Raj Kannan
It takes a village to raise a child" so the saying goes.
However, Raj was instrumental in raising an entire village of runners!
However, Raj was instrumental in raising an entire village of runners!
Dhamodararaj Kannan, fondly known as Raj/KD/Jana, was 48 years young when he unexpectedly departed this world at his ancestral village in India after a cardiac arrest in the midst of doing what he loved most, running. Raj is survived by his wife Lakshmi, and his sons Sudev and Jayadev.
RAJ
Any friend of Raj you meet will always say how passionate he was in motivating them to adopt running into their lifestyles. Many of his running buddies will distinctly remember innumerable 5Ks, 10Ks, halfs and even full marathons with Raj, and cherish the good times Raj brought to those runs with his humor, passion and unique cheerleading skills. It will be incredibly hard to imagine those familiar running trails without Raj by our side. Raj shared great humor and a big smile with everyone he met.
For many a run, whether the temperature was 18F or 108F, Raj always had the "Bring it on" attitude to avoid a DNF (Runners will know exactly what this means!) and he would make sure he dragged his buddies past the finish line besides himself. With his passing, Raj is leaving behind a legacy of kindness, camaraderie and selflessness. As Alfred Tennyson wrote "tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all", everyone who has met Raj will agree to "have known Raj and lost than never to have known Raj at all".
