Sharada Pattada Uthappa

Born in the Kodagu district in Karnataka, India, Sharada was a life-long educator, chef, traveller, and trailblazer, instilling a passion for knowledge, good food, and exploration in the lives of her children, grandchildren, students, and community members.

She was preceded in death by her husband, M.K. Uthappa.

Left to cherish her memory are her children, Machia Uthappa (Sunitha), Sujatha Kemler (David), Cavery Uthappa (Appachu); and grandchildren, Bryson Kemler (Katrina), Kyle Kemler, Bhavana Kodira (Dariush), Diya Uthappa (Christopher), Leah Flora (Michael), Rajat Kodira, and Druv Uthappa, along with everyone blessed to have known Sharada.

Sharada received a B.S. degree from Maharani’s College in Bangalore, as well as a B.Ed. degree while teaching at the Regional Institute of Education in Mysore. In 1966, Sharada was awarded the prestigious Fulbright Scholarship, and moved to the United States to pursue her Master’s Degree. After her graduation, she taught Biology and Chemistry at Sussex High School and became the Head of their Science Department.

Sharada was extremely proud of her Indian heritage, and brought tradition to the science classroom by continuing to wear a Sari for over 30 years of teaching in the United States. At a time when not many Indians were settled abroad, Sharada fostered community through involvement in the Indian Association and Kannada Sangha in Richmond, Virginia. She facilitated charitable events, and staying true to her passions, served on their committees promoting literacy and culture. She was also an active member of the American Association of University Women, an organization committed to promoting equity and education for women and girls.

Sharada loved new places and experiences, and traveled extensively around the world, visiting all seven continents. She shared vivid travel stories with her many guests over the years—stories ranging from boating down roiling, piranha-laden waters in the Amazon, to climbing the Duomo in Italy, visiting the pyramids in Egypt, to stepping on the ice in Antarctica. Her treasured curio-cabinet filled with mementos from around the world reflects a life well-lived: full of the pursuit of knowledge, a sharing of heritage and history, and the gift of impact only a dedicated teacher can have–one that will be felt by her descendants, students and community for generations.

Sharada built a new life and legacy in the United States, sharing her unflinching belief that anything is achievable through education, that community is built in sharing traditions, and that family was anyone gathered around the table savoring delicacies and delights from her kitchen and travels.

A memorial memorial service will begin at 11 A.M. on Saturday, July 12, 2025, at Woody Funeral Home – Atlee Chapel, 9271 Shady Grove Rd., Mechanicsville, VA 23116.