Obituary of Anil Amritlal Gaglani

Anil Amritlal Gaglani was a loving husband, father, grandfather and friend. He passed away peacefully on December 21st at the age of 79 at home surrounded by loved ones. He lost his father at the age of 2 and grew up the youngest in a household with four brothers and three sisters. The family lived in very humble conditions and he often told stories about his modest upbringing. With a smile on his face, he would tell us stories about how he had to watch his meals or his siblings would take it off his plate. As a strong athlete he remembered running in track meets with no shoes. I’m sure at the time he didn’t think it was so humorous but his reflections brought up memories that made him realize that the person he had become was due to the challenges he faced early on. Despite the challenges he grew up with, he was a scholar who earned a full scholarship to Rhode Island University in 1968, graduating a few years later with a double masters in Chemistry. In July of 1972 he returned to India to marry Minaxi. They called Passaic, NJ their home for a few years before moving to North Plainfield. North Plainfield would be the home where they raised their family. Growing up in the Gaglani household you quickly realized that playing sports was a second religion. Everyone who knew him can attest to his incredible spirit when it came to sports. He was willing to play any sport and could beat everyone even though it was his first time trying it. He never met a sport or game that he did not like. He often was the catalyst behind many family picnics where playing volleyball was a must. He made sure everyone was included and the memories gained from this are irreplaceable. He persuaded the township to sponsor a badminton league and brought over a decade of enjoyment for many people. One of his most favorite sports was tennis. Regardless of his sons personal accomplishments in the sport, they could never defeat their father. He was a master of the touch shot. When he wasn’t playing a sport, he was watching them. Whether it was his beloved Giants or any of the Grand Slam tennis tournaments, it's where his passion was. In 2000 while swimming at Laguna Beach he suffered a spinal cord injury. Playing sports was still not out of his DNA. He continued playing badminton for several more years. He then revived his passion for card playing. He continued that passion until his passing, playing in a weekly Bridge group coming in first or second place often. Moving to Canal Walk was a true blessing. Within this compassionate community, he loved attending and participating in the events and being surrounded by his dear friends. He would dance and thoroughly enjoy himself at the Diwali celebrations. He loved socializing. Often total strangers would say how much they respected his spirit and his passion for life. He also loved his riddles and math questions. Often asking a riddle that tickled him but made others look like fools. In the last few years his passion was spending time with all his loved ones. He enjoyed talking to his family and friends. Often even after an hour's conversation he would say, "that's it?". We sincerely believe that "that's not it" for him to live in our memories and watch over us. We were all fortunate to have him as long as we did, he enhanced our lives in many ways and he will always be cherished in our heart. Due to covid 19, the service is private. There will be a live stream of the service and can be viewed at https://www.hdezwebcast.com/show/anil-gaglani on Thursday, December 24, 2020, starting at 9 a.m.