Ishwarlal Parbhubhai Patel

Ishwarlal Parbhubhai Patel passed away peacefully at home in Timonium, Maryland on August 4, 2020. Ishwarlal was born on July 25, 1924 in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. He moved to India at six years old and studied in Tarbhon, Surat, and Pune before coming to the United States for university in 1948. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from Iowa State University in 1950. Not to be outdone, he then earned a Master of Science in Chemical Engineering from the University of Michigan the following year. He was an engineer in all parts of his life: from building his future through education and hard work to building a family with his wife of 50 years, Ansuya, to building his legacy through his sage words and advice later in life.

Education was incredibly important to him, and he manifested this belief by educating all the children in the family. He was an avid reader and could often be found completing a book that would be boring to anyone else in an hour or less. He had a curious mind and wanted to know everything and anything someone could teach him. He lived through major events in history, including India’s civil disobedience movement and Partition. Like the movements of his lifetime were for society at large, so too was he a trailblazer for his family. He migrated to the United States and established roots for future generations. He carved a path to citizenship for all of his descendants and completed the cycle himself by becoming a citizen in 2019. Because of him, his grandchildren were able to pursue careers in untraditional fields, a result of the solid and stable foundation he built. His hard work and sacrifice allowed them to dream and reach and achieve with total freedom. He was a giant of a man, and if we have seen further, it is by standing on his shoulders. Despite his monumental accomplishments, he demonstrated by example the importance of humility. He was never self-laudatory though he had every reason to be. He had a dry and quick wit, was a good listener, and continually surprised us. He could not be classified as “traditional” in any sense of the word. He was thoughtful and dedicated to everything he undertook, from the wellbeing of his family down to the smallest home maintenance project he took upon himself when he got bored in his children’s houses. He will be remembered in a million small things; long walks around the block, Chivas Regal, tight hugs, curling up in an easy chair with a book, watching CNN at full volume, and ice cream.

He is survived by three generations of family members: Neeta, Minesh (Daksha), Meeta (Prakash), Archana (Mrugesh), Nilesh (Nita), and Kavita (Naren); eleven grandchildren: Ayesha (Timothy), Nikita (Jeffrey), Neil, Neha, Rushil (Bhairavi), Anuja, Naavik, Akhil, Dev, Arpan, and Diya; and five great-grandchildren. He is also survived by nieces, nephews, in-laws, and friends. He was predeceased by his wife, Ansuya. He deeply touched everyone he encountered and leaves behind an extensive community that celebrates him, today and every day. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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