VCS is one of the five children born to Mr. Mukteshwar Rao Vemuri and Mrs. Venkata Ramanamma Rallabandi, on March 12, 1946. He passed away at the age of 71, while on a beautiful and serene hike with wife, eldest daughter and son-in-law on the island of Kauai, Hawaii on May 12, 2017.
Dr. Prasad was a quintessential scholar—curious, attentive, and collegial. He spoke with deference and also affection towards his teachers and nurtured the next generation with patience and commitment. He earned his bachelor’s and master’s in engineering from the famed Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore in 1967, followed by a doctorate in metallurgical engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology in Kanpur.
He joined Bharat Electronics Limited in Bangalore as a research scientist and rose to the rank of General Manager, where he solved fundamental technical problems in metallurgy and material science. He later joined Tata Research Development and Design Centre, where he applied his scientific skills and research to innovate in software. The most notable contribution he made while working at TRDDC was the initial development of a cheap water purifier for the benefit of the rural population of India; a product that later became Tata Swach, named one of the top twenty frugal sustainable innovations of the century.
To cap off an illustrious career, he joined the Indian School of Business, where he served as an advisor and teacher. Over his career spanning nearly five decades, he impacted numerous colleagues, made breakthroughs on scientific problems of the day, developed management models to address problems at the interface of technology and management, wrote a number of papers in scholarly journals, and remained a positive force among the communities he lived in. Dr. Prasad Kaipa, a colleague, and renowned executive coach said this of his friend, “Dr. Vemuri always had a smile on his face and a question not too far behind. He never gave up any issue unresolved. He kept working on things till they came to a satisfactory conclusion.” Making plans to work on a paper at the intersection of Vedanta and management, on the eve of his untimely death, reflects the life of an engaged scholar that Dr. Vemuri was. He was a “rare gem of a person,” in the words of Dr. Kaipa.
His family remembers him as a spirited soul who always had a gentle, friendly and positive approach to everything in life. He was a kind, humble and contented human being. He was always willing to lend an ear to anyone (old, young and everyone in between) and always had unique and insightful words/advice. He was a devoted son, husband, father, brother, brother-in-law and a friendly uncle that attracted the children in the family.
He traveled widely not only for consulting and presenting at scholarly meetings, but also with family to see the world. He was a fantastic travel companion, one fellow travelers ‘fight’ to sit next to during travel. His keen observations of different cultures and mores made travel with him more enlightening and complete.
As an individual, he led a pious and principled life. His daily routine included exercise, yoga, pranayama and kriya. Dr. VCS believed in and practiced the fact that the alignment and well being of spirit, mind and body is the key to a successful and happy life. In his retired life, he spent many hours reading, understanding and debating Hindu philosophy. He was a devoted volunteer and practitioner and believed in the philosophy of ‘art of living.’ Born in Machilipatnam and grew up in Andhra Pradesh, he studied in Bangalore and Kanpur, and worked in Bangalore, Pune, and Hyderabad and connected with friends, family, and colleagues all around the world. An abiding nature lover, he passed away peacefully while enjoying the hike with the family.
He is survived by his wife of 40 years, Naga Durga Vemuri, son, Sanjeevi Vemuri, daughters, Deepika Mellacheruvu and Soujanya Vemuri, sons-in-law, Vamsi Mellacheruvu and Rajeev Bhat, granddaughter, Ishani Bhat, brother Sugnan Vemuri and sisters Indira Kota, Meenakshi Challapalli and Kamala Kota and their families.
A memorial service will be held at 2:00 p.m., Friday, May 19, 2017 at Turrentine-Jackson-Morrow Funeral Home in Allen, Texas.