Rajiv Thakkar

Dr. Thakkar was born in Bhavnagar, India, to Natvarlal and Induben Thakkar. He grew up with limited resources, but studied hard and graduated with an M.B.B.S. and residency in General Surgery from B.J. Medical College, where he was awarded the president’s scholarship. He later went on to receive an M.B.A. from the Carey Business School at Johns Hopkins University.

He married Dr. Vaishali Popat in 1996, and emigrated to the United States from India the same year. He subsequently completed a residency in Internal Medicine at the Union Memorial Hospital in Baltimore. Dr. Thakkar had two sons: Sohum (college freshman), and Amogh (middle school). Dr. Thakkar was devoted to his family, and worked hard to instill in them his own values of selflessness and generosity. His motto was to help others without expecting anything in return. He loved painting and music.

Dr. Thakkar was a faculty member, hospitalist and vascular medicine specialist at the Johns Hopkins University. He focused his talents on high-value care and reducing unnecessary lab draws, becoming an expert in the field and presenting his work in various publications and conferences. His research led to significantly more efficient utilization of blood draws in medical testing.

Dr. Thakkar was a caring, simple man. He is survived by his wife and sons, as well as his father and three siblings: Ashok, Bimal, and Nilima. He is predeceased by his mother.

A Hindu ceremony will be held from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM on Saturday, January 7, 2017, followed by viewing from 11-12:30. Cremation (attended by family and close friends) will be at 1 PM.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to The Youth Project at: www.typuk.org/donate/