Selvaraju "Selva" Vellingiri

A lifelong committed and passionate walker, Selvaraju Vellingiri (known to friends and family, simply as Selva) signed off on the afternoon of Aug 27th, to pursue his favorite activity. He was 55 years old. His path led him from the evergreen hillside of Coimbatore where he was born, to the luscious greenways and parks of Cary, where he spent many days speed walking with his group of friends. No one, who met Selva can forget his quiet disposition. Behind that silent demeanor was a kind soul, who never refused anyone help and empathized with the lot of strangers and acquaintances alike.

An engineer and an MBA graduate from India, Selva flew in stateside as a business consultant in 1999. After establishing financial independence and a tedious wait, he married the love of his life Kalaiselvi Sulur, in 2004. Bound by their shared passion for Tamil, their native language, both of them engaged robustly with the activities of the Tamil Sangam, earning Selva many friends in Michigan, Florida, and in Cary, NC. Selva even served on the Board of Directors of the Cary Tamil Sangam. He was also a staunch follower of the Isha foundation, that is dedicated to raising human consciousness through individual transformation. Members of both communities will miss his gracious nature.

​Above all, Selva was a doting husband and an indulgent father to his only daughter, Anandhi. She affectionately recalls many hours of playing “Barbie,” and “pushcart” with him. Not to mention, all the “sneaking around mom to get laddoos from the temple and frequently stopping for pakoras, samosas, and Starbucks coffee.” Selva has enthusiastically imparted all these mischievous impulses along with his flair for cooking exotic dishes like sambhar and his special “yellow rice” to her. He, she insists, was the only one who ever taught Math patiently.

​Selva is also survived by his aged mother Soundammal, his siblings and extended families in India and Australia.

Family and friends are invited to attend visiting hours on Wednesday, Sept 2nd from 9:30 am to 10:30 am at the Brown-Wynne Funeral Home & Crematory, located at 300 Saint Mary’s Street, Raleigh, NC 27605 for Mr. Selvaraju Vellingiri. Last rites and prayer service will be conducted at 11:00 am in a private ceremony (limited to 10 members) at the request of the priest. Cremation is scheduled following that.

The Funeral home has accommodated the request for live streaming through Facebook Live at Brown-Wynne Funeral Home & Crematory.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial contributions may be made to a charity of one's choice that opposes gun violence; or to a memorial scholarship fund to be established in Selva's honor. Details will be forthcoming.

Thank you for your prayers and kind wishes.

May his soul rest in Peace!