Denise (Maher) Srivastava

Denise Maher Srivastava lived a beautiful, but too short, life of 59 years, spreading her kindness, adventurous spirit, and joy to all around her. Her determination and courage were pervasive in everything she encountered. Born in Bethesda, Maryland on July 17, 1963, she was raised in the Bay Area, where competitive figure skating became her passion and pride. She was incredibly elegant on the ice, making it look effortless, and she carried that grace into her everyday life. Denise’s parents gave her the gift of living abroad in Greece, Holland, and France—experiences that shaped her open mindedness to and curiosity about diverse people and cultures.

Giving and nurturing were at her core, and she channeled those qualities into a career by becoming a devoted and caring nurse for both the elderly and children. Denise had a wide range of skills, from directing development of entire staffs, to direct patient care in the neonatal intensive care at UCSF. It was there that she met her partner, Deepak, then a resident, with whom she has been on a joyous and loving adventure for greater than 30 years. After marrying in 1992, they moved to Boston, where Denise developed a reputation as a nurse who could go to any floor in the Children’s Hospital of Harvard Medical School and take on any assignment – she was the best! Denise later received an additional degree from The University of Texas, and excelled as a research nurse in Dallas for children suffering from what was a fatal neurological disease, but is now curable. Most recently she spent her time pursuing a doctorate, through which she hoped to help many who are suffering. She touched thousands of lives, giving herself authentically to each. In addition, her love and devotion to her husband led to an important partnership that she took great pride in, expanding her impact through the work of Gladstone Institutes.

But Denise would consider her greatest achievement the three children she birthed in Dallas and raised to be kind, thoughtful, creative, and caring people. When the family moved back to San Francisco in 2005, she devoted all her energies to them, even setting an example by competing in martial arts with them as they got older. Denise suffered from a chronic illness over the last 15 years, but she never let that stop her from experiencing life and caring for those around her. She once left her hospital bed to go directly to a Karate competition with her children – and won! And she loved to talk to people – people of all sorts and wherever she could find them, transmitting her kindness and passion broadly, no matter how she felt physically. Nothing could keep her down, and that is the spirit and determination we will always remember.

Denise is survived by her loving husband, Deepak Srivastava; their two daughters, Claire Srivastava (21) and Sydney Srivastava (18); their son, Dillon Srivastava (21); her parents, Richard and Paulette Maher; her brother Peter Maher; and her best friend since first grade, Rene Rosso.

Services for Denise will be held at 2:30 pm on Saturday, May 27th, 2023 at St. Vincent de Paul Church, 2320 Green Street, San Francisco, CA 94123. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in honor of Denise Srivastava for disease research at Gladstone Institues.

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