Emily R. Kollipara

Emily Rosalind Solomon Kollipara was born on January 10, 1936 in Guntur, Andhra Pradesh, India to loving parents, Paul and Leah Pulukuri. She was raised in a strong Christian household with her only brother, Prabhakar Pulukuri, who is younger than her.

On June 10, 1954, Emily married Solomon Kollipara. Emily adored Solomon, who was a larger-than-life leader. He established himself as a prominent lawyer in Andhra Pradesh. He served as President of the Lions Club in Guntur and had a heart for community service. Emily supported Solomon in his vocational and volunteer efforts. The Kolliparas were some of the key founding members of Telugu Baptist Church, Guntur. They were deeply involved in church ministries and well-known in Guntur and across the Telugu states.

In a godly fashion, Emily and Solomon raised four children — Shobha, Anil, Lavanya, and Sailaja — in the Brodipet neighborhood of Guntur. All four of their children have a love and respect for their parents, who sacrificed to raise a healthy, happy family and more than that, Emily and Solomon exemplified Christ-likeness and love for others.

Emily loved education. She earned her B.Sc., from the Women’s College, Guntur. She went on to earn her B.Ed., from St. Joseph’s College, Guntur which she put into practice as a science teacher at the famous Stall Girls High School in Guntur. She also earned her M.A. degree in English from Andhra University, Visakhapatnam. The impact Emily had on her students reverberates even to this day all across the world: Up until her home going, she maintained close contact with several of her former students.

Emily’s love of learning was a recurring theme throughout her life. She was always reading the Bible and had a deep understanding of the Scriptures. Oftentimes she would quiz her children and grandchildren on Bible trivia, and her face would light up with a huge smile when they answered correctly. She spent lots of time writing in her diaries, where she would compose prayers and reflect on the Word of God — both in Telugu and in English. Emily authored a book called The Living Famous Few People, which she proudly shared with friends and family members. Emily always encouraged the younger generations to seek spirituality and education.

Emily enjoyed the finer things in life, especially food. She loved biryani, rava dosa, laddoo, coffee, and glazed Krispy Kreme donuts. She loved music, especially hymns and praise and worship songs. For Emily, every occasion was an occasion for a prayer meeting and to thank God for His manifold blessings. She loved singing Count Your Blessings, There Shall Be Showers of Blessing, 10,000 Reasons, and everyone who knew her knew how much she loved reading Psalm 91. Like her husband, she also lived a life larger than herself.

In March 2017, at the age of 81, Emily left India and relocated to the United States, where she lived with her son and daughter-in-law, Anil and Sharon and family. She had the opportunity to spend time with her family in the United States, making frequent trips to Cincinnati to spend time with her daughter Shobha and son-in-law Joseph. Even though she moved to the US, she kept in touch with her friends in India and all over the world. She cherished all the time she got to spend with her family. For Emily, God was first, followed by family. In 1994, Emily founded a Bible study prayer group called Prabhu Pada Sannidhi (“Abode at the Feet of Lord Jesus”) in Guntur, which she would faithfully lead every Tuesday. She conducted the meetings in-person for many years, and more recently, she held meetings over Zoom, even after moving to the USA. Emily participated in many Bible studies and had many friends at the Faith Christian Worship Fellowship. She enjoyed preaching, sharing the Good News about Jesus Christ, praying, and encouraging others to live like Christ. For her entire life, she was a sharp woman of God.

Emily joins her husband, Solomon, in Heaven, who went to be with the Lord on February 14,1994. Emily is survived by her four children Shobha (Joseph), Anil (Sharon), Lavanya (Enock),and Sailaja (John). Her three daughters married three Paturi brothers and her son married an American, who looked after her like own mother in her elderly years. She leaves behind nine grandchildren: Sharon (Vamshi), Shekinah (Vinay), Raja (Preethi), Sean, Neil (Emily), Aaron, Adam, Roshni (Mitesh), and Paul. She is also survived by eight great-grandchildren: Abhishek, Ashika, Jason, Karen, Ryan, Solomon, Everly, and Luke. She is also survived by her only brother, Prabhakar Pulukuri of Hyderabad, Telangana. She maintained a very special close-knit relationship with her brother and his family, which includes her loving nephew and nieces, Anitha (Vinod), Praveen (Sadhona), and Aparna (Clement). She also maintained a loving relationship with her husband’s side of the family.

Emily was promoted to glory, having suddenly received her heavenly home call on Sunday, June 2, 2024 at 8:20am while she was in Cincinnati. Emily lived a long, fulfilling, inspiring, and rich Christ-centered victorious life. In view of her outstanding contribution to the Christian community, an honorary degree, Doctor of Christian Service, was bestowed upon her. She left a spiritual legacy of love for her Lord & Savior Jesus Christ, for the Church, and for people, which will be cherished and carried on for many generations to come. May we be encouraged to emulate her Christian lifestyle!

Visitation will be held Saturday, June 8, 2024 from 2:00 p.m. until 5:00 p.m. at Casterline Funeral Home, 122 West Dunlap, Northville. A funeral service will be held Sunday, June 9, 2024 at 3:00 p.m. with visitation beginning at 2:00 p.m. at Calvary Baptist Church, 43065 Joy Road, Canton. A graveside service will be held Monday, June 10, 2024 at 2:30 p.m. at Rural Hill Cemetery, 215 West Seven Mile Road, Northville.

Memorial contributions are suggested to the American Heart Association , PO Box 840692, Dallas, TX 75284. If you would like to order flowers, please call Thistle Lane Florist at 248.284.5064 or The Flower Alley 248.305.9190.

Please watch the live stream of the funeral service using the following link: cbcjoy.org/memorial Live stream will be available 10 minutes before the funeral service at the following dates and times:

Detroit, USA, June 9, 2024 at 3:00 PM

London, UK, June 9, 2024 at 8:00 PM

Gaborone, Botswana, June 9, 2024 at 9:00 PM

Hyderabad, India, June 10, 2024 at 12:30 AM

Sydney, Australia, June 10, 2024 at 5:00 AM