Sarala Niranjan Rao passed away surrounded by her loved ones on Monday evening, February 23, 2026. She was 87.

She was known to all who met her as an honest, kind, loving, and deeply caring person. She loved gardening, sewing, crocheting, and doing word search puzzles. She particularly loved doting on her grandchildren. She was also a devoted Christian who read the scriptures, prayed daily, and was a member of the Baltimore Bible Church.

Mrs. Rao, daughter of Jacob and Amiben Merchant, was born on May 5, 1938 in Vadodara, Gujarat, India. She completed her nursing degree at Christian Medical College Vellore in Vellore, Tamil Nadu, in 1964. She married Vijay Niranjan Rao of Secunderabad, Andhra Pradesh, in 1968.

In 1977, she immigrated to the United States, and her family settled in Syracuse, New York. She graduated with her LPN degree in 1978 and joined Loretto Geriatric Nursing Home, where she worked as a beloved Registered Nurse for nearly 35 years. She moved to Baltimore, Maryland, following her retirement, to be closer to her grandchildren.

She is survived by her husband, Vijay Niranjan Rao; her children, Suresh (and wife Aruna), Rajesh, and Deepa (and husband Ben); her three grandsons, Roshan, Sachin, and Felix; and her sisters Subhodika Christian and Vatsala Paul.

A Memorial Service will be held at Baltimore Bible Church, 2200 West Joppa Road, Mays Chapel, Maryland 21093 on Saturday, March 7 beginning at 2:00 pm. All other services and the interment will be private.

She passed away due to complications from Alzheimer's disease. In lieu of flowers, the family asks for donations in memory of Mrs. Rao to the Alzheimer's Association , 502 Washington Avenue, Suite 300, Towson, Maryland 21204.

Please share online condolences with the family by signing her guestbook through www.peacefulalternatives.com.