It is with immense sadness that the family of Sushma Ann Perera announces her passing on Saturday, November 29.

Born on April 6, 1973, to Richard and Sylvia Perera, Sushma was a proud graduate of New York University in New York City. Immediately after completing her undergraduate degree, she was selected for NYU's PhD program in Economics.

Sushma was endlessly creative and those who knew her will remember not only her remarkable artistic spirit but also the warmth and love she extended to everyone around her. In addition to being a budding painter who leaves behind many oil and watercolor works, she completed a book of poems and explored a wide range of artistic pursuits, including woodworking, jewelry making, and tile design.

She will be deeply missed by her mother, Sylvia; her brother, Sanjay; her aunts, Jennifer and Myrtle; her uncle, Francis; her sister-in-law, Nancy; and her many cousins, nieces, and nephews—all of whom were touched by her generous and loving presence.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated in memory of Sushma at 1:30 PM on December 3 at St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church, 7801 Bay Branch Dr, The Woodlands, TX 77382, with Fr. Mathew Thottyil presiding.

In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests that memorial donations in Sushma's honor be made to the Organization for Autism Research .