Dr. Rao V. Nagisetty, an internationally recognized mathematician from humble beginnings, died in his home surrounded by his wife and children on July 16, 2024, after battling Parkinson's for more than a decade. He was 85 years old. A prolific mathematician, Rao published 35 papers in mathematics, specializing in number theory, complex analysis, and approximation theory. He published his first paper in 1961 when he was only 22 years old. His most recent paper was published in 2018 at the age of 79. Rao's contributions in approximation theory are well recognized in advanced textbooks of mathematics such as "Functional Analysis" by W. Rudin. Rao was a deep thinker and philosopher who questioned everything, assumed nothing, and forged his own path in all aspects of his life. While he was born Hindu, he converted to Tibetan Buddhism. His Buddhist name, Karma Samthen Gyurmey, bestowed by Lama Kathar in Ann Arbor, Michigan, aptly meant "indestructible mental stability." Rao was born at home on Dec 1, 1938, in Tenali, India. His father, Kotirathnam Nagisetty, had a business manufacturing cement blocks and pipes. His mother, Ramamma Thota, had cows and sold milk to neighbors. He was the eldest son of 13 children. He was a precocious child and had a tough time with school until he was 5 years old. He was absent minded, and teachers didn't like his inattention. After his first year in elementary school, he was pushed to third grade, and then again pushed ahead to 5th grade. He started sixth grade when he was 10 years old and graduated from Thaluka High School at the age of 15. His math scores were top in the state when he was in 11th grade and some of his math records still stand. He was in the first batch of students in the newly founded Loyola College in Vijayawada, graduating at age 18. Initially he was encouraged to study physics and chemistry, but he was terrible at lab work. He even burned his tongue using a chemistry pipette. He received his master’s degree in mathematics from Andhra University two years later at age 20 and then worked as a lecturer. After his mentor, Ramaswamy, passed suddenly in 1962, he was convinced by the new department head, Meenakshisundaram, to go to Tata Institute for Fundamental Research in Bombay, where he worked until 1966. At that time, he met Sergey Mergelyan, a renowned Soviet- Armenian mathematician, who invited him to the Steklov Institute of Mathematics in Moscow where he completed his PhD in 1968. Rao’s esteemed colleagues included Andrey Gonchar and Anatoli Vitushkin, who were known for their work in the field of complex analysis. He delighted in telling stories of his Moscow days. On the journey from India to Russia he enjoyed many firsts. On the flight he enjoyed both vodka and beef for the first time in his life, and then upon disembarking the plane he first saw snow and then promptly slipped on the icy tarmac. He learned to speak Russian fluently and had a beautiful accent. He was often asked to read poetry aloud in cafes. Rao met Irena Gulbinaite, a Lithuanian graduate student in physics, in the dormitories of Moscow State University in 1967. Irena was always being protected by an entourage of Lithuanian men, who even hid under tables and beds to spy on the couple. After surmounting many government hurdles, Rao and Irena were married on January 23, 1969, in the Palace of Marriages under the banner of Lenin. After the birth of their daughter, Ramune, in Moscow, the young family went to Bombay, India and Rao returned to Tata Institute. In 1971 their son, Vytas, was born, and soon thereafter the family traveled to Stockholm where Rao had a position in Sweden's Mittag-Leffler Institute. They got an apartment in Djursholm, a town known for its high number of Nobel prize winners. After one year in Sweden, he received an offer from the University of Wisconsin in Madison and the family relocated to the United States in 1972. In 1974 he was offered a tenure track position as a professor at the University of Toledo, which is where he spent the rest of his career, retiring in 2008 at the age of 70. Rao and Irena were the first in their families to settle in the United States. Together they supported the dreams of many subsequent family members to follow in their steps and achieve success in the land of opportunity. They had wonderful years in Toledo with a very active social life and fond memories with university colleagues, his brothers, and their families who moved from India to Ohio in the 1990s. He was a passionate meditator, clarinet player, raga singer, reader, yogi, and runner. He had an unusual ability to remember things in exceptional detail even many decades later. He was the life of any party and was always ready to raise a toast. In 2013, Rao and Irena moved to Portland, Oregon, to be closer to their children. Rao is survived by his wife, Irena, his daughter, Ramune (Guus Diks), his son, Vytas, his two grandchildren, Theo and Eloise, his brothers, Nagesh and Viva, and half-siblings, Ramamma, Krishnamma, Ramaprabu, Krishnarao, Annapurna, Ramesh, Jawaharlal, and Ramalakshmi. He is predeceased by his sisters, Annapurna, Lakshmi and Mataji. Rao was a hero, mentor, and deeply loved by many. His celebration of life is being planned to include friends and family from all over the world. Details will be forthcoming. Photo credit: Sundar Iyer