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WHEREAS, Pittsburgh lost one of its finest citizens on June 28, 2011 when Sreevardhan 'Sree' Mekala passed away at 52 years old due to complications from ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease); and
WHEREAS, Sree was the owner, along with his wife, Vydehi, of Sree's Foods and served authentic Hyderabadi cuisine to thousands of Pittsburgh residents, students, and visitors since founding the restaurant in 1991; and
WHEREAS, since the restaurant's founding in Sharpsburg in 1991 it has grown to multiple locations including Squirrel Hill, Downtown, and on the campus of Carnegie Mellon University; and
WHEREAS, Mr. and Mrs. Sree came to Pittsburgh from Hyderabad in 1989 and with his training as a biologist he began working at the Pittsburgh Cancer Institute and Mercy Hospital; and
WHEREAS, with help from Mrs. Sree, who studied cooking, nutrition, and household management at the Cultural Academy in Madras, Mr. Sree decided to leave the medical field and open his first restaurant in 1991; and
WHEREAS, Sree's Foods has become an institution in Pittsburgh and Mr. Sree's kindness and humor will be greatly missed but the legacy he has left in Sree's Foods will live on; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Sree is survived by his wife Vydehi and daughter Sreethanaya.
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NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Council of the City of Pittsburgh does hereby honor Sreevardhan 'Sree' Melaka and extend condolences to his family and friends; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Council of the City of Pittsburgh does hereby declare July 17, 2011 "Sreevardhan 'Sree' Melaka Day" in the City of Pittsburgh.