then go,
But you can know it'll always be back.

Time and again we come acorss friendships that Anuj made in his short life. Each one being special in its own special way and each one having its own touching memory of Anuj. Recently we came another such example. Peter, a childhood friend of Anuj's from Michighan reached out to us and shared some of his most memorable childhood recolletions of him and Anuj growing up together. In addition, he also sent the family, letters that Anuj wrote to him over two decades ago, after moving to India. Peter holding on these letters gave us another glimpse at the special friendship bonds that Anuj made with his peers, ones that continue to live on as he does in our hearts.

Anuj and Peter along with the rest of their little league baseball team. Anuj is second from left (standing) with Peter on his immediate left. Spring, 1983

Anuj's letter to Peter. May, 1985

Anuj's letter to Peter (Page 1). August, 1987

Anuj's letter to Peter (Page 2). August, 1987

Anuj's letter to Peter (Page 3). August, 1987

Anuj's letter to Peter (Page 4). August, 1987

Anuj's letter to Peter (Page 1). May, 1987

Anuj's letter to Peter (Page 2). May, 1987

Diwali: Illuminating Our Hearts with Hope

From very beginning, in every legend of Diwali that is recited to us, lies the significance of “Victory of Good over Evil”; and it is with each New Year that this festival of light marks, that this simple truth finds new reason and hope to illuminate our hearts and homes.

On this auspicious occasion of Deepawali, as the thoughts of Anuj continues to be in our hearts and minds, we are once again reminded of his good deeds and great life as it continues to project light on the right path, giving us hope and strength and leading us from darkness into light.

Anuj with Dad and Mom. Diwali, 1992.

Anuj with Dad, Mom and Kapil. Diwali, 1993.

A True Sportsman

Sports were always an integral part of Anuj’s life. Be it playing cricket with his brothers in their back yard or watching the Olympics on TV, Anuj would not miss out on the opportunity of being a part of it one way or the other. We are often reminded of Anuj constantly repeating that "Sports is the the best thing to watch on TV now-a-days."

With the eyes of the world focused on the 29th Olympic Games in Beijing, Anuj often comes to our minds. The interesting part of his passion for sports was the fact that his dedication for it would always intrigue others and sooner or later you would see a huge group watching and cheering a team on along with Anuj. Putting all of it in a sport analogy, Anuj was a true sportsman one who lived for sports, no matter what the game might be.

Friends Forever

“GooD FriendS
Good Friends Are Hard To Find.
Good Friends Are Easy To Love.
Good Friends Are Presents That
Last Forever And That Feel
Like Gifts From Above

Good Friends Are One In A Million.
Good Friends Are Stories To Share.
Good Friends Know The Path To YourHappiness,
And They Walk With You
All The Way There.
Good Friends Are Lives Overlapping.
Good Friends Are Laughter And Tears.
Good Friends Are Emotions So Deep
That The Trust Just Keeps Growing
Over The Years.
Good Friends Are Hard To Find.
Good Friends Are Easy To Adore.
And You've Been Such A Good Friend To Me...That I Could Ask For Nothing More.

Thanks for Being Such a Wonderful Friend”

-Anonymous

Anuj touched each and every one of us in one way or the other. Nearly 20,000 people have visited this blog put together in Anuj’s memory. Each one of these 20,000 people and their personal accounts with Anuj are a constant reminder of who Anuj was, is and will be.

We miss you today. Just like we have for the last 729 days.

"Good Deeds" always live on

"Neither fire nor wind, birth nor death can erase our good deeds."

- Buddha

Your deeds and teaching will always be the guiding light for each and everyone you touched. You were there when we cried, when we laughed, when we needed encouragement and when we just need a good friend. We miss you as always, but we also know that you will always be there for us.

Anuj and Dad together in Boston. Summer, 2005.

Guiding Light in the New Year

Memories are one of the most important treasures we share with family and friends. One of the fondest New Years memories of Anuj for his parents was his call to them at the stroke of 12 in the year 2000, the year that marked the turn of the millennium. Anuj being ever thoughtful, made it a point, to wish them a Happy New Year from MIT while his parents were still in India, on this once in a lifetime moment.

With the onset of the New Year and the fireworks lighting up the skies as we bid adieu to 2007 and welcome 2008, we are reminded of how Anuj is a shining star in the sky. He has left behind a legacy that inspires us to live by his example everyday. In the year 2008, it is our resolution to make his dreams come true and in turn keep his memory alive for years to come.

Anuj with Mom and Dad at Pebble Beach. December 2003.

Lights of Hope

Diwali – “The festival of lights” is one of the most auspicious days in the Hindu calendar. The day also marks the start of a new year. People all over the world celebrate the day by decorating their houses with beautiful candles and oil lamps, sharing sweets, lighting firecrackers. And they hope that the New Year brings joy and prosperity for them and their loved ones. Anuj was always full of energy, and particularly enthusiastic around this time of the year. Be it decorating the house by putting up lights or going to buy sweets for the occasion, Diwali seemed to put extra exuberance into him--an energy that had a contagious effect on everyone around him.

Anuj continues to live inside each and every one of us. He continues to inspire us with his positive energy and hope as we step into a New Year.

Anuj holding a Sparkle. Diwali, 1988.

Anuj with Dad and Kapil. Diwali, 1993.

Plaque in Anuj's Memory

Recently the Wharton Entrepreneurship Club honored Anuj by dedicating a plaque in his memory. The plaque was placed in their program office in honor of the contributions he made while serving as president of the club. Last year the club dedicated the 2006-2007 academic year in recognition of Anuj's unique and inspiring leadership. These gestures are a reminder of the tremendous impact Anuj had in his one, short year as part of the Wharton Community. The plaque reads as follows:

"Anuj Mohan
President of the Entrepreneurship Club
A warm and kind colleague and friend who gave so much to everyone who was fortunate enough to know him
We will miss you greatly,
The Wharton Community"

The plaque in honor of Anuj's many contributions to the Wharton community

Another image of the plaque dedicated to Anuj.

Some of the students and faculty who were in attendance when the plaque was put up in the office.

Trick-or-Treat

We all know it's Halloween when one sees jack-o-lanterns, kids trick-or-treating, costume parties and haunted houses. For Anuj, Halloween meant doing all this and just having fun with friends and family. From carving pumpkins with Mom and Dad a couple of years ago, to dressing up in Army Rangers and Cub Scout costumes with his brother Neal back in Michigan, Anuj always looked forward to trick-or-treating and spreading happiness all around. I remember distinctly, talking to Anuj of an instance while he was still at MIT, where he along with his friends bought lots of candy and carved pumpkins for the underprivileged kids from the neighborhood so they could have a fun filled Halloween.

Once again we were witness to Anuj’s giving and helping nature for the entire community.

Anuj dressed up as a cub scout in Michigan. Halloween, 1982.

Anuj getting ready to go trick-or-treating with his brother Neal. Halloween, 1982.

"Vijay Dashmi" (The Victory of Good over Evil)

Anuj used to always be enthusiastic about celebrating various Indian festivals. "Vijay Dashmi" (The Victory of Good over Evil) also known as Dussehra was one of his favorite ones.

The festival is the celebration of Lord Rama's victory over evil. It is also believed that a venture started on this auspicious day is bound to be successful.

Today as the world celebrates this auspicios day, we are reminded of the memories we shared with Anuj during the festivities. Below are just a few glimpses of Anuj celebrating "Vijay Dashmi" with the rest of the family.

October, 1993.

October, 1992.

"In 9/11 remembrance, a turning to good deeds"

Anuj from the very beginning was a giver. He always believed that everyone had something to offer and all he or she needed to do was to look inside to find that giving nature. He was always ready to extend his hand out to anyone and everyone. His involvement with the National Kidney Foundation and Rebuilding Together were just a couple of examples of Anuj giving back to the community.

It was this deep rooted desire of Anuj's that inspired us to start the Anuj Mohan Scholarship Fund. He taught us a lot about life and this is one simple way of keeping his legacy alive for years to come.

Everyday we are presented with numerous opportunities to perform a good deed. An article published today in memory of 9/11 highlights how more and more people use today as a day to perform a good deed by making donations in various forms and getting involved in the betterment of soceity.

http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/0910/p01s03-ussc.html

By Alexandra Marks
Published: September 11, 2007

NEW YORK - On Sept. 11, Jacob Sundberg of San Antonio has pledged to make eye contact and smile at everyone he meets. Kaitlin Ulrich will bring goody baskets to the police and fire departments in and around Philadelphia. And 100 volunteers from New York – 9/11 firefighters and family members among them – are going to Groesbeck, Texas, to rebuild a house destroyed by a tornado last December.

This is a minute sampling of the hundreds of thousands of people who have pledged to memorialize those killed on 9/11 by doing something good for others.

The heroic acts of all those killed trying to save others that September morning has spawned a growing grass-roots movement. The goal is to ensure that future generations remember not just the horror of the attacks, but also the extraordinary outpouring of humanity during the days, weeks, and months that followed.

"It was the worst possible day imaginable, and in some ways, a remarkable day, too, in the way in which people responded," says David Paine, cofounder of myGoodDeed.org. "We need to rekindle the way we came together in the spirit of 9/11: It would be almost as much a tragedy to lose that lesson."

Sept. 11 has inspired dozens of philanthropic efforts – from groups dedicated to building memorials to foundations designed to improve education in the Middle East. But myGoodDeed has a more universal goal: to turn 9/11 into a day dedicated to doing good – from small, simple things like Lisa Scheive's pledge to help stranded turtles cross the road in Pompano Beach, Fla., to lifesaving efforts, such as John Feal's decision in New York to donate one of his kidneys to help a seriously ill 9/11 worker.

The idea has been endorsed by members of Congress, and at myGoodDeed's urging, President Bush for the first time this year included a call for volunteering in his annual 9/11 proclamation.
After major disasters, Americans have historically tapped a deep reserve of compassion and reached out to others. But in the months and years that follow, those compassionate and civic urges tend to recede. Studies at Harvard's Saguaro Seminar on Civic Engagement in America found that in as few as five months after 9/11, most Americans had gone back to their daily lives and were not more engaged as they said they'd hoped to be. Part of the goal of turning 9/11 into a national day of service is to remind Americans of the inherent joy of giving and to hopefully spur volunteering and charitable acts throughout the year.

"I don't know of any research that's been done on one day of service, but studies have shown that people who do volunteering in high school are more likely to volunteer throughout their lives," says Thomas Sander, executive director of the Saguaro Seminar.

The idea of turning 9/11 into a day of service, charity, and good deeds came from the family and friends of one man: Glenn Winuk, a volunteer fireman and lawyer who worked a block and a half from the World Trade Center. After he helped evacuate his Broadway law offices, he grabbed a medic's bag and ran toward the smoke pouring from the South Tower. That's where his remains were found after the towers fell. Mr. Paine and Glenn's brother Jay had been friends for years. They decided that turning 9/11 into a day of service was best way to memorialize Glenn.

"It completely reflects the way my brother lived his life, and it also specifically reflects how he died," says Mr. Winuk, myGoodDeed.org cofounder. "He laid his life on the line for other people that day."

In 2002, Paine and Winuk sent e-mails to friends and family and suggested they do a good deed, such as donate a day's pay on 9/11. Then the idea evolved, and they founded myGoodDeed.org. In 2004, 100,000 visited their website and pledged to do a good deed on 9/11. This year, those pledging number more than 250,000.

"A lot of people don't know what to do on 9/11," says Paine. "This hits people in their heart and their soul. It connects with something that's fundamental."

The Immortality of Love

Unable are the loved to die
For love is immortality

- Emily Dickinson

Father's Day

Anuj's Father's Day card for Dad. June, 2000.

June, 1983.

April, 1994.

December, 1998.

A Year is a Relative Thing

"...When a person dies he only appears to die. He is still very much alive in the past... All moments, past, present and future, always have existed, always will exist. ...It is just an illusion we have here on Earth that one moment follows another one, like beads on a string, and that once a moment is gone it is gone forever."
- Kurt Vonnegut

We miss you today. Just like we have for the last 364.

A Walk in Downtown San Jose

On Saturday, Mom, Kapil and Hema participated in the National Kidney Foundation of Northern California's annual walk to raise funds for the organization, which is dedicated to raising awareness about kidney disease.

Dad and Anuj were active in the Foundation for several years. They volunteered their time at area dialysis centers, helped plan the annual walk, and then cheerfully staffed registration and other tables on the big day of the walk. They enlisted the whole family to help out as well.

This year, the Foundation recognized Dad and Anuj in promotional materials about the walk and then announced their names before the walk began in the Arena Green, a park in the middle of downtown San Jose, and then snaked around Market street. The dark morning clouds gave way to sunbursts and then a clear blue sky by afternoon, reminding us that Dad and Anuj were with us.

In their names, we walked and--with heavy hearts--remembered all that they had done to better the National Kidney Foundation and the world around them.

Better and Happier with Anuj

Let no one ever come to you without leaving better and happier.

- Mother Theresa

We came across this quote today, and it instantly reminded us of Anuj. He embodied the spirit of Mother Theresa's words completely. His gentleness, regard for other people's perspectives, and easy-going manner ensured that every interaction with Anuj--from a casual conversation to a deep exchange--left us feeling better and happier.

Memorial Day Trip

Three years ago during the Memorial Day weekend, Anuj decided to take Mom and Dad on a vacation to Boston. They couldn't have asked for a better guide to be with than Anuj on this trip. Having spent 5 years in Boston and being well versed at what the city has to offer, Anuj organised the trip beautifully by covering the entire city over a span of 6 days. Not only did he take them to all the major landmarks that this historic city has, but he took them on an personalised tour of his Alma mater - MIT and they to also got to witness a Boston Red Sox baseball game where they enjoyed the famous "Fenway Dogs". Below are a few photographs from the trip:

On the Longfellow bridge.

Fenway Park.

The new Computer Science building at MIT.

Park Street Station.

At the robotic lab at MIT.

Graduation

On May 13, the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School of Business held its 251st commencement ceremony where the Class of 2007 was conferred. Anuj was also among the graduating class as he was awarded the Masters of Business Administration degree posthumously. Today the family received the actual diploma along with the graduation program honoring Anuj, which you can see below.

"We had an exceptional day for Graduation this year - by far the best weather in years. I heard several people mention that the spirit of Anuj helped keep the clouds away."

-Kristi Aiello (Director of Student Life, Graduate Division, Wharton School of Business)

Mother's Day

Mother's Day is the day when all the mothers of the world are honored for helping us become who we are today. Anuj would almost always be the first one to wish Mom a "Happy Mother's Day" be it in person or over the phone and in the customary fashion would always take her out to brunch on this special day in May. Throughout the years, he showed his appreciation for Mom by giving her gifts that she could cherish for the rest of her life. Adjacent is a beautiful charm picture that Anuj painted at school for Mother's Day '83.

Anuj on Mom's Lap. Summer 1977.

Anuj with Mom in Michighan. Summer, 1979.

Anuj along with Mom and Dad. Summer, 1986.

Anuj with Mom on his return from MIT. Summer, 1997.

Anuj with Mom in front of the MIT Dome. Summer 2004.

A Day of Rememberance

May 6, 2007, marks a bitter sweet day for us. While the news of Anuj being honored with a posthumous (MBA) degree from Wharton is being appreciated as a great honor, it also reminds of us of the day one year ago when Anuj landed in the bay area after having completed his first year at business school. The memories of that day come rushing back; his loving smile, his joy and enthusiasm and his stories of friends and experiences from the past year all fill our hearts and eyes with tears.

Anuj and his friends at Wharton Business School. Fall, 2006.

Anuj along with his Cohort at Business School. Spring, 2006.

Rumi's Inspiration and Ours

There has been much written and disputed about the life of the great 13th century mystical poet Rumi. But by all accounts, Rumi had a dear friend named Shams of Tabriz. Together, Shams and Rumi explored spiritual teachings, gave each other tremendous strength, and shared a bond that changed their lives.

When Shams died, Rumi was so overwhelmed with grief that he channeled all of his sorrow into what is said to be a period of intense thinking. Through this mourning came some of Rumi's most famous works of poetry, including Diwan-i Shamsa, a collection of 30,000 verses that he dedicated to Shams.

Though he passed away many moons before Rumi, Shams was immortalized through Rumi's poems of love and devotion. Following is an excerpt:

The death of such a master is no little thing.
He was not chaff which flew on the wind,
He was not water which froze in winter.
He was not a comb which was broken with a hair,
He was not a seed which the earth crushed.
He was a treasure of gold in this dust-pit,
For he valued the two worlds at a barley-corn.
The earthly frame he flung to the earth,
Soul and intellect he bore to heaven.
The pure elixir mingled with the wine-dregs
Came to the jar's surface, and the lees settled apart.

Anuj continues to inspire us as Shams did Rumi. Out of our grief we hope will emerge many opportunities for young people to find their paths in life through higher education. It will be our poem of love to our dear Anuj.

A Candle brings Hope and Peace

April 19, 2007, at 5 pm, University of Southern California held a memorial service in memory of those lost over the past year. The ceremony held every year gives the graduating class an opportunity to remember these people who made a difference in our lives. Anuj and Dad were also among the ones honored this year. A candle was lit in memory of each of them and the service program had their names mentioned as one of the loved ones remembered. And though the pain of their loss hasn't started to recede, the candles that lit up the dark room holding the service conveyed a message of hope and peace and reminded us all of their never ending love and support.

Anuj and Dad, always together. Winter, 1996.

Snacking with Anuj

Today, New York Times reporter Somini Sengupta wrote an article about the ever popular snack stands around India that serve fingerlicking foods such as chaat, gol gappas, and kochori.

Like other students, Anuj would occasionally visit the chaat stands that line the streets of Lucknow. One famous stall that Dad would take him and the rest of the family to was Tiwari's chaat stand. In addition to food street stalls, Lucknow has its share of fresh juice stands. Kapil fondly remembers going with Anuj to a sugar cane juice stand on Anuj's 17th birthday. They were on their way home on their daily rickshaw ride from St. Francis. The unrelenting heat of summer had just hit. Anuj suggested they stop at the stand for a refreshing drink. While it was a short pit spot, like every other experience with Anuj, it was easy-going, wonderfully pleasant, and memorable because of its sheer simplicity.

Many years later, Anuj enjoyed delicious chaat at Shalimar, an Indian restaurant in Fremont. It was one of his favorite places in the Bay Area. Always one to share, he would take friends and family there to experience the delectable treats.

Anuj and Kapil noshing on kachoris and samosas. 1988.

Celebrating with Mom and Dad

Buried in a stack of old birthday photographs, we found this faded gem. Here is Anuj eyeing his cake as he gets ready to celebrate his second birthday. As you can see, he gets a little help from Dad in blowing out the candles. Mom looks on adoringly.

Anuj, Mom and Dad. Spring 1978.

Thirty-One Years Ago

Anuj a few weeks after he entered this world. Spring 1976.

Thirty-one years ago, Aditya and Deepa Mohan were a young couple who had just moved to Boca Raton, Florida. On April 9th, at 2:07 PM, they were blessed with the birth of a beautiful baby boy. He was born at Bethesda Memorial Hospital in the neighboring town of Boynton Beach on Florida's Atlantic coast.

Mom and Dad named him Anuj, on the advice of his grandfather, because he was their second son and was born on the Hindu holy day of Ram Navami. As we described before, Anuj means "younger brother" and often refers to Lord Ram's devoted and heroic younger sibling, Lakshman.

It is said that a soul is a detailed, elaborate pattern that exists very clearly in one's brain. When a person dies, the original is no longer around. But there are versions of it in all the people that one impacted in life. The soul remains deeply embedded, albeit as a less detailed copy, in the hearts and minds of those that knew that person. Thus our lives end not when we die but when the very last person who knew us dies.

It's been ten months since Anuj physically left us but on his special day, the day we expected to celebrate his thirty-first birthday, we know that he lives on in all of our hearts.

Basketball Hoops

With the NCAA basketball season coming to an end and new champions being crowned, we are reminded of Anuj's passion for the game. Be it through the NCAA pool at his fraternity, or a quick pick up game during lunch hour at work, Anuj always found ways to indulge his love of basketball. In fact it was a sport he actively participated in since childhood. Anuj became the youngest member of his high-school basketball team in the 9th grade and in college he could always be counted on to play a significant role on his fraternity hoops team.

Anuj taking a jumper in college. Fall, 1996.

Anuj along with the rest of his high-school basketball team. Winter, 1992. He is second from left in the front row.

Ram Navmi

Shri Ram Navami is dedicated to the memory of Lord Rama, the legendary hero of the famous epic, The Ramayana. It occurs on the ninth day of Navaratre, (Navami). Celebrated enthusiastically all over India, the festival commemorates the birth of Rama who is remembered for his prosperous and righteous reign. Ram Rajya (the reign of Rama) has become synonymous with a period of peace and prosperity. He was an epitome of all that is good and true.

Coincidentally, Anuj was also born on this auspicious day of Ram Navami in 1976. That year Ram Navami fell on April 9, Anuj's birthday.

Anuj on his 8th Birthday. 1984.

Anuj on his 12th Birthday. 1988.

Anuj on his 9th Birthday. 1985.

Anuj on his 11th Birthday. 1987.

Anuj on his 10th Birthday. 1986.

Anuj on his 13th Birthday. 1989.

Cycling

One of Anuj's greatest passions was his love for cycling. Be it a road trip from Boston to Cape Cod or a weekend excursion on one of the many bike routes in California, Anuj was ever-ready to put on his helmet and shoes and go for a ride. This affinity began at a very young age when he first learned how to ride a bike. Anuj along with his brother Neal used to ride their dirt bikes around the neighborhood for hours after school. Later on when he joined MIT, Anuj and his fraternity brothers covered a 200-mile stretch from Boston to Cape Cod in a mere 2 days. His love for cycling only grew when he moved out to the west coast and discovered the numerous bike routes spread out all across the bay area. Anuj never missed out on a chance to ride on one of these routes. One of his dreams that unfortunately never materialised was to bike for fundraising cycling excursions, from San Francisco to Los Angeles, where he could enjoy his passion while helping out the community.

Anuj enjoying a ride along the block in Michigan. Summer 1983.

Anuj posing for us on his new dirt bike. Summer 1982.

Anuj making a pit stop on his way to Cape Cod. Spring 1996.

Anuj along with his fraternity brothers on the Cape Cod trip. Spring 1996.

Cricket - The Game of Love and Unity

One of the greatest sporting spectacles, the 2007 ICC WORLD CUP, kicked off in Trinidad, Jamaica over the weekend. As the fireworks lit the night sky and performers danced to welcome the 16 teams from all corners of the world, we were reminded of Anuj and how passionate he was about the game. One of his prized possessions was a cricket bat he bought during his childhood years. The official song for the World Cup this year is "The Game of Love and Unity" by Shaggy, Rupee and Faye-Ann Lyons, rightly chosen for an event that will be viewed in nearly 200 countries, as millions of fans root for their team to lift the coveted prize. A true lover of the game himself, Anuj not only followed cricket with great interest, but was also a part of the School Cricket Team in his junior and senior years of high school, where he won several awards for his exceptional batting.

Anuj holding the trophy his team received for winning a Cricket Tournament at St. Francis College. Fall 1992.

Holi: The Festival of Colors

The colorful festival of Holi has an ancient origin and is celebrated as the triumph of good over evil. It also bridges the social gap and renews sweet relationships. Holi is a harvest celebration marking the climax of spring. Bonfires are lit the night before, following which, people have fun by throwing colored powder and colorful water, dancing and wishing each other well by giving a hug. Holi was undoubtedly one of Anuj’s favorite festivals.

Holi was always a big tradition in our family. Festivities began days in advance where the house was decorated, Pujas were performed and most importantly sweets and playing colors were bought. On the actual day of Holi, Anuj used to wake up early to fill his water gun with all sorts of colored water and be prepared for the festivities. As the tradition goes, people go from house to house wishing and greeting each other “Happy Holi” while putting color on each other and sharing sweets. Anuj always being full of joy and enthusiasm did the same as he went around with Neal and his friends playing Holi for hours. By the end of the day he used to always be drenched in colored water, have his face painted in an array of colors and already finished nearly a dozen sweets. Anuj loved playing Holi and sharing the love and happiness that the festival is a celebration of. Below are a few images of Anuj along with the family during the many Holis celebrated in India.

Holi, 1990.

Holi, 1993.

Holi, 1992.

Holi, 1990.

Always a Gracious Word

Anuj enjoying his beloved spaghetti. Fall 2005.

"On a lovely, warm September evening some years ago, I decided to make cheese and mushroom ravioli in a tomato sauce for dinner. Anuj was working late that night, so he couldn't join us for our voayage-to-Italy meal. I packed some for Anuj to enjoy later. A week or so later, I received an email with "ravioli" in the subject line. In it, Anuj reported that he enjoyed the pillows of cheese, and appreciated that we had set them aside for him. I recall thinking that Anuj was such a gentleman for taking the time to compose a thank you note, and that he had a knack for making people feel appreciated.

It's an email I still have in my in box, along with every other email I have ever received from Anuj. I will always treasure them."

- Hema

Love is

love doesn't cease
because you're not here
the reflection of you in a
mirror vanished
the phone silent
without rings

your love
our love for you
this beautiful exchange
is boundless
without regard
to the order of things

i don't care
if there is death
i defy it
i won't be captive

love is infinite
even if we can't see you
you live

-hema

Pebble Beach

After last week's Super Bowl, the sporting world's attention shifted across the continent to the beautiful Monterey Peninsula, just south of the San Francisco Bay Area, this weekend. It is here that the annual AT&T Golf Pro-Am at Pebble Beach is taking place. Like many others, Anuj enjoyed the stunning vistas and pervasive tranquility of Monterey Bay and the majestic beauty of its numerous golf courses.

Anuj on his first trip to Pebble beach. He and Neal drove down the picturesque Pacific Coast Highway to get there. Winter 1996.

On a return trip many years later, this time with the rest of the family. Fall 2002.

Super Bowl Party

Today as families around the country gather to root for their team to take home the Vince Lombardi trophy, I’m reminded of sharing the excitement of Super Bowl XXXIX with Anuj in 2005. Neal and I hosted a pizza party. Anuj had another gathering to attend, but never one to disappoint, he arrived at our home, shuffling in with a baseball cap and his amiable spirit. He joined us for a slice of pizza and a beer. When pushed, he admitted that while he enjoyed football, it couldn’t hold a candle to his beloved baseball.

I can’t remember which teams played, who won, or who performed at the halftime show, but what is permanently etched in my memory is spending time with our dear Anuj, his easy going disposition, the dimpled smile that lit up his face and every room he entered, and the way he always found time to share a few precious moments with his family.

Anuj throwing a football around with friends. He had an incredible arm and could gun a tight, accurate spiral no matter how long the pass.

Always Together

Anuj and Daddy during a family function in Michigan. Summer 1978.

Anuj and Daddy in front of a historical monument during one of the many family vacations we took in India. Summer 1990.

Anuj and Daddy in Anuj's room right before he was about to leave for MIT. Summer 1994.

Glimpses from a Beautiful Countryside

Anuj visited Ireland during his Junior Year Spring Break at MIT and could never stop talking about that trip and the beautiful sites that he got to see there. He often shared these stories years after that trip. Here are a few glimpses of that trip he took with his fraternity brothers.

A Visit to the Emerald Isle

Anuj took many trips with his friends in college. Whether it was a weekend in Atlantic City or a drive up to Canada or a visit to Atlanta during the 1996 Olympics, Anuj's presence on these trips made for more great stories, interesting conversation, and lots of laughs. One of his favorites was a trip to Ireland. Anuj, along with his ADP brother, spent a few days there drinking Guiness in Dublin, gaining the gift of the gab from the Blarney Stone and generally having a great time. Here are some photographs from that trip...





With friends in front of an old Irish castle.

In front of Guiness Brewery in Dublin.

Anuj never took himself to seriously. Now the question is... how did he get in there in the first place?!

I Have A Dream

On this day commemorating Martin Luther King Jr.'s life and his immeasurable contribution to our society, we are reminded of how he was an inspiration for Anuj as well. During his many years at St. Francis College in Lucknow, India, Anuj showcased his talents in a number of areas including debates, drama, quiz competitions, and of course, all kinds of sports. However, the area of competition in which he began his multi-year run of winning countless awards was called "public elocution". Competitors gave a prepared speech in front of a large live audience and were judged by their clarity of delivery, passion, ability to connect with the audience, and originality, among a number of other criteria.

For his first attempt on stage Anuj chose MLK's famous "I Have a Dream" speech. Like they did for millions of others, King's words moved him even at that young age - Anuj was in middle school at the time. He felt that conveying MLK's passion and strength of purpose would be a worthy challenge. Anuj understood Martin Luther King Jr.'s deep connection to India based on the latter's lifelong public admiration of Mahatma Gandhi. Therefore he wanted to deliver the speech in a manner that was a true tribute to this great man. He not only succeeded in doing that but in the process won first prize in the contest. His entire family was so proud.

We remain proud to this day because Anuj chose not only to deliver a speech by King, but decided to live his life in a manner inspired by him as well. And those who were lucky enough to cross paths with Anuj, even for a brief time, know that he unequivocally succeeded in achieving that goal.

Anuj holding one of the many awards he won on stage during his time at St. Francis College.

Eyes Closed - Again!

One thing Anuj had a hard time doing was keeping his eyes open in photographs. There are a lot of them with his eyes closed! Somehow he timed his blinks with the camera shutter.

Big smile, eyes closed. A couple years ago.

Vice-Dean Anjani Jain's Remarks

Vice-Dean Anjani Jain, the Director of the MBA program at Wharton, offered these remarks about Anuj and his many contributions to the community during his memorial service on campus:

"Good afternoon. My name is Anjani Jain; I am Vice Dean at the Wharton School and would like to welcome you, on behalf of Dean Harker, our faculty, and the entire Wharton community, to this memorial for Anuj Mohan. I am especially grateful to Anuj’s family – his parents Dr. Deepa Mohan and Dr. Aditya Mohan, his two brothers Neal and Kapil, and his sister-in-law, Hema – for having traveled from California to be with us today.

You will hear from Neal and from a number of Anuj’s classmates and also from Reverend Gipson, the University’s chaplain. Though an entire summer has passed since the day of that awful tragedy in California, our sense of loss is still raw and our sadness still undiminished. That Anuj was remarkably, uncommonly gifted became clear to anyone who came to be in his presence even briefly, and what really drew people to him was the grace and generosity with which he bore his talents and the genuine interest he took in the well being of others. From my vantage point, it was astonishing to see how remarkably he had bridged the gap between the two different cultural traditions of India and the United States. He thrived in each setting and his ample talents allowed him to embrace each culture as his native heritage.

To honor Anuj’s claim over both cultures, I wanted to share with you a couple of verses from the Bhagavad Gita, which was composed more than two-and-a-half millennia ago and from which Indians continue to seek wisdom and solace. I will read the text first in Sanskrit, and then offer a very loose but lyrical translation by Sir Edwin Arnold from over a century ago. Both slokas are taken from Chapter 2 of the Gita.



The soul which is not moved,
The soul that with a strong and constant calm
Takes sorrow and takes joy indifferently,
Lives in the life undying! That which is
Can never cease to be; that which is not
Will not exist. To see this truth of both
Is theirs who part essence from accident,
Substance from shadow.

Indestructible,
the Life is, spreading life through all;
It cannot anywhere, by any means,
Be anywise diminished, stayed, or changed.
But for these fleeting frames which it informs
With spirit deathless, endless, infinite."

Best Man

Today we are reminded that we did not only lose a brother and friend in Anuj but Neal lost his best man. Countless stories come to mind of Anuj's multifaceted role during Neal and Hema's wedding.
For example, in the days leading up to the event, Anuj carefully crafted a best man speech for his brother. In the hectic hours before the actual wedding and reception however, he misplaced the speech and could not find it despite some frantic searching. When the time for delivering his address actually came, Anuj did not break a sweat. He simply got up on stage and delivered an incredibly eloquent, personal, and gracious speech that was at times funny, and at others extremely moving. Amazingly, with no written notes, most of his remarks were from memory, others completely extemporaneous and none of the guests could tell until he admitted to family afterwards that he had lost his speech earlier that day!

Throughout the days of festivities, Anuj played the role of an extremely happy, proud and supportive brother. Days beforehand, he helped print out hundreds of wedding programs. He also planned Neal's bachelor party in New York City which occurred the night before the wedding. When the big day came he danced ceaselessly in celebration. In fact he danced so much during the Baraat that his turban came off! In his usual selfless way, he made the day infinitely brighter, happier and richer because of his presence throughout the wedding week. Whether it was calmly carrying out a last minute errand or leading the celebration with his warm, wide smile, Anuj was there.

Anuj we are forever indebted to you for making that day special for us. If an Indian wedding can be described as a stained glass mosaic of vibrant colors, then today those colors are shards of glass shattered on the floor in the deafening silence created by your absence.

New Year, New Life

As with every new year, each new life is full of potential and hope. So was Anuj's when he entered this world 30 years ago. While we are devastated by the fact that so much of the incredible potential that stemmed from his brilliance and humanity will be left unfilled, we are heartened by the fact that he accomplished more in 30 years than most do in their lifetimes much longer.

With Anuj's life as an inspiration, we begin the new year with intense pain but also with renewed hope. The hope that we will have the strength to carry on his mission and fulfill his desire of helping others through the Anuj Mohan Scholarship Fund.

Precious baby Anuj on his patio at home in Florida. Surrounded by his toys and full of boundless potential. Winter 1977.

Christmas Memories

Anuj along with Dad and Kapil during one of his trips back to India which happened to be around Christmas time. Christmas 1995.


Anuj along with the family on a more recent Christmas Eve. Christmas 2003.

Slideshow Through Life

Anuj as a cute little baby on his first trip to India. Spring 1977.

Anuj before one of his performances on the Annual School Sports Day. Fall 1987.

Anuj looking sharp in his suit jacket. Fall 1991.

Anuj posing in his MIT Baseball Team Jacket. Winter 1995.

Anuj with his signature smile. Winter 2005.

Anuj and Dad - Best Friends

More ADP Memories

Last time we wrote about Anuj's college fraternity, ADP. Here are some pictures from that time in his life:

In front of the ADP seal at a fraternity house while on a roadtrip to Montreal. Seals like these adorn the walls of the MIT house as well. Anuj's picture with his class is also permanently displayed there.



Hanging out with friends in the main basement lounge (with the big TV) of the ADP house. This is where Anuj would often watch the Patriots or the Red Sox with fellow sports fans, help freshman finish problem sets or simply regale his fraternity brothers with his great stories.


Anuj with friends at a fraternity semi-formal. This party was on a boat in Boston.

Alpha Delta Phi Fraternity

We have mentioned Alpha Delta Phi (ADP) in several previous posts. ADP is the fraternity Anuj was a part of during his years at MIT. He joined the organization a week after coming to campus in 1994 (fraternity rush occurred right after the first few days of orientation there). Some of his best lifelong friends were fellow members of his pledge class or other brothers in the fraternity. Anuj lived in the ADP house with these friends and many of his extra-curricular activities in college centered around the fraternity: community service, intramural sports, road trips, parties and generally hanging out. As we have in the past, we will share as many stories about these times as we can. In this post however, we wanted to relate some information about the ADP fraternity and the MIT (Lambda Phi) chapter.

Anuj with his ADP fraternity brothers. Fall 1994. He is in the second row, smiling with a backwards baseball cap on.

Alpha Delta Phi was founded in 1832 at Hamilton College in Clinton, New York by Samuel Eells. Founded as a literary society, it evolved into one of the more distinguished of the original American college fraternities. ADP has retained its focus on its literary roots in its chapters at colleges and universities in Canada and the United States. According to its founder, the fraternity was established with the intent that "this new association, with a true philosophical spirit, looking to the entire man, develop his whole being—moral, social and intellectual." There are about 50 chapters and its alumni include presidents, chief justices, senators, business and academic leaders, and artists. Some of the most prominent members of the ADP brotherhood are Franklin D. Roosevelt, Theodore Roosevelt and Salmon P. Chase.

The MIT chapter was founded on April 3, 1976 and over the years became a major influence on campus. The ADP house is located on Massachusetts Avenue near Central Square in Cambridge. It is a 10-15 minute walk to the main campus. This is where Anuj lived during his five years at MIT. And it is here that he built countless shared memories with his fraternity brothers and classmates.

To learn more about Alpha Delta Phi, click here.

To learn more about ADP at MIT, click here.

Happier Times...

Those who knew Anuj well often saw his playful, whimsical side. He was wise enough to never take himself too seriously.

Anuj impersonating a cactus on a road trip to Texas. Summer 2004.

Half a Year

Half a year is a long time to miss
that smile, that laugh

That long since we basked in
your brilliance, your grace, your warmth

Six months seem like an eternity
but are a mere drop in the abyss
that are the years without you ahead

Anuj in front of the Charles River in Boston. Spring 2004.

Wharton Entrepreneurship Club Dedication

About two months ago, we posted about Anuj's numerous contributions to entrepreneurship at Wharton. According to his classmates, and as we recount in that post, he displayed remarkable leadership across many initiatives during his year on campus. Anuj had even more grand plans for his second year, which he hoped to fulfill as Co-President of the Entrepreneurship Club. While, devastatingly, he will not be able to follow through on those ideas himself, we know he inspired so many of his classmates with his dedication and creativity, that they carry on his work at Wharton. In that spirit, and in recognition of Anuj's unique and inspiring leadership, the Wharton Entrepreneurship Club has dedicated the 2006-2007 year in his honor.

Anuj was a true entrepreneur in every aspect of his life and through this dedication his inspiration will remain even though he is no longer with us. To see the dedication, click on the link to the club's website below and scroll down the homepage...

Light a Candle...

And I will light a candle for you

To shatter all the darkness and bless the times we knew.

Like a beacon in the night,

The flame will burn bright, and guide us on our way.

Oh, today I light a candle for you.

"One of the Very Best"

"...I have been teaching at The Wharton School since 1984. I am writing to convey a few brief thoughts to you about Anuj on this tragic occasion. He was a student in my class on leadership and teamwork, yet I was privileged to have gotten to know Anuj outside of class as well. He served on a small committee of students who worked with me this year to recruit guest speakers to visit our class.

Anuj and I shared a few lunches during which we did our planning, and it was during these delightful times that I had the pleasure of experiencing Anuj’s remarkable personality, beyond the consistently excellent contributions he made in our class sessions. He was extremely bright, intellectually engaging, humorous yet humble, warm yet clear-headed. I thoroughly enjoyed being with him, and he made the work we had to do very easy with his flexible, creative, can-do approach.

I have gotten to know thousands of Wharton MBA students over the years, and I can honestly say that Anuj stands out in my memory as one of the very best Wharton has ever seen. I was so deeply saddened by the news of his passing for not only will I personally miss him; more importantly, he was truly an ideal citizen of our community. You have my most sincere condolences at this very painful time."

- Professor Stew Friedman

Good Times with Friends

Anuj hanging out with college buddies while at MIT. Many of them would count among his lifelong friends.

The Past, Present, and Future

"Now he has departed from this strange world a little ahead of me. That means nothing. People like us, who believe in physics, know that the distinction between past, present, and future is only a stubbornly persistent illusion."

- Albert Einstein

With Us on Every Holiday

As this Thanksgiving weekend comes to an end, we'd like to share a photograph from last year's festivities. It would be Anuj's last Thanksgiving with us. He was back in the Bay Area from Philadelphia for a few days. Given his very busy schedule, Anuj didn't lead the kitchen activities. Instead he supervised Kapil as he tried to cook up a few of Anuj's specialties. We've already talked about what an incredibly gifted teacher Anuj was and this time was no exception. Under his watchful eye, and easy-going yet insightful guidance, Kapil produced a delicious meal for everyone.

The reason why these photographs went from a few quick digital snapshots to cherished treasures in a few months leaves a cratering hollow in our chests. However we believe that by teaching us how to cook instead of doing it himself on his last Thanksgiving, Anuj made sure that a part of him will always be with us on this holiday.

Anuj hanging out in Mom and Dad's kitchen. Kapil is pulling out the turkey from the oven. Fall 2005.

Thanksgiving Feast - A Few Days Early

In early November 2004, Anuj called his family to let them know that he would have to travel to Bangalore, India on business, and would therefore not be in town on Thanksgiving day. The Mohan clan loved gathering for Anuj's Thanksgiving feasts, which consisted of succulent turkey, several different types of stuffing, apple and cherry pies made from scratch, and other amazing concoctions he and Flo would labor for hours and hours in the kitchen to create.

Never being one to disappoint, Anuj proposed a plan B--he would whip up an authentic Thanksgiving meal with all of the trimmings before leaving for India. True to his word, the weekend before Thanksgiving Thursday, he invited the Mohan clan and a few of his friends to his parents' home where he and Flo prepared an extraordinary meal while poring over flour-laced pages from several cookbooks, buttering pans of every shape and size, and keeping everyone's wine glasses full while we awaited the mouth-watering meal ahead. The stuffing had tart green apples and raisins. The turkey was lovingly basted and cooked to perfection. There was a well executed salad, which Anuj was self-deprecating about because he felt it contained too much parsley. For dessert, there were scrumptious pies of every variety. At the end of the evening, Anuj sent everyone home with a few goodies, which we relished for days.

Kapil attentively observed Anuj's meticulous cooking process. Last year, he and Mom replicated many of the elements of our 2004 meal.

Thanksgiving Memories

While we remember Anuj fondly every hour of every day, Thanksgiving in particular brings back a flood of memories. This is because Anuj was simply the center of this holiday for the Mohan family. Every Thanksgiving, for the last several years, Anuj got up early in the morning to pick out all the ingredients for a traditional turkey dinner. For the next several hours, sometimes with the help of family and friends, most notably his kid brother Kapil, Anuj would take over the kitchen and masterfully cook up the entire feast from scratch. In addition to the perfectly moist turkey filled with his signature savory stuffing, there would be several sides, from a couple of types of potatoes to an assortment of vegetable dishes. To cap off the sumptuous meal, Anuj would bake a variety of pies, making even the crusts from raw ingredients, so that we could have our pick of fresh berry and fruit flavors.

Thanksgiving at Mom and Dad's. Some of Anuj's creations are on display. Fall 2003.

The food was delicious. But, of course, the day wasn't only about the food. Perhaps more importantly it involved spending time together, watching a little football and sharing old stories. Even though he was busy cooking, Anuj was an integral part of all of this as well. And that is why we miss him so much today.

Anuj, we have to believe you are with us on this Thanksgiving because without you, the holiday is meaningless.

All smiles after Thanksgiving dinner. Fall 2003.

Remembrances

"Anuj, I wanted to put together a few pictures of you taken during the time I had the honor to be your friend. I quickly noticed that I did not have one, NOT ONE, picture of you by yourself. You were always surrounded by those who loved you."

- Sanch

Six Months and Yet Yesterday

the sages tell us
that time stops for no one
and yet the hands on the clock
stood completely still
words piercing
hands wringing
feet pacing across
cold linoleum
six months ago
and yet the senses are as sharp

the harsh drone of the machines
visitors shaking their heads in disbelief
doctors, dumbfounded and uncomforting,
in their crisp whites and blues
shuffling in and out of the sterile room
our palms tightly clasped
praying with unparalleled faith
to all persuasions for better news

and then there were
the kind, gentle whispers
that hundreds from
far and wide came to plant
in your ears, softly saying
"Anuj, I love you"
"thank you for all that you did for me"
"you will always be with us
and we with you."

- Hema

Walking for Your Kidneys: Part II

Anuj took part in his first Kidney Walk, we believe he found it to be a fun activity that was also an effective way to raise money for a great cause - The National Kidney Foundation. The next year, instead of just participating, Anuj decided that he would play a leadership role in organizing the annual event. For several weeks before the 2005 Walk, Anuj would drive 40 miles from San Leandro to San Jose early on Saturday mornings to plan the event with fellow volunteer leaders and Kidney Foundation staff.

Checking participants in and raising money before the Kidney Walk. Spring 2005.

On the morning of the Kidney Walk, by the time the rest of the Mohan family arrived, Anuj was already at Shoreline Park in Mountain View manning the registration desk and generally making sure that the event progressed smoothly. He made new friends, joked with family, and took part in the walk, all the while with one eye focused on the logistics of the fundraiser. Afterwards, he stayed behind to help his fellow volunteers clean up and reflect upon an effort that raised tens of thousands of dollars for families afflicted with kidney disease all over the Bay Area.

Walking to raise money for kidney health with the family near San Francisco Bay. Spring 2005

Anuj didn't volunteer for these types of efforts out of a sense of duty. Obligation is only a motivating factor when one feels that the endeavor is arduous in some way. To Anuj, helping people was never arduous, but rather simply the way he lived his life. He just enjoyed, and derived a sense of fulfillment from, going out of his way for others. It was this outlook that allowed Anuj to make such an indelible impact on those around him despite his short time on this earth. We can only imagine how he would have channeled this passion for helping those in need if he was blessed with more years with us.

Walking for Your Kidneys: Part I

Among the various charitable causes and community organizations Anuj was involved with, one had particular significance - The National Kidney Foundation. When his father was diagnosed with severe kidney disease in 2002, a condition that would eventually require a transplant, Anuj put forth a herculean effort to ensure that he received the best healthcare possible. As some friends and family know, Anuj essentially saved his father's life by negotiating the labyrinth of governmental and medical organizations in India and the US to make sure that a transplant would eventually be possible. The story of Anuj's energy, ingenuity and persistence in this effort is the stuff of multi-generational family legend and will be shared on this blog at a later date.

Given Dad's kidney disease, Anuj thought about finding a way to help others while he was helping his family. The National Kidney Foundation seemed to be the perfect vehicle for this. The Foundation is a national voluntary health organization seeking to prevent kidney and urinary tract diseases, improve the health and well-being of individuals and families affected by these diseases, and increase the availability of all organs for transplantation.

The Kidney Walk is one of the most important events put on every year by community chapters of the Foundation. It is a way for families touched by kidney disease to spend time with each other and their supporters while raising money through a walk. As in other charity walks, participants gather contributions from their friends, family and colleagues leading up to the event. In fact the walk is the primary fund-raising vehicle and thus critical to supporting the organization's mission.

In 2004, the Mohan family took part in the Kidney Walk, walking as well as logistically supporting the event that took place at Shoreline Park in Mountain View. The day consisted of breakfast, Tai Chi, and of course, the actual walk. Thousands of dollars were raised along with the spirits of the participating families.

Anuj, displaying his penchant for leadership and desire to go the extra mile to help others, decided that just participating in these events was not enough. The next year, he would play a more active role. We will describe this in our next post.

To learn more about the National Kidney Foundation, click below:

Please

"Please don't ask if I'm over it yet.

I'll never be over it.

Please don't tell me he's in a better place.

His isn't here with me.

Please don't tell me you know how I feel,

Unless you have lost a child.

Please don't ask me if I feel better.

Bereavement isn't a condition that clears up.

Please don't tell me at least you had him for so many years.

What year would you choose for your child to die?

Please don't tell me God never gives us more than we can bear.

Please just say you're sorry.

Please just say you remember my child, if you do.

Please just let me talk about my child.

Please mention my child's name.

Please just let me cry."

- Anonymous

Mom and Anuj. Spring 2004.

Leadership

"A good leader inspires people to have confidence in the leader, a great leader inspires people to have confidence in themselves."
- Anonymous

On this day when so many people, from political junkies to casual observers, are focused on changes in Washington DC, our thoughts naturally turned to what all these events are fundamentally about - leadership. So many of those in the public arena today embody the boisterous, combative, egocentric style of leadership. As his friends tell us over and over, Anuj was just the opposite. He was a true leader because he led by example. Anuj focused not on himself but rather on ensuring that those around him realized their true potential. He believed in people and made sure they knew that. This gave them the confidence to succeed, thereby allowing Anuj to calmly and quietly lead them to accomplish the goal at hand, whether it was small or large.

Anuj in front of the White House during a college roadtrip to Washington DC. During the mid-nineties.

Given the innumerable stories related to us about Anuj's leadership, we suspect this will be just the first of many posts on this subject.

Election Night

Along with all his other interests, Anuj was a big news junkie. No matter how busy he was, Anuj always found a way to stay well-versed in the day's current events from all corners of the world. When it came to a discussion of the political, cultural or economic zeitgeist, his friends and family knew that they could always find an informed and thoughtful partner in Anuj.

Before dinner on election night. Fall 2004.

Since Anuj shared this interest with other members of the Mohan family, election season resulted in many spirited discussions and debates. Instead of taking a black and white, Democratic or Republican, stand like many are inclined to do, Anuj could be counted on to offer a more nuanced position on the issues. That is what made discussing politics with him so interesting. Anuj invariably managed to offer an insight not put forward in newspaper op-eds or political blogs. He would quietly and systematically lay out his argument for why his vote would go a certain way. After that he made sure to listen carefully to opposing opinions and offer rebuttal only after thoughtfully considering those views. And just as importantly, unlike many engaged in public debate today, he refrained from offering empty or regurgitated commentary on issues he had not formulated a clear opinion on. Maybe it was all those years of leading his winning debate team in high school. Whatever the reason, Anuj brought an original perspective to any conversation on current events especially during an election.

The last major election we shared with him was 2004. Anuj came by after voting and we watched the presidential and congressional election results unfold throughout the evening together. We joked about the political gaffes committed by the main contenders, shared differing opinions on the candidates' political strategies, and generally had a good time over dinner flipping between the various networks and cable news channels for hours.

This year, in the current heated election season, we miss Anuj's measured discourse, amusing observances, and willingness to always hear another view.

"We Hold Anuj as an Ideal"

The Wharton School has produced a feature story on Anuj. It is running as the lead on the school's website along with a picture of him. Click on the link below to read Wharton's account about Anuj's impact on the school...

Scholarship Update: Online Donation

Thanks to our partners at Silicon Valley Community Foundation, the Bay Area foundation that is helping manage the Anuj Mohan Scholarship Fund, we have now added online donation as an option to those who would like to support this cause.

As mentioned before, the scholarship fund aims to provide deserving students from underprivileged families the opportunity to attend MIT and Wharton. Providing equal access to life-changing educational opportunities was very important to Anuj and our goal is to continue his legacy into perpetuity.

Silicon Valley Community Foundation has made the process of online donation very easy. Simply click on the button under "Donate Online" in the Anuj Mohan Scholarship Fund section along the right-hand column of this blog. This will take you to a page hosted on the Silicon Valley Community Foundation website about Anuj's life and the scholarship fund. Near the top of this page is another link to the PayPal-powered online donation page. Simply fill out the form as instructed - indicating the Anuj Mohan Scholarship Fund in the "Payment For" box.

Thank you again to our family and friends from around the world for their continuing support of our efforts to honor Anuj and help talented kids in his name for many years to come.

Anuj on a trip to Boston. Summer 2004.

Pumpkins and Jack O' Lanterns

As kids growing up in small town Michigan, Anuj and Neal thoroughly enjoyed Halloween. Often their costumes fit together in a theme. One year, during their G.I. Joe phase, the two brothers went as Army Rangers (Kapil was way to small to pass as a soldier at that point.) A lot of planning and coordination went into those costumes including trips to the military surplus store and coordination with the neighbor kids so they could trick-or-treat as a unit of four. Trick-or-treating in Saline was great fun as most homes were very welcoming. There were kids all over the neighborhood with bags of candy steadily growing heavier. Anuj would sometimes run into an elementary school friend or two on his route.

In the weeks leading up to Halloween, the Mohan family would pick out pumpkins from the local farmer's market and Anuj would carve them with Dad. Over the years the two of them got pretty good at this ritual. Regardless of the outcome though, the newly carved jack o' lanterns were proudly displayed outside the front door where they would welcome costumed kids to pick out candy from the Mohan stash.

A couple years ago, Anuj brought a huge pumpkin over to Mom and Dad's home in the Bay Area. There he and Dad rekindled their love of carving pumpkins together. After years of being out of practice though, the results were not as good as they were growing up in Michigan. Undaunted, Mom used some of the pumpkin to create an Indian vegetable dish that was actually quite tasty.

A pumpkin Anuj helped carve a few years ago. Fall 2001.

My Beloved Brother

Today, like everyday, I miss you so much...

Anuj and Neal together in Boston. Summer 1998.

In His Friend's Words

Remarks by one of Anuj's close friends at his memorial service...

"Anuj was my cohort-mate, my partner in the leadership of the entrepreneurship club, and my close friend.

After Anuj passed away this summer I spent a lot of time talking to and commiserating with many of Anuj’s friends. The predominant theme in these exchanges was 'I just can’t believe he’s gone.'

Why did everyone say this?

I think the reason why people couldn’t believe this sad news was because Anuj was so full of life. He was always smiling. He was always doing something new. He was always making a new friend or helping an old one. It was simply impossible for people to believe that someone so alive was no longer with us.

What do you say about someone who was so full of life that his friends and colleagues can’t even comprehend his passing? One of histories most famous eulogies was given by Pericles, a 5th century BC Athenian Statesman. In it he said:

'It is hard to speak properly upon a subject where it is even difficult to convince your hearers that you are speaking the truth. On the one hand, the friend who is familiar with every fact of the story may think that some point has not been set forth with that fullness which he wishes and knows it to deserve; on the other, he who is a stranger to the matter may … suspect exaggeration.'

Clearly this is the problem when we talk about Anuj. He was on Wharton’s Director’s List, the President of the Entrepreneurship Club, raised money for the National Kidney Foundation, a member of Alpha Delta Phi Fraternity, a leader in bringing guest speakers to Wharton, and a published researcher at MIT. If you hadn’t known Anuj, you might think I was exaggerating in this list of accomplishments. But if you were privileged enough to have known him, you would understand that this list of accomplishments barely begins to describe the man who Anuj was.

For me Anuj was a dear friend and confidant first and foremost. Last winter we ran cases with each other to prepare for consulting interviews – which as many of you know is an onerous experience at best. But Anuj’s chipper mood and good nature made the task enjoyable.

The best way to honor Anuj’s memory is to continue the work about which he was passionate. The Mohan family has already done an excellent job of this by setting up the Anuj Mohan Scholarship Fund. I think all of Anuj’s friends are extremely grateful for this.

The Entrepreneurship Club is doing two additional things towards this end:
· First, we are dedicating the 2006-2007 e-club in Anuj’s honor and remembrance.
· Second, Anuj had a vision for creating a Wharton equivalent to the Mayfield Program. The Mayfield fund pairs students with partners at prominent VC firms. These partners act as a mentor to the student and arrange for them to have an internship in one of their portfolio company. This program is a great exemplar of Anuj’s passion for entrepreneurship and helping his community. The e-club is dedicated to making Anuj’s vision a reality. We hope that this program will serve as a perpetual monument to Anuj’s memory.

In conclusion I will quote Pericles once again:

'Be comforted in the glory of those that are gone … and remember that the struggle to emulate them will be an arduous one.'

Thank You."

- Matt

Brightening Our Special Days

Anuj invariably found a way to make special days brighter. Whether it was delivering a moving and memorable best man toast, supporting a friend on a significant occasion, or going out of his way to swing by and say "happy birthday", Anuj was always there. Any event that was important to his friends and family was automatically very important for him as well. That is why we know that even though he is no longer physically with us, Anuj will still somehow find a way to be there on our special days.

Sharing a celebration at Mom and Dad's house. Fall 2004.

Starry Night

During the early fall season, Northern California enjoys a virtually uninterrupted string of clear, cloudless evenings. This Diwali was no exception. Gazing upon the starlit sky, we could not help but think that one of the twinkling points of light was Anuj smiling down upon us this holiday. As previously described, for most years of his life, Anuj took the lead in lighting up the family's home on Diwali. Seeing the many bright stars breaking up the surrounding blackness last night, we knew Anuj was doing the same this year even though he was not physically with us.

In 2002, when his parents first moved to the Bay Area, Anuj was able to spend Diwali with them after an interval of many years. He enthusiastically helped Dad put up lights in their apartment. The hooks and nails he put in place then would be used in every subsequent year when the Mohan family brought out the lights to mark the holiday.

Last year on what would be his final Diwali, Anuj called Mom from Philadelphia to tell her that he had bought some lights for his apartment. Given his intense schedule at business school, he could not make the trip out to California to share the holiday with his family. Nevertheless, he was determined to celebrate by lighting up his home just as he did while growing up. And he wanted to remind his parents to do the same using, of course, those very hooks he put up years ago.

Anuj and Dad lighting clay lamps at his parents' home. Fall 2004.

Festival of Lights

Diwali, also called the 'Festival of Lights' is one of the most important Indian holidays of the year. It marks the triumph of good over evil and people celebrate it all over the world by joyously lighting lamps throughout their homes. In India, children enjoy setting off fireworks of every shape and form from sparklers to bottle rockets. While growing up, Diwali was one of Anuj's favorite times of the year. Perhaps it was because the festival's message of righteousness, renewal and passionate celebration fit so well with his outlook on life.

Every year, a few days before the big day, he would excitedly join Neal in selecting the loudest and brightest fireworks from a stand near Dad's office. The two of them would then carefully plan out how the Diwali light and sound show would unfold. On the day itself Anuj would always be the first to volunteer to set up candles, clay lamps (or diyas) and other forms of light throughout the Mohan household. He would even climb up on the ledge around the perimeter of the house to make sure it was properly lighted. Oh, how he enjoyed celebrating Diwali to its fullest!

Anuj lighting candles on the ledge of the Mohan family home. Lucknow, India. Fall 1993.

Finally after a big dinner, the fireworks show would start. Anuj particularly liked the large bottle rockets. They created the most dazzling and far-reaching display. Sometimes defective ones would explode without launching and he would come very close to getting seriously injured. But Anuj didn't care. He was too caught up in the excitement of creating a spectacular sequence of lights in the night sky . Often he would carry firecrackers in his pocket until he found a suitable place to set them off despite Mom and Dad's repeated reminders about how dangerous that was. Anuj and Neal would spend many carefree hours putting on a show while little Kapil watched from a distance.

This weekend is Diwali. It will of course never be the same.

Living Beautifully

"Living well and beautifully and justly are all one thing."
- Socrates

Anuj embodied this principle every single day. Those of us who knew him will always remember just how well he led his life.

Anuj at Sunset Cliffs Park in San Diego. Summer 2004.

On the Promenade

Anuj, Kapil and Hema in Santa Monica, California. Spring 2006.

Earlier this year Anuj and his family were strolling down the Third Street Promenade near the beach in Santa Monica, California. Hema recalls that afternoon...

"We stopped several times to observe street performers, reveling in the convivial atmosphere that attracts so many tourists and LA natives alike to this strip. Anuj and I were walking and chatting about his past year at Wharton when he stopped to look at a store across the street. "We discussed that store in one of our classes," he said slipping his hands into his pockets. It was Zara, a popular clothing store with showrooms in over 60 countries around the world. We decided to poke around the store for a few minutes. Once inside, I told him about my numerous shopping excursions at Zara. I showed him the price tags, which for many years would force shoppers to look at two columns of flags and prices in various currencies to track down the cost in US dollars. They had simplified the tags in recent years. He listened attentively, nodding his head while asking interesting questions about price points and what made women want to shop at Zara. As we walked outside, I realized that I had learned a lot about Zara from Anuj, but it wasn't by him regurgitating a bunch of facts he had gathered in business school. He taught me—whether or not his intent—by asking me a myriad of insightful questions. His was an insatiable, curious mind. No matter how much he knew about a particular topic, Anuj always felt he could learn something more. In sharing this curiosity so readily with those around him, he invariably helped others learn something new."

Learning from Anuj

Several of Anuj's friends have commented on this blog and elsewhere about what a gifted teacher he was. Whether it was hanging out in the dorm lounge to help some freshmen with tough MIT problem sets or staying an extra hour after an orientation session to help a fellow new MBA student who was a little rusty at calculus, Anuj always found a way to help. He had a knack for conveying even the most complex and apparently opaque ideas with utter clarity and ease, ensuring that his friends ultimately grasped the concept, whatever the subject was. Anuj's style was to guide people along to finding the answer themselves instead of simply handing it to them. When it came to teaching something to others, he adhered to the old adage that it was better to teach a man how to fish than to catch a fish for him.

Perhaps the clearest example of this occurred not while he was deconstructing a business school case study for his project team or solving a product design challenge at work but rather during the simple act of tying a shoelace. One afternoon many years ago, Anuj gave his kid brother Kapil a pair of shoes he no longer wore. Kapil was extremely excited and started to try them on. But he was very young and did not know how to tie the laces on his newly acquired shoes. Until that point, Dad always tied them for him. So Kapil asked Anuj if he could team him. According to Kapil, Anuj did not tie the shoelaces for him or even show him how to do it. Instead he asked his brother to do the actual tying while he walked him through the steps. That way he ensured that Kapil not only learned how to tie his shoelaces but would not forget soon after. That afternoon, in about a minute, Anuj gave his younger brother a simple skill to carry with him for the rest of his life.

Years later, Kapil realized the reason that he was able to learn from Anuj so fast was that while teaching something, Anuj created an atmosphere where it was okay to fail. This allowed people to take a chance and try something new on their own instead of waiting for the answer to be handed to them. This calm and comfortable yet articulate and precise style worked regardless of whether the topic was computer science or tying shoelaces.

Anuj's Handiwork: More Examples...

Anuj building a set of benches from planks of plywood with his friends. This was one of the freshman pledge projects in his college fraternity. On the right is the finished product. These benches still exist today over 10 years later. Anuj showed them to his parents when he took them to MIT in 2004.

Anuj refinishing a set of rooms in his fraternity while in college. This was part of another team project. His friends all appreciated how Anuj made all these tasks so much more fun through his casual laugh, great stories and knack for taking any challenge that came up in stride.

Anuj's Handiwork

Anybody who spent time with Anuj knew what an incredible mind he had. We've already written about some of his contributions in the academic and professional worlds. However, Anuj also enjoyed working with his hands. The engineer in him really liked to build stuff.

Anuj would often spend weekend afternoons constructing things from scratch like a bookshelf for his growing literature collection. Once he brought an old breakfast table to his parents' home. When they asked what it was for, he simply said it was going to be a project that he and Dad would work on together. Anuj thought it would be a great way for the two engineers to spend time together turning something apparently past its prime into a useful piece of furniture. Anuj and Dad proceeded to repair, sand and varnish the table until it was like new. They both had a great time working on it that weekend. Mom and Dad used that table for years afterwards.

In college, Anuj once built an entire basketball court in a week with some of his fraternity brothers. It was during "Work Week" when all residents took part in projects that contributed to the physical betterment of the house or otherwise improved life in the fraternity. Seeing potential in an irregularly shaped dead space behind the house, Anuj led a project to turn it into a recreation area that would be used not only by current residents but future classes for years to come. The finished product was not NBA quality by any means but it stands as a testament to what a powerful combination vision and craftsmanship can be.

Anuj removing some rotten drywall while at Wharton.

Anuj took his affinity for hands-on work into business school as well. This was particularly useful during a "Rebuilding Together" project where he spent hours reconstructing a home for underprivileged members of Philadelphia society.

The bookshelf, table, basketball court and house are part of Anuj's legacy of creativity. These tangible reminders of his time with us are the physical complement to the innumerable novel and insightful ideas he left behind. We know that both will benefit his family and our society for years to come.

"Good Grief"

Today, The New York Times ran an op-ed by Amitai Etzioni, a sociology professor at George Washington University, about how he has coped with the loss of loved ones. We wanted to include it in this blog because it is a matter of fact and thoroughly accurate encapsulation of how families grieve the loss of one of their own.

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/07/opinion/07etzioni.html?_r=1&oref=login

Good Grief

By AMITAI ETZIONI
Published: October 7, 2006

Washington

SOON after my wife died — her car slid off an icy road in 1985 — a school psychologist warned me that my children and I were not mourning in the right way. We felt angry; the proper first stage, he said, is denial.

In late August this year, my 38-year-old son, Michael, died suddenly in his sleep, leaving behind a 2-year-old son and a wife expecting their next child. When, at Michael’s funeral in Los Angeles, I was about to say a few words to the people assembled, the rabbi whispered that I need not fear speaking publicly — “Just go with the flow,” she urged.

On both occasions, I had a hard time not telling the free advice givers to get lost, or something less printable along the same lines. There is no set form for grief, and no “right” way to express it.

In my eulogy I divulged that I believe in a God who brings meaning to the world, but that my belief has been severely tested. I missed seeing God in the killing fields of Cambodia, and he seems too busy to show up in Darfur, or to shine his face on either the Sunnis or the Shiites in Iraq. With a rising voice, I asked: How could God allow a son to be taken from his aging, ailing father? A devoted husband to be torn from the arms of his loving wife in the middle of the night? How could he allow a 2-year-old to be left searching for his father in vain, or deny an infant the chance to see the father even once?

After I shared a copy of my eulogy with a philosopher friend in Washington, he took me for a walk in the woods. “You must know,” he lectured, “that God is not a micromanager. He does not dish out specific goods or condone specific evils. He leaves these acts — and the choices involved — to us. If the good and bad were given to us, we would not be choosing, moral creatures.”
This was all too intellectual for me. I did not choose for anyone to lay a glove on those I loved most, let alone send them on their last journey long before it was due. There might be an explanation for why God-awful things happen to very good people, but my colleague did not bring me an inch closer to accepting my ill fate.

There seems to be an expectation that, after a great loss, we will progress systematically through the well-known stages of grief. It is wrong, we are told, to jump to anger — or to wallow too long in this stage before moving toward acceptance.

But I was, and am, angry. To make parents bury their children is wrong; to have both my wife and son taken from me, for forever and a day, is cruel beyond words.

A relative from Jerusalem who is a psychiatrist brought some solace by citing the maxim: “We are not to ask why, but what.” The “what” is that which survivors in grief are bound to do for one another. Following that advice, my family, close friends and I keep busy, calling each other and giving long answers to simple questions like, “How did your day go today?” We try to avoid thinking about either the immediate past or the bereft future. We take turns playing with Max, Michael’s 2-year-old son. Friends spend nights with the young widow, and will be among those holding her hand when the baby is born.

I presume that many a psychiatrist and New Age minister would point out that by keeping busy we avoid “healthy” grieving. To hell with that; the void left by our loss is just too deep. For now, focusing on what we do for one another is the only consolation we can find.

Without You

In sleep
I see you beaming
the dimple
on your right cheek
your teeth peeking
from behind your lips

I wake
to scour every room
hoping to hear you
rap at the door
faded kalavas
on your right wrist
getting in from a long
distant journey

The day passes
and I find you everywhere
in every waking thought
at the stoplight
in the market
beside me while
I'm driving to an abode
that isn't a home
to a family that isn't whole
without you

- h

Entrepreneurship at Wharton

As we have blogged about before, entrepreneurship was in Anuj's blood. In fact, it was something he gravitated towards in every stage of his life no matter what organization he was part of. His time in the MBA program at Wharton was no exception. Soon after arriving on campus Anuj started engaging in events and activities geared towards current and aspiring entrepreneurs. He joined the Wharton Entrepreneurship Club where he brought business leaders to campus to share their experiences, managed expert panels at gatherings such as the annual Technology Conference, and generally led efforts to cultivate an environment where entrepreneurial ideas would thrive.

Anuj not only participated in and eventually led programs that had existed previously at Wharton but, as any true entrepreneur would, brought a set of new ideas with him as well. One such idea was putting in place a fellowship for entrepreneurs at Wharton that would consist of a rigorous sequence of courses, a paid internship at a startup, and regular mentoring from industry leaders. Modeled after the Mayfield Fellows program at Stanford, this program would be sponsored by a prominent VC firm and allow deserving MBA students to hone their practical skills, and gain real experience, in the leadership of new business ventures.

Over time Anuj's passion for entrepreneurship and ability to lead organizations, large and small, became apparent to his fellow students. He was elected Co-President of the Wharton Entrepreneurship Club. Anuj was incredibly excited to serve his classmates in this role and planned to implement a number of innovative programs during his second year, including his fellowship idea. Given his track record of finding a way to get things done for the people who counted on him, we have no doubt that he would have turned many of his new ideas into reality for the Wharton community.

Click below to learn more about the E-Club:

Our Beautiful Baby Boy

Anuj deep in thought on his first trip to India. The handsome young man we all knew started life as this beautiful little baby. He was about a year old here. Winter 1977.

Reaching the Beach

When Anuj worked at Kana, he would often travel to New Hampshire from the Bay Area. Kana had merged with another company located there and maintained that office after the deal closed. Many of the product development people he worked with were based there.

Six years ago this week, Anuj was in New Hampshire on just such a business trip. After a few days of working with the engineering team there, he stayed the weekend to participate in the Reach the Beach Relay. Kana had entered a team in this 200-mile race and Anuj was of course excited to participate given his love of running and perpetual desire to challenge himself. Yes, running was yet another sport he actively engaged in.

Reach the Beach is the longest running relay race in the United States and raises money for numerous community organizations in New Hampshire. Its picturesque course cuts through the state during the early Fall foliage season starting in the Bretton Woods high country and ending at the Atlantic coast in Hampton Beach.

Despite the scenic course, the race itself is a grueling competition. Anuj and nine teammates had to traverse 200 miles over varying terrain in 24 hours. The Kana team competed strongly, overcame numerous physical challenges, and generally had a great time raising money for a number of worthy causes.

Anuj with his relay race teammates. Fall 2000.

A couple days before the race, in order to round out his team, Anuj called up one of his college friends who was still living in Boston. Anuj told him that he was in the area and asked if his friend wanted to visit New Hampshire and maybe go for a run over the weekend. His friend drove up to see Anuj. Little did he know that the casual run he had in mind would turn out to be a 24-hour relay race across the state! He of course joined the team and enjoyed the experience. To this day, that friend credits Anuj with cultivating his love for running.

Six years ago today, our dear Anuj was running across the vibrantly colored hills of New England. We know he had that ever-present smile on his face because he was conquering yet another challenge he had found for himself.

"How I Will Always Remember Him"

Anuj in college hanging out with his fraternity brothers at a party. They came from all over the world to be with Anuj at the hospital.

"It has been extremely difficult to comprehend this tragedy and I could not help shedding tears when I heard what had happened. I still remember like it was yesterday that I was rushing, and poked my head to the 3rd North Hallway and first saw some extremely red carpet, followed by seeing an extremely happy Indian guy watching baseball on his TV. I still remember him talking about his experiences in Lucknow and Boston, and had a great time watching the game.

Throughout my freshman year (and Anuj's senior year), I will never forget Anuj's appearance, demeanor and personality - always relaxed, laughing, baseball cap usually turned backwards, and always ready to do something fun. I'll never forget doing 6.002 problem sets in the 3rd lounge with Doug Ricket and Will Johnson and having Anuj walk around and lend a helping hand. He had a gift of making everything seem okay and I will never forget his character. It was truly amazing that no matter what happened, nothing could or would ever take that big smile away from Anuj, and that is how I will always remember him."

- Ashok

Nothing Will Separate Us

"Love is stronger than death even though it can't stop death from happening; but no matter how hard death tries it can't separate people from love. It can't take away our memories either. In the end, life is stronger than death."
- Anonymous

The Mohan men hanging out in the front yard of their home in Lucknow, India. Mom is taking the picture. Anuj is about 12 or 13 years old here. He is of course flashing his trademark easy-going (and in this case, pre-braces) smile.

Parle-G: A Lifelong Indulgence

One of Anuj's guilty pleasures was periodically indulging his sweet tooth. Like many of us, he loved chocolate and enjoyed a big scoop of ice cream. Another treat that he had a particular fondness for throughout his life is a simple, rectangular cookie called Parle-G. These tea biscuits, sold in easily recognizable little yellow packets, have been produced in India since 1939. The 'G' stands for glucose and the cookies are known for the immediate sugar-driven energy boost they provide. Immensely popular among Indians of all ages, Parle-G is the largest selling cookie brand in the world. Anuj first discovered them when his family moved to India and quickly fell in love with their uncomplicated, sweet taste. In fact, he took a pack of Parle-G cookies with him to school nearly every day while growing up. All his friends knew where to go if they had a craving for something sweet.

When Anuj moved back to the US, he thought he would have to outgrow his love of those cookies. In college and for years afterwards, he enjoyed them only on his trips back to India. A few years ago, he was walking around an Indian grocery store in Silicon Valley, when he came across a shelf stacked with Parle-G cookies. Anuj was both pleasantly surprised and excited that his childhood sweet tooth fix was now readily available in America. He promptly bought a bunch to treat himself as well as share with his friends who for years wondered what he was talking about when he recalled the little yellow packets of Parle-G.

Click below to learn more about these treats:

Prefect and Cool Big Brother

Anuj spent his teenage years attending middle and high school at St. Francis College in Lucknow, India. St. Francis (or SFC as it is known to its students and teachers) is a prestigious private institution offering instruction from Kindergarten through the 12th grade. In fact, for a couple of years, all three Mohan brothers were attending the same school. We hope to share many stories about Anuj during his time at SFC on this blog.

In the 12th grade, Anuj was selected to be a Prefect. Every year, a few high school seniors are appointed to this role by the faculty to lead the entire K-12 student body. In order to be considered for this position, a student needs to be at or near the top of his class academically, enjoy success in a wide range of extra-curricular activities, demonstrate the ability to command the respect of his peers, and represent the school well within the community. Anuj of course fulfilled all of these criteria and was selected to be a Prefect in addition to other leadership roles.

Anuj receiving his Prefect pin from SFC's principal during the annual investiture ceremony. He was so happy that day. Fall 1993.

Reporting to the Head Master, Prefects fulfill a specific set of duties in addition to being ambassadors for the school and setting a good example for the younger children. For a few weeks, Anuj was put in charge of maintaining order among students in the elementary school section of the SFC campus. While other Prefects would yell at the youngsters or intimidate them to gain compliance, Anuj took the opposite tact. Kapil, who was in the 4th grade at the time, vividly remembers him always being friendly with the kids, calmly smiling and joking with them. Anuj won their respect by first earning their affection. After that, it was easy - all the kids were glad to listen to "Anuj Bhaiya" and readily followed his instructions.

Even at that young age, Anuj displayed the quiet confidence and ability to connect instantly with others that would become hallmarks of his leadership style for years to come. Of course Kapil did not care about any of that. For him, it was simply a treat when Anuj came around to the elementary section because he could show his friends what a cool big brother he had.

Wharton Journal and UPenn Almanac Tributes

The student life office published a tribute to Anuj in the Wharton Journal, its campus newspaper, on Monday. To see the story, please click on the web page below:

Registration (very quick process) is required to see the full text of the article.

Additionally, a few weeks ago, the University of Pennsylvania Almanac, the faculty and administration publication, ran a tribute to Anuj. It can be viewed by clicking on the following link:

A Fitting Tribute

Last week, on September 12, Anuj was honored at a memorial service on the Wharton School campus in Philadelphia. Scores of his fellow students, professors and business school administrators came to pay tribute to him. Vice Dean Anjani Jain began the service by recalling Anuj's intellectual brilliance and wide range of contributions to the Wharton community, both in and outside the classroom, and then recited a poignant verse from the Bhagavad Gita. Reverend William Gipson, the Chaplain for the University of Pennsylvania, talked about how he had come to learn of Anuj's life and his profoundly positive influence on those around him. He invited those present to share their thoughts and memories of Anuj with everyone.

Seven speakers, including Neal and several of Anuj's classmates, then rose one by one to eulogize Anuj. The speeches alternatively brought streaming tears, longing sighs, and sometimes even a smile to those in the audience. Everyone highlighted Anuj's effortless intelligence, passion for life, strong work ethic, and desire to build and nurture deep friendships. They acknowledged him as a natural leader who could make those around him better by simply being a part of the team.

Perhaps the most remarkable characteristic of the tributes on September 12 was how much in common they had with the speeches honoring Anuj at his service in California on June 15. Every speaker eventually moved from his accomplishments and contributions - which, they all agreed, one would never hear about directly from Anuj - to talk about what type of person he was. That is when vivid examples of Anuj's humility, integrity, selflessness, sense of humor, quiet confidence, reliability, respect for the opinions of others, and unwavering concern for the well-being of his friends, family and colleagues came to light. Every speaker shared examples of how Anuj went far out of his way to help them in small as well as profound ways in some aspect of their lives. Whether it was staying an hour after class to help a friend brush up on his math skills, helping someone find a creative solution to a family crisis without being asked, or simply remembering to find a way to bring a smile to a classmate's face when she was having a bad day, Anuj consistently strived to make the lives of those around him better. It was simply the very essence of who he was.

After the formal remarks, Anuj's friends shared a touching slide show of photographs. When the program ended, those in attendance stayed for over an hour sharing more stories of how Anuj had touched their lives. As one of his cohort-mates said:

"Imagine a room filled with a hundred unlit candles. Anuj was the candle in the center that lit all of our wicks."

Anuj along with Cohort I at a potluck dinner. Many of these friends attended his memorial service last week.

The Room, Hole, and Rim

the gloom hangs over everything
a heaviness as the eyes awake
a weight at dusk

the hole in our living room
is gaping
we fall in
climb out
with cuts and bruises
our spirits broken
and shaken

fall in again
pull each other out
with strong hands
that get limp

in time we'll learn
to walk the rim

but now
the room, hole, and rim
all fade into one another

falling is inevitable

- Hema

Hanging Out at Monk's

Like many Wharton students over the years, Anuj enjoyed spending time with friends at Monk's Cafe in Philadelphia. This establishment, which refers to itself as a "Belgian Beer Emporium and Restaurant", is located in Center City near Rittenhouse Square. This is an area of town filled with numerous trendy restaurants, lounges and cafes. Anuj would go to Monk's to unwind over a pint and share stories with good friends or meet new ones, especially in the spring semester. Many of his classmates fondly recall engaging in long, relaxed, and interesting conversations with him there.

Anuj was an incredibly astute listener. Invariably taking an active interest in what his friends had to say, he attentively processed their observations, and offered thoughtful advice, a funny rejoinder, relevant insights, or new ideas depending on what the discussion called for. For his part, Anuj had a genuine knack for telling amusing and entertaining stories, never taking himself seriously, and regaling his companions for hours. He welcomed exchanges on an extremely eclectic array of topics ranging from serious debates over current geopolitical and economic developments to casual banter about sports, movies and music, and from a friend's relationship concerns to his own collection of life experiences.

Despite his extremely busy schedule and long list of extra-curricular commitments on campus, Anuj always tried to find time to hang out with classmates at Monk's or elsewhere. This was especially so when he knew a friend needed to talk. Anuj recognized these relationships as the most enduring things he could take away from business school. He was right. His friends at Wharton will hold him in their hearts for the rest of their lives.

To visit Monk's Cafe on the web, click here.

A Collection of Moments

Life is of course just a collection of moments and memories. A few of us have the rare ability to make the moments we share with others simultaneously entertaining and enlightening and invariably warm. According to friends who knew him for a lifetime as well as those who met him but a few times, Anuj was just such a soul.

Enjoying a happy moment with his Wharton cohort at a 76ers game in Philadelphia. Anuj is at the bottom left. Spring 2006.

September 11: Remembering

On this day, when so much devastating loss is remembered in New York, Pennsylvania, Washington DC, and throughout the country, we also mark an anniversary. It has been three months since our precious Anuj passed and we join the community of families and friends who balance the cherished memories of their loved ones with the pain of losing them forever. On this day, Neal recalls the following story:

"Five years ago, on that crisp September day, I was living in Manhattan and witnessed the unthinkable act of destruction from a mile away. After recovering from the initial shock and regaining some semblance of my wits, the first person I tried to call was my brother Anuj, 3000 miles away in San Francisco. In the immediate aftermath of the attack, the phone signals were busy and it took several tries to get through but we finally connected. It was very early on the west coast and Anuj was still in the haze between sleep and the day. Upon hearing my harrowed account, he quickly cut through the initial shock to make sure that I was okay, in a safe place, and could eventually make it home. I, on the other hand, was very concerned for Anuj. Not knowing the extent of the diabolical terrorist plot at that moment, I wanted to make sure that he did not try to go into downtown San Francisco. Anuj's offices were near the Transamerica Pyramid building, which in my mind was certainly a potential target at that point. Although we spoke for less than five minutes and exchanged but a few words, they were enough to convey the strength of our bond amidst the chaos of that day."

Five years later, as so many of us reflect on the lives of our loved ones, Neal vividly remembers that short conversation, and we all mark three long months. Just as the nearly 3000 souls are with their families for eternity, we know Anuj will always be with us.

Gratitude

Anuj's blog received its 5000th unique visitor yesterday. Friends from around the world have visited and continue to spend time on this site. We want to thank each and every person who has done so over the last several weeks. You will always be welcome on this ever-changing memorial for our beloved Anuj.

We also appreciate the comments, tributes, emails and other messages that have come in from those who knew Anuj as well as those who didn't but were moved by his story. By spending a few minutes periodically to reflect on his life, his contributions to the world, and the legacy he left behind, we feel that you are honoring Anuj and hope that you leave the website inspired.

Your response has shown that he will continue to live on forever in all of us, and for that you have our sincere gratitude. It gives us the strength and passion to keep growing Anuj's blog.

Please click here to share a thought.

An Architect's Legacy

Anuj spent the majority of his professional career at Kana, a Silicon Valley software company building multi-channel customer service products. Despite the fact that it is much smaller today than during its heyday in the dotcom era, Kana serves over 600 customers worldwide including half of the Fortune 100. Companies like eBay, Yahoo!, Dell, Citigroup, and Bank of America are among its customers.

While at Kana, Anuj enjoyed a remarkable career trajectory starting as an eager young engineer right out of MIT and progressing to his final role as Managing Architect. He genuinely enjoyed this last job because it allowed him to combine his exceptional technical ability with an abiding interest in building businesses. Anuj led by example, always making sure that he remained an approachable member of the team while simultaneously serving as a mentor to those who worked for him.

In his capacity as Managing Architect, a position he held for nearly two years, Anuj was responsible for the product design and development process - from initial business conception to maturity - for Kana's primary businesses. He managed Kana Service, the flagship product line representing about 50% of its revenue. Anuj oversaw a global engineering group with R&D teams in the US, India and China. In addition to the core suite of products, he helped build out and launch the Service Resolution Management product line, thereby enabling an entirely new revenue stream. Given his business acumen and presence in front of clients, Anuj also handled the company's most strategic relationships from a technical standpoint.

As his Kana colleagues have shared, Anuj's contributions to the company were innumerable. In his last role he left his colleagues with a robust set of products and core platform architecture, an engineering process that is 150% more efficient than before Anuj took over, and many memories of happy lunch conversations and hallway chats.

Anuj was proud of his work and would spend time with his team at all hours of the day to ensure a product's success. In subsequent posts, we hope to cover the rest of his career progression including a few dotcom stories from along the way.

To learn more about Kana, click the link below:

In Our Hearts

"To live in hearts we leave behind is not to die."
- Thomas Campbell

Anuj sharing a happy moment with friend Grant and brother Neal, in Boston. Spring 1998.

Anuj and Kapil enjoying a view of the Himalayas in Mussoorie, India. Two cool dudes on top of the world! Fall 1992.

Taking a Chance

Last week, US News and World Report came out with its much anticipated annual college rankings guide. At the top of the list this year is Princeton University. This was one of the schools Anuj wanted to apply to as a high school senior. As luck would have it, the application materials from Princeton were among the last to arrive at his house in India. By that time he had already applied to a number of other colleges. Back in the early 90s, currency was tightly controlled in India and each household could only convert a certain amount of rupees into US dollars for college application fees. Unfortunately, when it was time for Anuj to apply to Princeton - the last school on his list - he had used up his quota of dollars. He asked several banks to see if there was a way around this restriction but it appeared to be an insurmountable hurdle. Since he had applied to several good universities already, and fees were an important component of any application, he was advised to give up on Princeton.

However, Anuj never let any impediment, whether big or small, get in the way of his ambitions. On a train ride back from New Delhi, where he had gone to take the SAT, Anuj had an idea. He would apply to Princeton, submitting the entire set of forms, essays, transcripts, etc. but also attach a letter explaining the difficult situation he was in and why he could not include the application fee with his material. He indicated that he would gladly pay the application fees when his quota was refreshed in a few months. After a few weeks of waiting, Anuj received a note indicating that his application had been accepted. The university of course was much more interested in evaluating the credentials of an ambitious and enterprising youngster than collecting a few dollars in application fees.

When decisions started rolling in, Princeton was one of the first places Anuj heard from. The short telegram declared that he had been admitted to the Class of 1998. He was extremely delighted. While in the end Anuj chose to attend MIT, it was his decision to take a chance at Princeton that stands out as the truest indication of his unrelenting determination and perseverance.

Good Hand or Bad, Always Optimistic

During his time at Kana, Anuj was known as many different things - a brilliant software architect, an inspiring and effective leader, the level-headed go-to guy in tough situations, a trustworthy friend. However, some of his colleagues also knew him as a regular participant in the periodic break room poker game.

Anuj developed an interest in this game of strategy and luck because for him it was a great way to spend quality time with friends while satisfying his desire for competition. He not only played poker at Kana but also hosted occasional Saturday night games at his apartment. These gatherings involved good food (sometimes cooked by Anuj), entertaining conversation, and decidedly low stakes.

Anuj playing cards with friends in college.

As any avid poker observer will attest, in addition to luck, success requires two key skills: bluffing and the anticipation of opponents' moves. Anuj was great at the latter but, as any of his friends would guess, not very good at the bluffing part. This made for a poker player who was a master at the strategy necessary to win but not so great at the deception required to execute on that strategy. This was just fine for Anuj since he played mostly for fun. However, his competitive side made sure that he won his fair share of games as well. Given the low stakes, at Kana that often just meant a free lunch.

What his poker companions remember most is that whether he was dealt a good hand or bad, Anuj was always smiling and optimistic. This of course is also how he lived every day of his life.

Wharton School Memorial Service

Anuj on the Wharton campus. Fall 2005.

As mentioned in an earlier post, The Wharton School will be honoring Anuj at a memorial service once the school year starts. The service will be held at a non-demoninational facility on the University of Pennsylvania campus. Everyone is invited to join in remembering Anuj's amazing life.

Details of the service are as follows:

Tuesday, September 12, 2006 - 4:30 pm
Steinhardt Hall
215 South 39th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19104

Losing the Training Wheels

To say that Anuj was an avid bicyclist would certainly be an understatement. As a young man, he loved to ride his road bike on routes all over the San Francisco Bay Area. However his love of cycling began much earlier than that - on the open country roads outside of Ann Arbor, Michigan. Most of these are fully developed now - often leading to the newest strip mall - but back in the late 70s and early 80s many of them were still gravel and dirt.

Anuj on his tricycle. Summer 1979.

This is where Anuj graduated from his little red tricycle to his beloved yellow bike. It is where he quickly and bravely shed his training wheels with Dad cheering him on all the way. When Anuj would fall he never really cried. Just like everything he did later in life, Anuj just got up, dusted himself off, and got back on the bike to try again. Pretty soon he was cruising up and down the long driveway of his family's home. He and Neal would spend hours doing wheelies and wipe-outs on that driveway and the dirt road just beyond it. Sometimes, when Mom wasn't looking, they would use the landscaping in their frontyard as readymade ramps launching their bikes into the air.

After a while, Anuj joined his father and older brother on summer evening rides around the neighborhood. Since he was the little guy, he had to peddle doubly hard to keep pace but somehow Anuj always found a way to do it. Naturally curious, he loved exploring his surroundings on two wheels. Eventually he would graduate to a BMX dirt bike, and later to a Raleigh 12-speed, but it was with the red tricycle and yellow bike that his lifelong passion began.

The bike route Anuj would take with Neal and Dad as a child in Saline, Michigan. Click on map for a larger version.

Back to School

It is back to school season for students across the country. Last year around this time, Anuj also returned to the academic life after six years in the professional world. Though he insisted it was no big deal, Anuj was looking forward to going to The Wharton School for his MBA. As mentioned before, he was very interested in business and entrepreneurship. Having the chance to explore these fields for two years with some of the best faculty and students in the world was an exciting proposition.

Getting his parents' blessings and together after a farewell lunch. Summer 2005.

On the day he flew out, Anuj stopped by his parents' place to get their blessings. The rest of the family and Flo joined them there as well. Mom and Dad surprised him with an iPod since they knew Anuj loved to listen to music especially while studying (he was the consummate multi-tasker). Afterwards, everybody went to the Peninsula Creamery in Palo Alto for a farewell lunch. It was a typically beautiful Northern California summer day. The discussion centered around classes he was planning on taking, whether he had actually finished packing, and when he was going to come back to visit. At lunch he wrote his new Philadelphia address on a paper napkin. Upon finishing the meal, Anuj exchanged hugs with his parents, brothers and Hema. He took the red eye to the east coast that evening.

In the few months that he owned it, Anuj made full use of that iPod. Whenever he would visit, he made sure to bring it with him. He often relaxed by reading a book and listening to an eclectic set of tunes. A year later, his iPod is full of beautiful music and Mom still has that napkin with his address.

Another Collection of Memories

"It's funny the way memories work. They've got a strange quality of being at once as vivid as day while at the same time slipping away like grains of sand through your fingers...

On one occasion, we drove up to Tahoe together, leaving a day later than the larger group due to conflicts on both of our schedules. I picked him up in San Leandro and unbelievably blew a tire pulling out of the parking space. My favor to him of a 4-hour ride to the mountains turned into his supporting me through a 12-hour ordeal of finding a place to get it fixed, arguing with a dealer about Saturday work schedules, getting everything taken care of and finally making it up to the mountains, well later than the rest of the group. But, as ever, he was cheerful and upbeat, and in the end, what could have been a frustrating occasion became a great opportunity to spend plenty of time together - the sort of opportunity people never seem to value as much as they should. There were other road trips too, back in the day. North to Montreal, South to DC. The sort of old college trips whose pictures never fail to shock with the impression of youth staring back through the frame. Great, great fun.

Anuj stood with me at my wedding, something I'll obviously always remember. Weddings are great for memories because they generate plenty of pictures, but for the bride and groom, there's far too little time to spread amongst everyone there. For that reason it's the moments before the wedding itself, having the chance to take a bit of quiet time just with Anuj and the other groomsmen, that I remember the most. Fleeting moments, but memorable without question.

... I started flipping through old photos of events, and time after time after time, there he is, happy, healthy and well. Usually with his eyes closed, as anyone who's tried to take a picture of him can attest, but rarely without a truly genuine smile."

- Grant

California Senate Resolution

On June 26, the California State Senate adjourned in memory of Anuj. We are pleased that the California Legislature and State Senator Joe Simitian chose to honor Anuj and recognize his life through such a gesture. Today his family received the actual legislative resolution which you can see below (click on it to see a larger version):

Jing Jing

While Anuj loved to cook, he also enjoyed discovering great restaurants. His friends and family could count on him for recommending a little known eatery that had a must-try dish or a unique style of preparing a particular cuisine. His tastes in dining establishments were as eclectic as his preferences in music or movies (which of course we hope to write about in subsequent posts). Among Chinese restaurants, one of his favorites was a place called Jing Jing located in downtown Palo Alto. In an area with a plethora of such establishments, Jing Jing has long stood out for its unique style of spicy Szechuan and Hunan cooking. With its low-key and unassuming decor, the emphasis is on the food. Anuj's favorite dish was the Hunan lamb. He made sure he picked it every time he went there.

Celebrating his birthday with family and friends at Jing Jing. Spring 2004.

To see the Citysearch profile of Jing Jing, click here.

Welcome Home

At home with family in Mountain View. Winter 2004.

Almost exactly four years ago, in summer 2002, Neal received an excited call from Anuj. Their parents and Kapil were moving back to the US after many years in India and Anuj had taken it upon himself to find them a place to live. Anuj had spent the last couple of weekends scouring towns south of San Francisco for the perfect location. When he thought he had found it, he decided to discuss it with his brother who was living in New York at the time.

Anuj had prepared a mental checklist of criteria that the apartment had to meet. The place in Mountain View he narrowed in on was on the first floor making access less strenuous for his aging parents. It was situated in a safe, quiet, leafy neighborhood that smelled of tropical flowers like India and where his parents could go for walks any time of day. He felt that this would smooth their transition into the new community. It had a small garden and several public outdoor areas where Mom and Dad could spend time with friends. Anuj also made sure that it was within walking distance to shopping, including groceries and the local drug store. Finally, his find was near the hospital, easing the burden on his parents while addressing Dad's health issues. In short, it was ideal.

While Anuj called to get a second opinion, Neal knew that it was unnecessary. This was because Anuj went about this decision as he had every other significant one in his life. He had a knack for simplifying any problem by dissecting it to the basics in a meticulous and carefully reasoned manner. When acting on behalf of others, Anuj combined this approach with his usual unparalleled thoughtfulness and genuine concern for his friends' or family's wellbeing.

After deciding that this was the right location, Anuj moved fast and ensured that the apartment would be ready for his parents to move into a few weeks later. When he showed them the new place, he of course did not get into any of the details of his thorough search. He simply said, "welcome home."

Wharton Graduate Association's Tribute

As previous posts make clear, The Wharton School has deeply felt the loss of Anuj, especially since it was the community he was part of when he passed. We are touched by, and grateful for, the countless emails and messages that have highlighted his friendships and clearly articulated his range of contributions. Anuj cherished the relationships he formed and genuinely enjoyed every aspect of his year there.

Recently, the Wharton Graduate Association posted a tribute to him. Click below to see it:

Pooh Corner - Where It All Began

While Anuj's exploits and contributions in high school, college and graduate school may be familiar to many of his friends and family, very few know where his educational journey began. Anuj's first school was a very special place called Pooh Corner in Saline, Michigan. It is where he went to preschool as a carefree four year-old. Each Pooh Corner class consists of two teachers and 20 kids. One of its neatest attributes is that it also includes Saline High School child care class students looking for lab school experience. Thus the children are surrounded by adults and older kids who are completely focused on their cognitive, physical, and social development in a nurturing, progressive environment. In fact, children (as well as their parents) were interviewed before they were selected into the program.

Those who knew him later in life will not be surprised to learn that Anuj was a brave and level-headed child, even when he was very young. Unlike most other children who cried on being separated from their parents, Anuj took his new school in stride. On the first day, he walked right into class and quickly made friends with his teachers and fellow classmates. He was pretty open to sharing from the start so found himself with many playmates. Anuj would spend three mornings a week at Pooh Corner staying very busy with things like block playing, art and easel time, and other group activities. He seemed to have fun and, a precursor to later years, his curiosity was insatiable.

When he finished his year in preschool, Anuj received a graduation diploma which he promptly colored in. Mom and Dad were of course very proud which is why they still have that piece of paper, over 25 years later. To his family, it is as precious as any degree from MIT or Wharton.


Click here to learn more about Pooh Corner, part of the Saline Area School system.

Afternoons in the Park

While in San Francisco, Anuj lived in Lower Pacific Heights. This is a charming neighborhood with classic Victorian architecture and numerous restaurants, cafes, bookstores, movie theaters, and parks. In fact many of these were within walking distance of his apartment. One of Anuj's favorite places to stroll to was Alta Plaza Park, located just a few blocks from where he lived. He enjoyed the fact that it was an inviting, quiet place to hang out with a friend as well as a great vantage point to take in stunning views of the city from both the north and south sides. Alta Plaza was the perfect place to be on a sunny late summer weekend in San Francisco. To learn more about this friendly neighborhood park, please click here.

"Nobody Could Catch Him"

The A.D.P. fraternity football team. Anuj is standing at the top, right hand corner. Fall 1995.

While baseball was his favorite, Anuj enjoyed a wide variety of sports. Football was another game in which he let his natural athletic talent show. He played intra-mural flag football for his fraternity A.D.P. when he was in college. His usual position was wide-receiver. Once a matchup started, Anuj's usual laid-back demeanor could not hide his unrelenting competitive spirit. According to his teammates, Anuj was one of those athletes who was consistently sportsmanlike and gracious towards his competitors but also utterly focused on leading his team to victory. While on the A.D.P. team, he regularly found a way to win, enabling his team to finish with one of the best records in the league two years in a row. One of his football partners said: "the standard play was throw the ball up and let Anuj run under it. Nobody could catch him."

Scholarship Fund: An Update

It has been six weeks since we established the Anuj Mohan Scholarship Fund. Our goal was to honor Anuj and find a way to continue his work into perpetuity. Given his passion for education and life-long focus on finding opporunities for deserving people, we could think of no better way to do that than this fund. As articulated in the FAQ, we will send talented students with limited means to MIT or Wharton in Anuj's name every year.

We are genuinely heartened by the response received so far and want to sincerely thank all those who have contributed to this cause in Anuj's name.

In order to ensure that the scholarship benefits as many students as possible, we have decided to partner with an established non-profit foundation that specializes in maintaining and growing funds such as ours. The organization we have chosen is Silicon Valley Community Foundation. The Foundation is a landmark merger of two well-established foundations, Community Foundation Silicon Valley and Peninsula Community Foundation. As a result of this merger, Silicon Valley Community Foundation now manages $1.5 billion in assets and 1,400 philanthropic funds, making it the fourth largest foundation in the nation. To learn more about this extradorinary organization, visit www.siliconvalleycf.org

While this of course changes nothing regarding the philosophy and focus of the fund, the Community Foundation's resources and experience will provide the infrastructure and processes required to accomplish our goal. For example, as mentioned before, we are already working closely with MIT and Wharton - the Community Foundation will make this even more seamless. It will also make contributing to the fund easier (including the ability to donate online which is coming soon).

The Scholarship Fund FAQ has been updated to reflect our new partnership with Silicon Valley Community Foundation.

"One of its Brightest Stars"

The Mountain View Voice, Anuj's hometown newspaper, published an article about his life and inspiration this week. It recounts his accomplishments and contributions as a resident of Mountain View as well as how his work will live on.

Click here to see the web version of the story.

Also, to see the full story as it appears in the print version, click on the following link:
http://www.mv-voice.com/morguepdf/2006/2006_08_04.mvv.section1.pdf

When the page opens in your browser, scroll down to page 5 of 24. Anuj's story appears in its own box and continues on page 11.

The Joy of Cooking

Anuj in the kitchen of his San Francisco apartment.
Summer 2002.

Anuj loved to cook. His Thanksgiving meals, which he and Flo would prepare from scratch every year, were legendary. We will write more about them later. When it came to his creations, Anuj would try to be as geographically diverse as possible: Mexican to Indian, Italian to classic American, among many other cuisines. Some of the warmest memories that friends and family have of him are casual get-togethers where he fired up the barbecue grill or prepared something from a new recipe for his guests.

Anuj was not afraid to experiment in the kitchen. In fact that is how he first cultivated his interest in cooking. One day, during a summer vacation in high school, Anuj picked up his mom's old 'The Joy of Cooking' recipe book and decided to make some things in the dessert section. Unfortunately the donuts turned out flat and the lemon tarts a little too tangy. But he didn't give up and after a few tries he got it right. Anuj quickly branched out from desserts, moved over to main courses, and never looked back.

Many years later, in 2004, Anuj gave his mom the latest edition of 'The Joy of Cooking' as a Mother's Day gift. It was a small way to pay her back for developing a passion and skill that he would enjoy for the rest of his life.

Software Entrepreneurship: Part II

As mentioned in Part I, Anuj was proud of the Software Entrepreneurship Series, the lecture and panel program he established and led for years as part of the MIT Club. He orchestrated events covering a wide array of topics and trends in high-tech. They all had a common thread: building great companies in an incredibly dynamic industry. Anuj enjoyed meeting and bringing together brilliant people with similar interests and leading them in the creation of new insights. He said that he learned something new in each of these sessions. It was this program, more than anything else, that made Anuj so well regarded around Silicon Valley.

Reviewing a sampling of the programs put on by this group is like a walk through the recent history of software entrepreneurship...
Software Entrepreneurship - The VC Perspective
Software Development: The Outsourcing Trend
Gaming Software: From Concept to Market
The Software Entrepreneurial Landscape
Network Computing: Opportunities and Challenges
The Potential of Web Services

When Neal was in business school, his classmates would often ask him if he was Anuj's brother. When he said yes, they would describe how impressed they were with a recent event that Anuj organized. Upon Anuj's passing, we found that this opinion was shared by his fellow MIT alums as well who wrote in to share their thoughts. Many of them did not know Anuj personally but benefited from his leadership.

"We were all saddened to hear of the untimely death of Anuj. I had attended a few of the excellent Software Entrepreneurship Lecture Series and his leadership will be missed."

"Although I only interacted with Anuj as a volunteer with the MIT Club of Northern California, I was touched by his good nature and positive attitude from the moment I met him as a new recruit to the club, and through his years of volunteer service. It was a joy to work with him ... from fresh volunteer to the Director of our Software Entrepreneurship Series."

"I would like to express my sympathy and condolences to you. I have enjoyed attending the MIT Software Entrepreneurship programs that Anuj helped put on and champion."

Software Entrepreneurship: Part I

In addition to his deep interest in technology, Anuj was passionate about entrepreneurship. He had his own little startup at an early age, made entrepreneurship an integral part of his career, and played a leadership role in cultivating interest and knowledge about building companies while at school.

One of the endeavors Anuj was most proud of was the Software Entrepreneurship Series of the 8000-member MIT Club of Northern California. He was on the leadership team of the alumni association and focused on building technology-related programs for its members. Anuj founded this new venture forum when he was surprised to find that there was no established mechanism for people with MIT affiliation to discuss issues of entrepreneurship in the software industry. He built the organization from scratch and turned it into a regular series of lectures, panels and gatherings of CEOs, VCs, technology visionaries and successful entrepreneurs. It is dedicated to presenting trends, opportunities, challenges and innovative business practices related to new ventures. This program, more than anything else, made Anuj so well regarded around Silicon Valley.

As Chair, Anuj led this forum for several years until 2005 when he left the Bay Area to get his MBA. He organized events every couple of months and tried to bring together people across the spectrum of the software industry so that they could network and build new insights about their respective businesses. Thanks to his efforts, this lecture and discussion series is still going strong today.

Click here to learn more about the Software Entrepreneurship Series.

Part II will include some examples of events Anuj orchestrated as well as the feedback we have received regarding his efforts.

Superheroes

Neal and Anuj at home in Saline, Michigan. Fall 1980.
They were pretty much inseparable growing up.

"Scholarships to Honor Influential Wharton Student"

Yesterday, the Philadelphia Business Journal, part of the national network of 41 metropolitan business newspapers, published an article about Anuj's contributions to Wharton and the scholarships established to continue his legacy. We are heartened to see that it has become one of the "most viewed" stories on the journal's website over the last two days.

Click here to read the article.

It was also picked up on Yahoo! and MSN. Click below to see.

Your Beautiful Symphony

What do I tell your brother
He’s angry
Frayed around the edges
His beard hasn’t seen a razor
He thinks his is of no matter
Yours he wanted gray

Cheated of what would have been
Not for him, but for you

I want to tell him that
While your three decades
Suggest an unfinished symphony
In truth you conducted every note
Long before your time
You took life in
Unconditionally
With a full embrace

The ones old in their beds
Hear cacophonies
You knew all that they
Know in their ripe age

We’ll stumble through
Listening for your opus

For now, though,
The time is slow
And our pain
Still crude
Raw and bitter

- Hema

National Talent: Winning Against the Odds

According to various education publications, the National Talent Search Examination (NTSE) is one of the most prestigious academic competitions in India. Every year, 1000 National Talent Scholars are selected among a pool of over 10 million 10th graders. Anuj took part in state and national level competitions and cleared a final round of interviews to become one of these scholars.

The remarkable part of this story was not that he found himself among the 0.01% of students nationwide to win this honor but the condition in which he won it. During a scheduled break in the all day examination that comprised the national level competition, Anuj accidentally fell and badly hurt his writing hand while hanging out with friends. His hand quickly ballooned up but instead of heeding the advice of many to go immediately to a doctor, Anuj dealt with the pain to finish the remaining three hours of testing. He somehow found a way to concentrate on the multitude of mental puzzles and scholastic problems and devised an impromptu way to write despite the significant swelling. When asked how he felt after emerging from the test, he answered in his typical understated fashion saying it was no big deal.

When Anuj won the competition and received his prize money he did something very different than most other winners. Instead of spending it on a well-deserved gift for himself after the grueling competition, he tried to give it to his parents whom he credited with supporting him throughout the process.

Dressed up for his final round interview in the NTSE competition. Winter 1992.

Wharton School Press Release

The Wharton School, where Anuj would have earned his MBA in 2007, issued a press release yesterday announcing his passing and the scholarship fund established in his honor.

Click here to access the press release directly.

The story is located on the school's home page. Click on the image below to get to that:

Major League Match-Up

Not only did Anuj love playing baseball, he truly enjoyed it as a spectator as well. To those who would question his passion for the game, he would often say, "it doesn't look like a lot is going on, but strategic decisions are being made on virtually every pitch." This "thinking man's game" aspect is what kept him hooked.

vs.

Anuj's favorite team, the Boston Red Sox, played his second favorite, the Oakland A's, today. In years past, when the Red Sox came to town, he often organized an outing to the Colliseum in Oakland to take in the game. We're sure Anuj would have gotten all of us together to watch this time too.

Anuj at Fenway Park, home of the Boston Red Sox. Spring 2004.

What's In a Name

Anuj is an Indian name meaning "younger brother" or "later born". In Indian culture great significance is given to the bond of brotherhood. It is considered sacred.

अनुज मोहन

(Anuj Mohan written in Hindi script)

"I'm a Better Man Because He Was My Friend"

"Anuj never failed to see the good in me. He was the most calm, easygoing, and levelheaded person. I' m not sure I realize yet that I'll never hear his laugh again, this goofy bellow that would either make you smile or laugh in response, no matter how sad or angry you had been just before.

He was my friend from my first days in the house, lived next door to me for 2 years, and there are so many things I remember. His tone deaf singing competing with my limited vocal range to drive Cargol crazy in the other room. Going with him to see Wilco at the Avalon, and after the concert coming back to the house and raiding the fridge in the kitchen, listening to Wilco CDs on Bob Mac's stereo. His first few driving lessons in my Jeep, with Flo in the back seat and me riding shotgun, both of us encouraging him around the parking lot on the other side of the StarMarket. Chilling out in the TV room so often, watching SportsCenter, baseball, and football. The time we sat down to watch the All-Star Game home run derby at Fenway, realized it was happening only a mile or so away, rushed upstairs, grabbed our gloves, and ran to Lansdowne Street to be in the crush behind the Green Monster and witness McGwire's and Sosa's ridiculous blasts. The many weekend afternoon meals at Mandarin, Golden Donut, or one of the Indian places in Central Square, where he once demonstrated how folks back home use their hands to ball up curry and rice when there's no fork to be had.

His M.Eng. year he went home to India over the winter break, and brought back gifts for a bunch of us. On trains and planes, from halfway around the world, he lugged back a ceramic Laughing Buddha for me. Since then, every day I rub its belly on my way out the door, looking for all the good luck I can get. Tomorrow, and for some time after that, I know that's going to make me sad. Eventually, even though I'm always going to miss him, that's going to make me smile.

The last time I saw him was when I was out in the Bay Area for a conference last year. He showed me San Francisco, up and down the hills, beating up his car's transmission in the process. We walked out on the Golden Gate Bridge and hiked a little bit up in the Marin Headlands. We met up with Flo in Berkeley, she showed us the campus, and we snuck into Memorial Stadium. Somehow I convinced them to walk around Berkeley Hills with me, where my Zen exploring promptly got us lost, but of course Anuj only laughed about it. We ended up having dinner at a little restaurant near the campus. It never occurred to me that would be the last time I'd see him. If there has to be a final memory, though, that's an exceptional one.

About the only positive thing that I can come up with at the moment is that he's not really gone. I am a better man because he was my friend. The same goes for everyone who has known him. We each carry a bit of him with us, and that total sum is immeasurable."

- Scott

A Geographical Timeline

Anuj loved maps. Throughout his life, he liked to draw, study and collect them. In honor of this aspect of his intellectual curiosity, here is a timeline of Anuj's life in cartographic form. Click on each map to see more details via Google.


Anuj was born in Boynton Beach, Florida on April 9, 1976, a few miles north of Boca Raton where he lived for his first three years.

He moved with his family to Saline, Michigan on the outskirts of the college town of Ann Arbor in 1979. Anuj spent the next six years in this beautiful small community.


In 1985, the Mohan family relocated to the other side of the world to Lucknow, India. Anuj learned a new language, culture and way of life very quickly. The bulk of his teenage years were spent in India.


While in college and grad school from 1994 to 1999, Anuj enjoyed the humid summers and cold winters of Cambridge, Mass across the Charles River from Boston.

In 1999, Anuj trekked across the country to join the dotcom wave in Silicon Valley. For six years, he lived all over the Bay Area: San Francisco, Mountain View and San Leandro.


Anuj moved back to the east coast in July 2005 to earn his MBA at Wharton in Philadelphia. He lived next to historic Rittenhouse Square.

Count Your Age with Friends, Not Years

Anuj's welcoming smile, warm spirit, and sense of humor allowed him to make friends effortlessly. His humility, kindness and integrity allowed him to keep those friendships permanently.


Surrounded by his friends after graduating from high school at St. Francis College in Lucknow, India. Summer 1994.



With some friends from his pledge class before an ADP fraternity event at MIT. Spring 1996.



At a party while working towards his MBA at Wharton. Winter 2006.

A Helping Hand: Rebuilding Together

Anuj was involved in a number of volunteer causes that were very important to him. One such group that he had recently become involved with is Rebuilding Together, the national organization that revitalizes houses and communities, assuring that low-income citizens live in warmth, safety, and independence. Anuj's work was with the Philadelphia affiliate. An example of his efforts is described by one of his Wharton classmates:

"My memories of Anuj will include his sense of humor and caring personality. He volunteered to help one day at Rebuilding Together to help fix up our cohort’s house even though he had been having back problems. I told him that he wouldn’t have to carry anything and could help out however he could. Anuj ended up coming out to help on a horrible day, showing up at my apartment completely drenched from the pouring rain.

Once we arrived at the house, he was eager to help out in anyway he could. Anuj actively looked for things to do and before I knew it he’d have another project completed and would be asking me what to do next. I have a picture of him pulling down rotten drywall. It seemed like everything was falling out of that ceiling, including a mouse that had probably been up there for years. Anuj just laughed, got the trash, cleaned the mess up, and got back to ripping it down, before replacing it. I really wish I’d had more time to get to know him and I’ll regret not having spent more time hanging out with him. But I’m thankful for all the time I did get to spend with him and will miss seeing him walk down the halls with that big smile on his face. You will not be forgotten, Anuj."

- Stephen

Click here to learn more about Rebuilding Together.

The Shoulders of Giants

"If I have seen a little further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants."
- Isaac Newton

Anuj believed that appropriately harnessed technological innovation profoundly benefited society. He devoted a significant portion of his academic and professional career to contributing to this process. As his colleagues and professors have asserted, Anuj was an accomplished researcher in the field of computer science, specifically artificial intelligence and machine learning. He worked on complex problems in these areas and published his research in peer-reviewed scientific journals. Anuj's work has been cited nearly 200 times by scientists and engineers around the world. It will find applications in fields as varied as security systems, automobile safety, robotic tools for the physically impaired, etc.

One can build an eternal legacy by finding a way to contribute to human progress even after leaving this world. Anuj did just that. Through his publications, he found a way to not only make an impact while he was with us but continues to do so through computer scientists that are building on his work.

In subsequent posts, we will provide more details about Anuj's research and its applications. In the meantime, click on the Google Scholar link below to see his papers and the numerous places they have been referenced:

Brothers - Always Three

Ann Arbor, Michigan. Winter 1985.

Palo Alto, California. Summer 2005.

CarePages - Memories, Thoughts, Wishes

When Anuj was fighting in the hospital for four weeks, scores of friends and family came to be with him from all over the world. In addition, we received hundreds of phone calls, emails and messages of support for Anuj for which we will be forever grateful. They were a source of strength but, perhaps more importantly, also shed light on what a truly deep impact Anuj had on hundreds of people everywhere. Some of these thoughts and wishes were posted at a public website called CarePages.com set up by his friends at Wharton and include comments like the following:

"I am deeply saddened to have lost Anuj. He was one of the most wonderful people I have ever known and I consider myself privileged to have known him for the short time I did. He was talented and intelligent, but was also understanding and sympathetic of others, loving and giving. He was always able to smile and laugh even through trying times: he had an unconquerable spirit. I am a better person for having known him and I shall miss my friend terribly."

- Alexandra

To access this site, click on the link below (username: guestaccount, password: welcome)...

Always a Warm Smile and Ready Laugh

"What I remember most is his ever-present laughter - especially at house meetings where Tim or Ameet would start to tell a turkey story that might have only involved Anuj peripherally - they might have just briefly mentioned Anuj's name - but Anuj would bust out with his unstoppable laugh (I really don't think he could have made himself stop laughing even if he had wanted to). This laugh would inspire high-pitched cries of "Anoooooooooj!!!" from everyone, which would ring out over his uncontrolled laughter until, sure enough, Anuj would be awarded the shirt.

In my memories of Anuj, he is so happy and alive, I can't believe he's no longer with us. I am proud and happy that Anuj was my fraternity brother. The thought that his goofy, unstoppable laugh is no longer out there making others happy hurts me."

- Carl

"Man Inspires Legacy of Learning"

The San Jose Mercury News, Silicon Valley's newspaper of record and the second largest in Northern California, published a story about Anuj today. Written by education reporter Luis Zaragoza, it appears on the front page of the Peninsula section and includes two photographs of him. The article focuses on Anuj's many accomplishments, his passion for education and dedication to providing equal opportunities for all. It also includes information about the scholarship fund established in his honor.

Click here to see the web version of the story.

Online, Anuj's article is available under the Local and Education sections of the website.

A Place of Tranquility

San Gregorio State Beach, off Highway 1 on the California coast between San Francisco and Santa Cruz, was one of Anuj's favorite spots. Unlike its often crowded neighbor Half Moon Bay Beach to the North, San Gregorio is usually not teaming with beach-goers. Anuj would take family and friends there to relax in its serene atmosphere.

Click here to learn more about San Gregorio State Beach.

For Anuj

Our Hearth, Our Glow

the plane landed
far from what was
what i once called home

you met me at the door

with your warm spirit,
your dimples,
a smile wide,
sincere, and whole

you were the ambassador
the warmth and welcome
of my new family

our hearth
our glow

- Hema

MIT Baseball - An Old Photograph

As many of his friends and family know, Anuj played on the MIT varsity baseball team - aptly nicknamed the MIT Engineers. He was on the team for the 1997 and 1998 seasons. Both years, MIT had winning records - overall as well as in their conference (at the time, they played in the Constitution Athletic Conference).

By all accounts, Anuj was an incredibly gifted athlete but making the varsity squad was not going to be easy. According to his fraternity brothers, he basically willed his way onto the team. He loved baseball and practiced hard until he was good enough to get selected. In characteristic fashion, Anuj saw a worthy challenge and did not relent until he had achieved his goal. Balancing a full baseball practice schedule with the grueling academics at MIT was of course no small task. In fact, one of his friends recalled Anuj constantly doing wrist-strengthening exercises in the A.D.P. dorm, even when studying for an electrical engineering test!

To learn more about MIT Baseball, click the link below:

Tribute in Palo Alto Newspaper

The Palo Alto Weekly published a tribute to Anuj in its Transitions section today. It is a beautiful retelling of his life and makes it clear how much he accomplished in such a short time.

You can read the online version of the article here:
http://www.paloaltoonline.com/weekly/story.php?story_id=1854

Also, to see the full story as it appears in the print version, click on the following link:
http://www.paloaltoonline.com/weekly/morguepdf/2006/2006_07_05.paw.section1.pdf

When the file opens in your browser, scroll down to page 11 of 27.

As you can see, the Weekly highlighted Anuj's story and also decided to publish a photograph.

To view previous stories about Anuj, scroll down to the "News Articles" section in the right-hand column.

Some Additional Memories of Anuj

"Anuj was a MEng student my freshman year at MIT. I remember him encouraging me during the inflatable Bungee-run on my first day of rush. I remember overnighting in his room and how considerate of me he was. That red carpet is certainly memorable. I remember going to play pickup football with him and several others on October 24, 1998 – the first day snow was predicted – shocking to an Arizonan. On the way over, he told me a story of how Leo Malave had lost three brother’s badges, effectively, and correctly, predicting that my future badge would join the abyss.

My memory of Anuj that most accurately describes his wonderful character and his ability to care for each of us occurred when I was rush chair a few years later. I’d sought out a lot of former rush chairs for advice; however, I believe Anuj was the one who gave me a call from across the country. Most folks will give you advice from a “here’s how not to screw up rush/the house” perspective. Not Anuj. I remember him asking about me, to see if I was doing alright, and trying to find out how I was holding up. Of course Anuj cared about the house, but he effortlessly found a way to care about the individuals first. This reminds me of how much of a lesser man I am. But that’s a good thing; Anuj can still teach me things and that active connection means part of him is still with me.

I think about what the world has lost. Not only will a great man be gone, but so will his contributions to the world, like children, and grandchildren. Anuj would have been a great father. I know many of us believe that this existence is preparation for the next. To that end, the only way I can find any peace in this is to think that Anuj had made so many wonderful connections to us and the rest of the world that he was exceedingly well prepared."

- Warren

"I can not tell in words how shocked I am by the sad news about our friend Anuj.

The whole year at Wharton, he impressed us with his intelligence and his extremely down-to-earth and helpful character. I remember how embarrassed he was in the last leadership lecture when he forgot to thank a 15th classmate for helping to bring the speakers to class. Even if he had done the major part of the work, he would still only praise his classmates. Always a smile, always selfless behavior, never a sad word…

Anuj, you truly inspired me and I am sure you inspired everybody who crossed your way. We will miss you but you will always be in our hearts."

- Marco

"Last year on July 4, Anuj invited us all to Flo's place in San Leandro and later took us to Oakland where we watched the fireworks from Jack London Square. We had a great time. He and Flo cooked up a lot of tasty treats from scratch including samosas, chicken bites, home made ice cream, etc. We ate and hung out at the apartment in San Leandro for a while and then drove up to Oakland. On the way, he shared some history about Oakland and the East Bay. It was very interesting since that part of the metropolis is often overshadowed by the big city to the west.

At Jack London Square we all regrouped and staked out a great place to watch the fireworks show. Anuj, as considerate as ever, brought some folding chairs for mom and dad to sit on during the display. The show itself was spectacular. The fireworks were fired from a barge in the bay. The entire square was packed with people enjoying the show - an incredibly festive atmosphere. Afterwards, as we went our separate ways, Anuj called a few times to make sure we found the right exit after driving around Lake Merritt. He was thoughtful that way and just wanted to make sure his family got home safe.

Remembering it today is extremely painful. But I can still manage a smile because Anuj was the consumate host as usual and we had a lot of fun. July 4th will never be the same."

- Neal

More News Stories About Anuj

Two more newspapers have written stories about Anuj's life and the scholarship fund.

On June 30, the San Mateo County Times ran an article in their local section.

Click here to see the article

On July 2, the Palo Alto Daily News ran a piece that ran on Page 3 at the top of their local section.

Click here to see the article

California Senate Adjourns in Anuj's Memory

On Monday, June 26, the California State Senate honored Anuj by adjourning in his memory. This was done at the request of State Senator Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto), the prominent legislator who represents Silicon Valley.

A motion to adjourn in memoriam is a permament part of the legislative record. It is recorded in the Senate Daily Journal. Anuj's adjournment can be found on the State Senate's web site:

ftp://www.leginfo.ca.gov/pub/senate-journal/sen-journal-0x-20060626-4467.PDF

Scroll to page 42 to see the specific text of the adjournment request.

The Anchor of Our Family

The Mohan Family: Fall 1984 in Ann Arbor, Michigan and Spring 2006 in Los Angeles. Anuj will always be with us.

Would You Like to Share a Thought?

Thank you to those who have been sending emails with kind thoughts and memories. If you haven’t already, we invite you to post your thoughts about Anuj directly to the blog as comments under any entry or with an email to memories.anujmohan@gmail.com.

In the meantime, here are some recollections from one of Anuj’s close friends…

"Anuj was one of my best friends at M.I.T. and ADP, and it deeply saddens me that he passed away. These past few days, I've been wrestling with how to best honor Anuj by writing an email expressing what an amazing person he was, but I have realized that whatever I say will be inadequate to describe him. So here goes:

Anuj had an incredible zest for life. I will never forget his contagious smile and laugh. Anuj was not only able to get along with anybody he met, he made each person who met him feel valued and important. He was one of the most selfless people I have known. He always made time to help me and others even if he was extremely busy. He also had an amazing tolerance for other people’s teasing and tickling. I remember one time when someone tickled him so that he curled up in a ball on the main stairway of the house and kept on laughing. Anuj took it all so well and was very forgiving of others. I don’t think there was an ounce of arrogance in Anuj; he never was condescending to anyone and although he was very intelligent and talented, he didn’t brag about it. Anuj was also a man of his word. If Anuj committed to do something, he would do it, and do it well. Whatever it was you were doing, having Anuj along always made it a better experience. He just seemed to bring out the best in the people around him.

It seems like almost all my memories from college involve Anuj somehow. He and Prakash were the firstof my pledge class brothers to befriend me. I remember one night when he, Calvin, and I stayed up late just talking about life, everything, and nothing and before we knew it, the sun was rising. Lots of mymemories of Anuj are from playing sports together. We played just about every intramural sport together (other than hockey) for ADP and he was awesome at them all. Anuj was very competitive when playing sports, but always gracious in victory and defeat. He, Calvin, and I played lots of pickup basketball in our college years. Separately, the three of us were average basketball players, but somehow when all three of us were on the same team, it seemed like we could beat anyone.

We also had some great road trips together, to Atlantic City (twice), to the U.S. Open (twice), to the ’96 Olympics in Atlanta, along the Pacific Coast Highway in California. When things went wrong, like when we got lost in NYC on our way to New Jersey, or when we accidentally ran over a dog in Georgia, Anuj was always a voice of reason and remained upbeat and hopeful. Anuj was the person who introduced me to the music of Rush, and we went to a couple of their concerts. I remember that he read the lyrics to one of their songs as a literary presentation at our house meeting.

We also went to a number of Red Sox and Patriots games together. He became an avid Patriots and Red Sox fan, and wouldn’t you know it, not long afterwards both teams won championships. Anuj was also the one who renewed my interest in bicycling. We biked to Hopkington and biked all the way out to Cape Cod a couple of times in a big group with BobbyMac. On the first trip to Cape Cod, after I was hit by a car, I remember that Anuj encouraged me and his sense of humor helped me forget about my scrapes. He was a friend I knew I could always count on, and he was an incredible blessing to me.

Good bye and thank you, Anuj. You have made me a better person, and this world a better place. You and your family will be in my prayers, and you will always be a part of who I am."

- Tosh

Another Article on Anuj Today

The Almanac, a newspaper serving the Silicon Valley towns of Menlo Park, Atherton, Woodside and Portola Valley, published an obituary about Anuj today. The print version includes a photograph as well. The story honors his life as well as making mention of the scholarship fund established in his memory.

You can read the online version of the article here:
http://www.almanacnews.com/story.php?story_id=2055

Also, to see the story as it appears in the print version, click on the following link:
http://www.almanacnews.com/morguepdf/2006/2006_06_28.alm.section1.pdf

When the file opens in your browser, scroll down to page 21 of 24. Here you can see the full article as well as a photograph of Anuj.

The Almanac rarely publishes photographs in its obituary section but the editors were deeply moved by Anuj's story and decided that it deserved a picture as well as words.

A Life Made Eternal

"Neither fire nor wind, birth nor death can erase our good deeds." - Buddha

Anuj in Philadelphia. Fall 2005.

A Few Tributes...

"I had the good fortune of getting to know Anuj well over the last year at Wharton. Not only did we study together but we also hung out together many times and Anuj was great company. He was one of the nicest and most genuine guys I have met. He was an extremely hard working guy and would always go the extra distance to improve the quality of our work on group assignments while never making a big fuss about it. It never came as a surprise to me that he made the Director’s List at Wharton given his academic commitment and intellectual strength. We used to joke initially in our learning team that we have a geek from MIT and that joke died pretty soon after we started our semester last fall when we found out Anuj’s many talents and interests. He was highly active in Wharton’s Technology and Entrepreneurship Clubs going on to become the co-president of the Entrepreneurship Club and working as a Panel Manager for the Technology Conference. His interest in volunteering and social causes was evident throughout the year. On our leadership class team project he was an extremely productive and fun member while contributing extensively to the Rebuilding Together and Into the Streets volunteer projects. Anuj was clearly committed and passionate about the academic institutions he attended. He served as the officer for MIT’s Alumni Club for Northern California and at Wharton he was selected to lead the Advisory Board for the school’s well known speaker series, Wharton Leadership Lectures, that brings to campus many of the world’s most influential leaders and policy makers. In addition he led the initiative to bring guest speakers to our core curriculum leadership class by volunteering his services for an entire cluster of about 250 students. And the list goes on and on…That is my dear humble friend Anuj."

- Vivek


"My dear cousin Anuj was a very special person. He was loving, caring, genuine, and very giving. I remember the times in Ann Arbor when we would all play in the backyard, which back then seemed like the size of a football field to us, and Anuj would run around teasing all of us. He was the little one with curly hair and pudgy cheeks - one could never miss his wonderful, comforting smile. Those very same qualities were apparent even when he was a toddler. A few weeks ago at a very special lunch we all had together, it was my turn to tease him and still he blushed as he did when he was a child. Anuj is exceptional in so many ways and has a special aura about him that few can ever match. Anuj, my dear cousin, you live in our hearts and minds every moment of the day. Our spirit, faith, and prayers are with you."

- Meena


"Anuj was one of the warmest, most genuine person I have known. He was also one of the most brilliant kids in our high school class and had the rare quality of making friends with almost everyone. We dropped out of touch after graduating from St. Francis' in 1994 and reconnected just a few years ago and he was the same as before- radiant and warm."

- Saurabh

With Mom and Dad

Anuj with Mom at Neal's graduation from business school.
Summer 2005.


Anuj with Dad at MIT. A few years after he graduated, he took Mom and Dad to Cambridge. Here Anuj is showing Dad his Master's thesis which is housed in the main library.
Summer 2004.

News Article on Anuj

The San Mateo Daily Journal published a story about Anuj today. It focuses on the type of life he led as well as the legacy we hope to build in the future in honor of him.

The full article story is available at the link below:
http://www.smdailyjournal.com/article_preview.php?id=60383

Neal's Eulogy for his Brother

As you all know, Anuj never really liked to be the center of attention. He was of a rare breed – a leader who led not by ostentation and speeches but rather through quietly making those around him better. So it is the cruelest twist of fate that we are gathered here today with all the attention focused on him.

In his characteristic selfless generosity, even while parting from this world, Anuj gave us a gift. By fighting valiantly for four weeks, he allowed us to collect and share countless stories about how he led his life and the everlasting impact he had on those he crossed paths with. One universal theme emerged: despite the fact that he touched hundreds of people around the world, every relationship he built was truly unique.

In fact one of my favorite stories stems from my wife’s observation that she had never met anyone who was invited to be part of more wedding parties than Anuj. He was invited to 3 or 4 a summer. He thought about this for a second and said, “isn’t everybody?” Typical Anuj. What the rest of the world deemed to be deep, special relationships were simply the way Anuj expected and made sure all of his friendships were.

Above all, Anuj was a man of utter humility. For someone who accomplished an incredible amount in his short time with us, I think we all agree that there was not an ounce of arrogance in him. From early childhood through the very end, he was so self-assured and confident in his talents and natural abilities that he never felt the need to boast or brag about anything.

For example, many of his recently acquired friends at Wharton did not know that he played a leadership role in the National Kidney Foundation, orchestrating events that raised over $50,000 annually. I’m sure most of his friends and colleagues at MIT didn’t know that in high school Anuj was elected or appointed to more leadership positions than any student before or since. Despite its location in Silicon Valley, colleagues at Kana may not have known that outside the office, Anuj was the founder of the well-regarded Software Entrepreneurship Lecture Series for the MIT alumni club of Northern California. While that work resulted in people recognizing him throughout Silicon Valley – I would often have acquaintances approach me to ask, “are you Anuj’s brother?” - many did not know that as a student at MIT he was an often-cited researcher with papers published in peer-reviewed scientific journals. And we in his family had no idea that some of his Wharton professors called him one of the brightest lights they had seen in many years given his simultaneous academic accomplishments – he made the Director’s List – and extra-curricular leadership – leading the Entrepreneurship club, organizing several guest lectures, managing panels for the annual Technology Conference, etc.

It was the little stuff that made us truly appreciate him though. I am reminded of a story that took place a few months ago. Anuj gave a friend at Wharton his commitment to help out during a “Rebuilding Together” event that his friend was running. A few days before the effort, he threw out his back. On the day of the event, Philadelphia was cold, dreary and in a pouring rain. Yet, exactly on time, his friend opened the door to a smiling Anuj, completely drenched, tweaked back and ready to help. He was one of the few that showed up and last to leave, staying for hours until the task was done. He had made a commitment, his friend needed help, so Anuj was there.

Perhaps it was his strong spirituality that kept him grounded, gracious and even-keeled in every facet of his life. As his Kana colleagues have told me, Anuj was the last one to ever get upset at anything. And on those rare occasions when he was, you knew something was really wrong! I’d like to share with you just one of hundreds of stories related by people who respected him that highlighted these qualities:

“My memory of Anuj that most accurately describes his warmth and generosity of spirit occurred when I was rush chair a few years later. I’d sought out a lot of former rush chairs for advice; however, it was Anuj who gave me a call from across the country. Most folks will give you advice from a “here’s how not to screw up rush/the house” perspective. Not Anuj. I remember him asking about me, to see if I was doing alright, and trying to find out how I was holding up. Of course Anuj cared about the house, but he effortlessly found a way to care about the individuals first. This reminds me of how much of a lesser man I am . . . but that’s a good thing; Anuj can still teach me things and that active connection means part of him is still with me.”

Anuj’s kind heart and self-deprecating humor did not mean that he wasn’t incredibly driven and thrived on competition. His fraternity brothers have talked about his prowess on the football field and the championship basketball game where he went on a 12 point scoring spree in over time to secure the win for his class. Whether it was learning a new language in a couple of months, willing his way on to the MIT varsity baseball team, participating in a 200-mile bike relay to the ocean, or learning how to cook, Anuj applied himself fully to the task at hand until he became the best at it. I will always remember the incredible Thanksgiving feast he cooked up just a day or two before he left for Bangalore on a business trip a couple years ago. This summer he was looking forward to applying the same ambition to swimming. The sole solace we have is he left us doing something he loved and being exactly who he was.

To his family, he was simply our son and brother. To my mother, he will always be the baby who would drink from his milk bottle really fast and throw it out of the crib as soon as he was done. Years later he would be the son who took the initiative and time out of his own busy life to teach my mom how to drive and use the Internet. To my dad he was and is the dimpled little boy who would eagerly wait by the door in his yellow “walking jacket” every evening when my father got home from work, so the two of them could go for their daily walk around the neighborhood, he tugging at his ear the whole way. Yes, we all know that if he tugged your ear, you had reached a new level of affection with him. Most of you have probably already heard how Anuj moved mountains a few years ago to save my dad’s life when he was diagnosed with kidney disease in India. He cut through bureaucratic roadblocks in the US government as well as medical establishment to allow my parents to immigrate back here in record time, getting my father the care he needed and eventually making a kidney transplant possible just a few months ago. To my youngest brother Kapil, he was the idolized mentor who went out of his way to help him in all facets of his life as well as a friend he called every week to just talk about sports. What a sports fanatic he was. By God’s grace, just three days before his accident, Anuj witnessed the fruits of his labor as he watched Kapil graduate from USC in LA. When we pointed out that he had a big hand in his brother’s success through his many late night trans-oceanic mentoring sessions, Anuj chuckled and characteristically said, “this was all Kapil, I take no credit.”

And to me. Well to me, Anuj will forever remain my baby brother. I will remember the summer evenings spent doing wheelies on our driveway in Michigan, the rickshaw ride the two of us took everyday to school in India, the matching sweaters our mom made us wear as children, and how he made little families with everything he collected – pencils, erasers, balls, shoes, anything. Always a family man. As his friends have repeatedly said, what a great father and role model for their own children he would have been. Years later, at my wedding, he would give one of the most thoughtful and touching best man toasts that I have ever heard. Oh, how I desperately wish I could have been reciprocating that gesture instead of standing here speaking today.

In Anuj’s untimely passing, we have all been robbed of a future with this wonderful soul. But we will always have cherished memories from the past. And we can always remember him as an incredibly handsome young man, with ever present dimples and a radiantly warm smile. He left behind a world that is truly a better place because of his short time upon it.

Anuj, you are the finest human being I have ever known. You will live on in each of us everyday because of the indelible positive impact you had on all that you crossed paths with.

In the end though this isn’t about achievement, impact, legacy, or zest for life. It is simply about love. He was your friend, my parents’ son, and my brother – and I just loved him very much. Anuj, I miss you tugging on my ear.

A Tenet Anuj Lived By

"You must be the change you wish to see in the world. "
- Mahatma Gandhi

Scholarship - Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Anuj Mohan Scholarship Fund?
It is a fund designed to provide scholarship assistance to exceptional students from families of limited financial means to attend The Massachusetts Institute of Technology, from which Anuj graduated with BS and MEng degrees, or The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, where Anuj completed his first year on the path to an MBA degree before his accident.

What is the mission of the fund?
Anuj was deeply committed to education and passionate about creating equal opportunities so that everyone could reach their full potential. He was convinced that the path to sustainable progress in society was through providing educational opportunities to students who truly deserved them, and encouraging those students to contribute to their communities afterwards. That is the mission of this scholarship fund. We hope to educate the next generation of engineers, scientists, entrepreneurs, and innovators so that they can better the world we live in.

How will this scholarship be different from others?
A number of characteristics will make the Anuj Mohan Scholarship Fund different from other scholarships, grants and financial aid opportunities:
1) Unlike many other funds we will work very closely with MIT and Wharton to ensure that we are in synch with their overall merit scholarship and financial aid programs.
2) As described above, the goal of the scholarship will be not only to provide academic opportunities for deserving underprivileged students but also ensure that they are focused on contributing to their communities in a meaningful way.
3) Therefore eligibility criteria will include not only applicants' academic excellence and financial need, but also their demonstrated commitment to their local community.
4) The original focus of the fund will be on students in the San Francisco Bay Area given Anuj's connection to that community but we hope to grow our scope over the years.

How do I make a donation?
Please write a check payable to Silicon Valley Community Foundation. Write "Anuj Mohan Scholarship Fund" in the memo line.

Mail to:

Silicon Valley Community Foundation
2440 West El Camino Real, Suite 300
Mountain View, California 94040-1498

If you have any questions about this process, please contact donate@siliconvalleycf.org.

Is my donation tax deductible?
Yes. A receipt will be mailed to each donor who contributes to the fund.

Can I donate more than once?
Yes. If you would like to pledge a certain amount every year, we will work with you to establish a schedule that suits you.

How is the fund structured?
The Anuj Mohan Scholarship Fund is a donor-advised fund at Silicon Valley Community Foundation. Anyone can give to this fund. It will endow permanent scholarships at MIT and Wharton. Using criteria we provide, these schools will select exceptional students as scholarship recipients from The Anuj Mohan Scholarship Fund. After endowing the first set of scholarships, we hope to grow the number and size of grants at both schools by working with our generous supporters and development partners at MIT, Wharton and Silicon Valley Community Foundation.

When will you award the first scholarship?
Our goal is to start awarding scholarships to students admitted to MIT and Wharton in fall of 2007.

Who can I talk to if I have more questions?
Please call Neal Mohan at (917) 287-7981 or Hema Mohan at (650) 796-3350. You can also email: hema.s.mohan@gmail.com or donate@siliconvalleycf.org.

The Anuj Mohan Scholarship Fund

In his short time with us, Anuj had an incredible impact on Silicon Valley and the high-tech industry through his contributions as an accomplished researcher at MIT, senior architect and director at Kana, and student leader at The Wharton School.

It is our goal to continue his work and honor his memory by establishing the Anuj Mohan Scholarship Fund. The goal is to put in place endowed scholarships at both MIT and Wharton to enable exceptional students from families of limited means to attend these great universities. Our hope is to educate the world's future entrepreneurs, scientists, mathematicians and CEOs.

This was a cause that was dear to Anuj's heart. He believed passionately that the creative application of technology could continually improve the lives of people around the world. Educating bright young people to do just that seems to be the best way to carry on that legacy.

To contribute: Please write a check payable to "Silicon Valley Community Foundation" with "Anuj Mohan Scholarship Fund" in the memo line.

Mail to the following address:

Silicon Valley Community Foundation
2440 West El Camino Real, Suite 300
Mountain View, California 94040-1498

If you would like to learn more about the scholarship, please go to the FAQ page at:
http://anujmohan.blogspot.com/2006/06/scholarship-frequently-asked-questions.html

Anuj's Service Card

IN LOVING MEMORY

Anuj Mohan, beloved son of Dr. Deepa Mohan and Dr. Aditya Mohan, brother of Neal and Kapil, and brother-in-law of Hema, was born in Florida on Ram Navami, April 9, 1976. He spent the first few years of his life in Florida and Michigan doing wheelies in the driveway with his yellow dirt bike, playing GI Joe with his brothers and friends, and charming his teachers with his unassuming brilliance and ever present dimples.

When the Mohans moved to India in 1985, Anuj faced the challenge of immersing himself in a new culture and learning to speak, read and write Hindi from scratch in a couple of months. Anuj took that in stride and, with the discipline and determination he would consistently display throughout his life, went on to blossom into a star pupil, champion debater, gifted athlete, and, most importantly, cherished friend during his years at St. Francis School in Lucknow, India.

In 1994, Anuj returned to the US to attend MIT. He pledged the Alpha Delta Phi fraternity, where he met life-long friends, and played on MIT’s varsity baseball team. While earning B.S. and M.Eng. degrees in electrical engineering and computer science, he published two papers on machine learning and artificial intelligence in peer-reviewed scientific journals. But, “Nuji,” as he was known by those who love him, is perhaps best remembered for all the little things he always selflessly found time to do for others.

Upon graduating, Anuj headed to Silicon Valley to join KANA Communications where he rode the dotcom roller coaster for six years, quickly becoming a mentor to employees in offices around the world. Outside of work, he founded and directed the Software Entrepreneurship Lecture Series of the 8,000-member MIT Alumni Club of Northern California. In between he made time for his favorite activities like catching a baseball game, making wonderful meals with Flo, riding his bike around the Bay Area, and, of course, reading a good book.

In 2005, Anuj decided to pursue an MBA at The Wharton School at UPenn. In May, he completed his first year. Anuj earned a spot on the Director’s List but this did not come at the expense of cultivating relationships with fellow students and faculty, becoming Co-President of the Entrepreneurship Club, and regularly competing on the soccer field.

But you would never hear of these accomplishments from him. Although those around him saw immediately that he was immensely talented, at his core, Anuj was extremely humble. By all accounts, he was a person of uncompromising integrity and sincerity. A true leader, Anuj had the incredible gift of enabling people to achieve their full potential. He asked “what do you think?” because he sincerely believed that everyone had something important to contribute.

Anuj was kind, thoughtful, and always generous of his time, wisdom, and spirit. When his father was diagnosed with kidney failure, Anuj broke down bureaucratic barriers in the US government and the medical establishment to allow his parents to immigrate back to the US, quickly securing the care his father needed, eventually leading to a transplant. Unquestionably, Anuj was who you wanted by your side when things got tough. A man of his word, he would be there to help you navigate your way out of any situation. His unwavering faith and spirituality kept him grounded and ever positive.

He leaves behind a family that loved him beyond description, a community of dear friends, and a world that is truly better because he inhabited it. Anuj, you are the finest human being we have ever known. But mostly we just miss your warm smile and ready laugh.

Anuj Mohan

Dear family and friends,

It is with profound sadness that we write that our beloved Anuj passed away on June 11 after a valiant fight. While we are shattered by this loss, we will always be inspired by the life he led and the indelible impact he had on those around him. We know he will live on forever in all the unique relationships he built with all of you.

We are grateful for your overwhelming support and prayers over the last few weeks. Most importantly, thank you for sharing your stories and memories of Anuj with him and us. They were and continue to be a tremendous source of strength.

With love, gratitude and peace,
The Mohan Family