Virendra Jethalal Patel

Virendra J. Patel, affectionately known as Virubhai, was born in Kalol, India, to Jethalal Himmatlal Patel and Champaben Jethalal Patel in 1938. Given his fervor for life and his passion and dedication to family, it is not easy to compress Virubhai’s very full life into just a few words.

Virubhai always had a knack for business, and his entrepreneurial spirit began to manifest all the way back in his middle school years, where he would buy 'goras amli' in bulk and then re-sell them for profit to his peers. He possessed an inquisitive mind and a passion for innovation – he once devised a make-shift hearing aid for his grandmother using a funnel! In his later years, even though Virubhai had a secure position at the Bank of Baroda, he constantly hungered to do more, delving into numerous business ventures until settling into a successful career in hotel management in America. Virubhai was a gregarious man, thriving on the company of his friends and relishing the time spent with family. One could always find him entertaining his friends, taking trips around the world, and doting upon his grandchildren. Despite his robust social calendar, Virubhai was a devout Nijanandi and always made time for his “Rajji" and parayans. He was a spiritual man who upheld the belief of a universal truth, and someone who could engage in meaningful, philosophical discourse.

In February 2017, Virubhai was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. He fought valiantly against this illness, undergoing various treatments and encountering numerous complications, before succumbing to the disease 18 months later. Virendra Jethalal Patel was a spirited patriarch, a loyal brother, a dependable husband, a loving father, and so much more. As a man who truly lived life to the fullest, he indubitably enhanced the lives of those around him. Virubhai is survived by his wife, three children, eight grandchildren, two siblings, and several nephews and nieces.

He will be missed, and our memories of him will be cherished. "What we have once enjoyed we can never lose. All that we love deeply becomes a part of us."

- Helen Keller

Instead of flowers, the family requests to dedicate donation to Saint Jude's in the memory of Virendra Patel at https://bit.ly/2OqdsiF

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