Sid anchored his life around a value system and a moral compass centered on having freedom of thought and action; being a fountain of knowledge; trusting and accepting people as they are; being trustworthy and loyal; and most importantly having empathy and care for his family, friends and loved ones. 


Mom’s Moments

Where do I start,  to pick moments of Sid’s life, I recall how every moment of my baby’s beautiful life now seems so precious. I vividly remember our first mother-and-son date in Sydney, when Sid was five years old, at a cafe called “Chocolate by the Bald Man.”  Dressed in a crisp white shirt and shorts, he was my “l’il man,” who opened the door for me, speaking and behaving like a true gentleman. He enjoyed his chocolate lick like a five-year-old, yet was mature and displayed a protective and caring instinct that belied his tender age.

Much later, when he was 23, I recall a hike to the Untersberg mountain, the steep, 2000-meter northernmost massif of the Austrian Alps that Sid had already climbed before. Yet, he readily agreed to accompany me – well aware I would be “crawling up and would take double or triple the time” to scale it. While on the hike, we had this exclusive time together, talking about his experiences, ambitions, and endless stories. This was all to get me distracted from the treacherous hike and to arrive at our destination. Sid did so with immense patience and characteristic grace; he was always encouraging, not once making me feel that I  was slow.

Then, as a young man in New York, I recall how dazzled and impressed I was with Sid’s private pad, how he kept his immaculate room – with candles and clean white sheets. My boy was all grown up. He meticulously organized my two days there, proud and happy to share his city – from the lovely walks on the High-line to the dim sum and pizza places and a visit to the Morgan Library as I had just finished the book “The Personal Librarian.” I could see he wanted his mum to be happy and comfortable in his city – another sign of his care for those around him.


I am so proud to have given birth to a son like Sid. Of all the gifts, big or small, to have Sid as our son was the greatest gift of all. He was the beacon of light in our lives. Until we meet again……






Dad’s Moments

So many magical moments that flash in front of my eyes, every minute. I had joined the family in Phuket for a vacation, coming back from a business trip, and recall the unforgettable sparkle in his eyes as he opened the  MacBook, which was his birthday gift; equally memorable are his vivid expressions and gesticulations, and his enthusiasm as he built his appetite heading to the best Focacceria in Rome

Sharing his learnings from school and through his readings was part of Sid’s DNA. During his visits home from UWC China, Georgetown, or New York, we would often sit down for a drink or a meal and talk for hours about his learnings and experiences with professors, classmates, and coworkers. The topics ranged from “The Prisoner's Dilemma” to how some of his brilliant classmates aced their classes and submitted coursework in creative ways - things that were new to me. The passion with which he spoke about these topics led to my undivided attention and resulted in some fantastic learning. One of those topics which we talked about recently was Rene Girard’s theory of “The Fullness of Being”, which talks about why people do what they do.

In December 2020, we were all tired of being sheltered in place for nearly 10 months, thanks to the pandemic. Sid saw our plight (and his, of course) and planned a vacation to a place where there were no travel restrictions. Thus emerged our first family vacation to Central America. We traveled to the West Coast of Costa Rica and then to the beautiful rainforest and had a wonderful time, staying at some wonderful resorts and enjoying some great times together. 

In June 2023, when he had started his new job and had embarked on extensive business travel, I informed him about my plans to visit San Francisco and that this would be around Viggi’s birthday. I told him that his visit would mean a lot to his brother if he were to attend the celebration and that it would mean the world to me. Not one to miss out on being able to create and be part of a magical moment and experience, he readily agreed to travel from the East Coast in Canada. What he didn’t know at the time, was that he would have had to encounter significant number of flight cancellations and delays, thanks to challenging weather conditions. Yet, promptly, at 7 pm, on June 30th, after fighting 2 days of flight delays and having to travel through multiple stopovers, there he was at “Ettan” in Palo Alto, for Viggi’s birthday party, with his brightest smile and cheerful spirits,  and made the occasion memorable.


On his last visit to Salzburg, in Sep 2023, a day prior to leaving for New York, he asked that we step out for a drive and have a chat. What he had in mind was something completely different. That week, he had been asking his mom about a few gifts that he had purchased for her in the past and whether she had used them. He had once brought her a candle from Joe Malone and was surprised to see it in the sealed packaging at the house. He wanted to buy a gift for his mom that she would use every day. He directed me to drive him to EuroPark, the only major shopping mall in Salzburg, asked me to wait in the parking lot, as he dashed in. A few minutes later, he was back in the car with a package—a new Airpods Pro. Why? His mother had nice headphones. Because he knew his mother walked everyday with headphones on and wanted her to have a gift from him that she would use everyday. That way, she would remember him.


His enthusiasm created exciting moments for all of us around him, and he prioritized these special moments over everything else.






Viggi’s Moments

As a brother, Sid was my protector. He was my ally.  my guardian, and my caretaker. He was my inspiration.  I shared my most memorable moments with my brother, during our travels, which were packed with adventure and life changing experiences.

It was my dream to go to Japan. Sid was able to plan a holiday involving adventure, beauty, and fun. Being the first international trip that I  went on alone, Sid made this a life-changing experience. 

Sid and I had a ritual of an annual skiing vacation in Lake Tahoe, and each experience was unique. Skiing was an experience in itself. Having his company made these moments unique and unforgettable.

It should not be a surprise that Sid picked one of the wonders of the world - Machu Pichu for one of our exploratory adventures. He made it special by planning every detail from the travel into Peru to the group with whom we camped and hiked our way up from Cusco to Machu Pichu and then on to Hana Pichu and the luxurious hotel where we came back to after an arduous journey.

And then there was a trip to Tromso, Norway. While seeing the Northern Lights is why we went to Tromso, Sid didn’t want to miss the opportunity to add yet another magical moment to the trip. So, in sub-zero temperatures, he arranged for us to have this magical experience in the wee hours of dawn, and we had an excursion where we took dips alternating between an ice-cold pool and a heated pool. This made our trip very special and memorable. And as if that excitement wasn’t enough, Sid had to dash to the airport to make his flight in the nick of time.






As a grandson, Sid connected with the generation by being the easy conversationalist, connecting them to the current changing times, becoming the purpose and inspiration for his grandparents to live on through tragedy.

As a friend, Sid was loyal, dependable, honorable, and fun. He emerged as a gifted, natural leader and was a sanctuary, a safe place for his friends, always available to be there and help.

A true global citizen, Sid was always open to new ideas, experiences and people. He was able to bring people and families together from all over the world with effortless ease.

A bon vivant, he had a fantastic zest for adventure, which took him to every nook and corner of the world to experience incredible moments. He loved life and enjoyed the joys life gave him. He was in Zambia to teach English to students and see the Victoria Falls. His high school graduation trip took him to several European cities in France, Italy, Austria, Hungary, and Albania. He planned and came on vacations with us to several parts of the world, including Costa Rica, Norway, and Sicily. He had a great sense of style and fashion. Sid was incredibly witty and very funny. He made us laugh with his narratives and anecdotes.


Above all, his care for his family and friends was evident everyday. He was always there for us as a pillar of energy and strength in good times and bad.  Sid’s presence and absence continue to shape people. His memory will push us to pursue excellence while living in the moment and keeping in mind the most important things in life—family, friendship, kindness, and love. In reading this, we hope one is inspired to live as fully as Sid did.

Sid gave us purpose. He was our pride and joy. Now, we seek purpose again.