On a summer's day in Bombay, on the 08th of April 1991, Rohan or Jojo as he was fondly called, was gifted by God to his parents, Thomas and Rita Valder. Being at that time, the youngest of his siblings, not just in his family, but among all his cousins, he was immediately the center of love and attention. From the earliest age, he was always popular with everyone who met him.

 

        He was a sensitive child but he was eager to be independent and was a quick learner. He spent the first 4 years of his life in Bombay, under the watchful guidance of his father and mother. He grew up in the company of his cousin brothers and sisters in Bombay and his grandparents, uncle and aunt whom he visited in Mangalore. 

 

         In 1995, as his father left for work abroad, Jo visited his mother's family in Sri Lanka for the first time. Within just two months of being there, he learnt to speak in Sinhalese and made a lot of new friends among the young and old alike. Here too, he was the youngest and was loved dearly. In July 1995, Rohan came to Pune, a city where he lived for the next 16 years of his life. He developed a special bond with the city and had a lot of his friends there.

 

           He completed his Secondary Education from Spicer Higher Secondary School in 2006 and his Higher Secondary education at Balaji College of Arts, Commerce and Science in 2008. He was an average student when it came to academics but he enjoyed participating in sports and extracurricular activities. An extovert and a go getter, he was always eager to explore, adapt, and grow. He was ruled by his heart and he lived each day with passion and energy. He enjoyed spending time with his friends and was always ready to lend a helping hand whenever needed. He had a great sense of humour and a natural charm. 

 

              In his final days, he was pursuing a Bachelors in Commerce, while working with IBM. He assisted his cousins from Sri Lanka in settling down, when they arrived to pursue their education in Pune. He also developed a deeper interest in learning music and also adopted a number of pets, including 2 rabbits and a couple of fishes. He had grown up to be a responsible, kind and compassionate adult with a chance of a great future. Sadly, it is about the same time that tragedy struck, when on a drizzly morning  in July 2011, he met with a fatal road accident, leaving behind a shocked and distraught family, grieving the loss of so priceless a jewel. On the 31st of July 2011, all his friends, relatives and well wishers bid farewell to Jo at his funeral at Spicer Memorial College. He was buried at Salisbury Park Cemetery in Pune, with the blessed hope that we will see him again in heaven.