Nikhil "Nikky" Akkaraju

Lafayette - In Loving Memory of Nikhil Akkaraju It is with great sadness that we announce the departure of our beloved son, brother and friend Nikhil (Nikky) Akkaraju on Sunday, 29 June; he was 48 years old. Born in Norfolk, Virginia on 3 December 1976, Nikhil moved to Lafayette, Louisiana at the age of four and spent his childhood and most of his adult life in Lafayette, a city that he truly adored. He attended the Episcopal School of Acadiana in Cade, Louisiana and graduated in 1995. He then obtained a bachelor’s degree in marketing from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette in 2003. Nikky is loved and remembered for his kindness, compassion for others, and good sense of humor. He loved good food, international music, and was an active member of both the local and Indian community. He regularly volunteered his time in charitable initiatives such as serving Thanksgiving meals to those less fortunate and participated in the rehabilitation of parks in and around Lafayette. He was a proud ‘second culture kid’ and was eager to share his South Asian (Indian) culture with others and adopt the unique and vibrant culture of his hometown, which he called home for almost his entire life. He was involved in Lafayette’s community programs and initiatives including the Festival International de Louisiane in Lafayette where he served as a Board Member from 2015 – 2020 and served as the Production Co-Area Manager of Security from 2018-2025. He held the seat of the first Vice President of the Acadiana Indian Association in 2009 and 2014 and was the President of the Association in 2015. He served as the Past President the following year. In 2024, Nikky again took on the role as First Vice President, a position held until his death. He continued to be the media spokesperson for many years for the Lafayette Holi Festival, a community event brought to the city of Lafayette by the Acadiana Indian Association. Preceded in death by his father the late Dr. Vidyadhar Akkaraju, MD, Nikky is survived by his loving mother Parvathi Akkaraju and his two sisters, Vyshali Grote and Haritha Vasat, two brothers-in-law, Keenan E. Grote, and Peter S. Vasat, and his nephews (Kieran, Devin, and Aethan) and niece (Elina). He also leaves behind a large family spread across the United States and in India, who he loved deeply. Despite the personal and private challenges Nikky faced in life, he lived with humility and adhered to his dharma without imposing the same on others and without deviating from his own purpose. While he will be missed, he is loved in perpetuity. Services will be held in the Hindu religious tradition at the Cypress Funeral Home & Crematory in Maurice, Louisiana on 3 July at 10:30 AM – 12:30 PM. Our friends of all faiths are welcomed. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you make a contribution to the charity of your choosing in his memory. A memorial service will be held in Lafayette for Dr Vijju Akkaraju who passed away on April 20th and for his son Nikhil who recently passed away. It will be held on Thursday July 3, from 6:00 till 8:30 pm, at Esprit de Coeur, 402 Garfield St in downtown Lafayette. We all loved Dr Akkaraju and are saddened by the loss of his and Par's son. I hope you will be able to attend. 𝘓𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘮𝘦 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘵𝘩, 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘮𝘦 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵, 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘮𝘦 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘰 𝘪𝘮𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘈𝘶𝘮 𝘗𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘦, 𝘗𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘦, 𝘗𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘈𝘴𝘢𝘵𝘰𝘮𝘢 𝘚𝘢𝘥𝘨𝘢𝘮𝘢𝘺𝘢, 𝘛𝘢𝘮𝘢𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘢 𝘑𝘺𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘳𝘨𝘢𝘮𝘢𝘺𝘢, 𝘔𝘳𝘶𝘵𝘩𝘺𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘢 𝘈𝘮𝘳𝘶𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘢𝘮𝘢𝘺𝘢 𝘈𝘶𝘮 𝘚𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘩𝘪, 𝘚𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘩𝘪, 𝘚𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘩𝘪 Arrangements have been entrusted to Cypress Funeral Home & Crematory, 206 W. Lafayette St., Maurice, LA 70555.

Nikhil "Nikky" Akkaraju

December 3, 1976 - June 29, 2025