After marrying Annesley Abey in 1972, they emigrated to the United States in 1974 from Sri Lanka. Kirthi was a teacher by profession, but after arriving in the United States she spent her time acclimating and leading her family in this new and very different country, blending Sri Lankan traditions and culture with her new American home. She was very skilled artistically and was a master in the kitchen. She really should be credited with the concept of fusion cooking, putting her magical Sri Lankan touch on American and British classics. She loved music, Michael Jackson, Roy Orbison, Elvis, and Jim Reeves, made her stop what she was doing to start dancing and singing.
Kirthi was a caring and nurturing person who spent her life thinking about others. Her smile was infectious with a hint of mischief. She always surrounded herself with family and friends, which is where she felt most comfortable and loved. Kirthi was the gold standard as an Amma (mother). She did things with a purpose, even if we didn’t understand her intention at the time. She could charm even the most stoic, could always make you laugh when you were mad or sad, and always knew how to properly bend the rules. She was proud to have celebrated her 50th wedding anniversary with Annesley in February of 2022. She will be greatly missed, especially by her family. She is preceded in death by her parents, sister, Theja, and brother, Jayampathy. She is survived by Annesley Abey (husband), sister Amitha, brother Vijitha, two daughters, Gaya and Savi, sons-in-law, Jim and Jay, and grandchildren, Jehan, Kalyi, Leena and Annesley (Malli). A private service will be held for the family on Tuesday, May 24th. In lieu of flowers, the family encourages donations to the Indiana Buddhist Temple:http://www.indianabuddhistvihara.org/donate.html.
For our family and friends abroad, please light a lamp in Amma's honor on Tuesday, May 24th at 2pm EST. If you have memories or photos, please do add a memory to this page and revisit the site as we add more photos/stories.
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