Obituary of Devendraprasad R Patel

It is with deep sorrow we announce that our father, Devendraprasad Rambhai Patel, peacefully passed away on the evening of Wednesday, December 23, 2020 at the age of 84 in New Jersey. He is survived by his sons (Tarunbhai & Amrishbhai), daughters (Ritaben and Pritiben), son in-laws (Harshitkumar and Gaurangkumar), daughter in-laws (Purnimaben and Chetnaben) and grandchildren (Arjun, Raj, Parth, Anish, Saajan, Rhea, Sheylan. Anuj, and Anika). Devendraprasad was born on May 16, 1936 in Karamsad, Gujarat, India. In India, he worked hard for the Gujarat Machinery Manufacturing (GMM) until he and his family immigrated to Houston, Texas, USA in 1980. In the US, he worked in the cabinet manufacturing industry from 1980 – 1990. Once all four of his children graduated and settled into their careers, he retired at the age of 55 to primarily focus on spending time with his beloved wife Hansaben Patel (passed away on June 4, 2009) and help his children and grandchildren continue to be successful in their lives. When Hansaben fell ill at the age of 72, Devendraprasad took care of her day and night like no other man would in our society. He became a true example of a what a man should do for his wife and his family. His primary purpose in life became about serving others (family, mandir, and senior community). He enjoyed spending his time with family, friends, as well as being heavily involved with all the dynamics of the BAPS Mandir. He was fondly known as “Dada” by everyone at the mandir. He was also the Vice-President of the Indian American Senior Citizen Association of Houston, Texas. He was proud of this title and honored to be a member of this organization. He was respected by so many people and was a very influential person in this community. Dada lived his life based on three principles: 1) serve others 2) find family, friends, and activities you love and devote yourself to them 3) learn, elevate, and pass on the teachings of God to the future generation. Using these as his life pillars, he managed to help many people and touch even more lives in the most positive way by being loving, supportive, enthusiastic, providing individual guidance, and always looking to help others. We thank you for your thoughts and prayers. Devendraprasad had a full heart, lived a complete life, and knew that his family and community loved him dearly. We will always remember his smiling face and serving nature. He loved and appreciated all his family and friends. Even though you will not be able to join the family physically in this grieving time, you will be able to express your thoughts and feelings by posting on the following website. A private funeral will be held on December 30, 2020 at Punarjanm Funeral Services in New Jersey. In lieu of sending flowers/gifts to the family, we wish for you to honor his spirit of giving and helping others by donating to the BAPs Mandir, American Heart Association, or American Cancer Society.