THIS FUNDRAISER IS NOW CLOSED.

It is with a heavy heart we let you know that our dear friend Thirukumar Karunanathan, fondly known as “Thiru” and “Kumar”, passed away peacefully, surrounded by family in Toronto, Canada on August 30th 2021, after losing his battle with cancer. He was 56 years old.

Thiru was a loving husband, a great father and a caring soul to all his friends. Although life wasn’t always kind to him, he managed to change his perspective to suit reality. Thiru was very opinionated and never shied away from voicing his thoughts on things that mattered to him the most. He was a great cook and passionately shared his recipes with everyone who enjoyed his dishes, which were always cooked to perfection.

Thiru was an integral part of creating a solid foundation of friendships in friends and family circles around the globe. We can’t imagine how empty it will feel at our gatherings and vacations together. Thiru always made it a point to keep closely in touch with friends from across continents and spoke fondly about his upbringing at St. John’s College, Jaffna, Sri Lanka and later on in Chennai, India forging close friendships along the way. With his passing, Thiru is leaving behind a legacy of kindness, compassion, and generosity.

Some of you have reached out and asked how you can help the family during this difficult time. We kindly ask, if you are able to, to donate funds towards unexpected expenses that the family will be facing in the coming days and weeks.

Thiru is survived by his loving wife Banu (Bavani), daughter Shainika and son Harikesh. All proceeds from this fundraiser will be handed over to Banu with your name, love and support. As a matter of accountability and transparency, we will post on this page the details of receipts and disbursements to the beneficiary, at conclusion of the fundraiser.

GoFundMe may automatically add a 12.5% tip to your donation. Please feel free to change the tip to zero.

Thank you!