May you be at peace wherever you are in a place much happier than you were in. That is my prayer for you.
Suresh will always be remembered for his generosity, limitless energy, ever-present good nature, and love for life. Nothing brought a twinkle to his eye and smile to his lips more than seeing his friends and family. A diehard Chicago sports fan, Suresh will be cheering from high above the bleachers when the Cubs win the World Series.
Tributes
Leave a tributeMay you be at peace wherever you are in a place much happier than you were in. That is my prayer for you.
Your caring and loving ways left one feeling good...great... about the ongoing discussion...And the way you would have tears coming out of your eyes, when someone cracked a real good joke, was a delight to watch...!!
Hope your guidance is always available to all of us in good times as well as otherwise days...And that you are enjoying a peaceful restful time...
Today is your birthday again! A special soul was born today and I am so glad that I had the opportunity to meet this special soul, you!
We always remember you fondly your smiling face and helpful and positive nature shall always remain with us .
With lots of love wherever you are!!
We still miss you and remember you...
You're sorely missed by family and friends...
Love,
Rohit & Mridula
I am sure you are happily smiling away wherever you are, and whoever you are with at the moment. Your love for living & caring had a way of spreading it around...!! A lot of times, I think of all the times we have spent together, good times and great times...,doing so many different things in life... and that reminds of the multi faceted personality that you were blessed with...Always loving and caring...Nothing seemed impossible, when you were around...!! I have been fortunate to have learned a lot from you...We miss you...Pray that you are blessed with peace and happiness, wherever you are...
Can't believe that you are not with us .Don't worry about Renuben now she is strong enough.keep smiling wherver u are and keep helping the people.
What a lovely life you have lived with a beautiful smile all the time & you will be missed forever. Your Beautiful family & all relatives & friends will miss you.
Every time Smita & I think about you & Mami, we always think about beautiful time spent together either in Long Island, NY or in Chicago.
I remember, first time we were together in Long Island we talked about our love for seafood & went for a seafood dinner. What a lovely evening it was, memories.
Mama, we will miss you forever. May God grant you an eternal peace.
Love you, Parimal & Smita
He had a way with people to always make them feel welcome!
I have known him since the time he came along with my husband,Bharat to meet me at my home in Mbai.
I do not remember being particularly friendly,as I did not appreciate being judged by strangers,but as was his style he watched and observed quietly and unobtrusively.
A thorough gentleman and a kind,loving soul,a person with a zest for life and a deep involvement with all that came in his path,a willingness to touch and be touched by lives.
Through all these years of my marriage and ever since I have known him he has remained my friend,loving and nonjudgemental.
He has always been there for me from picking and dropping me to airports,to walking shoulder to shoulder with my two sons who both had the good fortune of knowing him and spending time with him in the USA where they went to study.
I shall always miss his sweet encouraging presence and blessings.
Love you Sureshbhai where ever you are, you deserve nothing but the BEST.
His memory will always remain with me. May peace be with him..
"Rest in Peace. Sureshbhai.I cannot forget your guidance in all my difficult time. I will always remember you.
Paul Panicali
Leave a Tribute
May you be at peace wherever you are in a place much happier than you were in. That is my prayer for you.
In memory of my brother ( in law ), Sureshbhai...
My mind gets filled up with so many sweet memories of Sureshbhai, as I shared some of them here.
A gem of a human being, Sureshbhai was a genuine, loving, caring, wonderful noble soul, who was always there for you, when needed, with a smiling face.
He was there for me to witness almost every important milestone in my life...as my elder brother...as my friendly guide and philosopher. Blessed with a very kind and helpful nature, he advised me take up architecture in 1968; helped me with the process of getting admission to Master's program at U of I, Champaign as well as getting set up there, just as both he and Renu did again for Rutvan in 2012 in Philadelphia at U Penn, and once again for Ananya in 2014 in Lafayette at Purdue University...!!
He helped with getting an interview with SOM, Chicago, which boosted my career tremendously.
Sureshbhai, my best ever Teacher:
On my very first day in USA, he explained to me why this place remains very clean and peaceful. He not only taught me how to drive in US "correctly" as per the book, but also gave me his car !! He was as stickler for punctuality and following rules. I also learnt from him how to walk in downtown Chicago quickly thru short cuts and comfortably in tough cold weather by walking thru buildings, wherever he knew was possible ! All these " little " tips used to amuse me in the beginning, but I soon realized their due importance from the way he would teach.
Creating the Magic of making the other " trustworthy " !
As far back as in 1968, he trusted me, a 15-year old kid then, with taking care of his expensive big red Impala car, which he had imported to India, while he left India to work in USA. He has always placed full faith in me since then, with small and not-so-small things.
He let me handle organizing of the first ever big music show by a famous Indian star singer in US, Mr. Mohammad Rafi, in 1977. Watching Renu and Sureshbhai deliver graciously the opening speech to a 4,000 plus audience at Uptown Theater had brought tears of satisfaction and happiness in my eyes.
His Helpful Nature:
Their home was always a home for me and my family, where I stayed for more than 3 years with wonderful memories. I saw him help out many newcomers to USA during their initial period, a tradition that he continued from Madison, Wisconsin days.
Enjoying Life:
We did many things together....made and enjoyed delicious tea in the early mornings; cleaned out snow and even ice; enjoyed the rides in the train to downtown and back....for years. I was playing catch up, even with my long strides, as he used to walk very fast. We played racquetball, watched football games, the nitty gritty of which he taught me in great detail and with much enthusiasm, as was his nature. Relishing food from all over the world was a passion with him. Some of my fondest memories are of our enjoying the Ravinia Festivals Shows year after year.
Sureshbhai, the avid traveller:
He drove all the way to Florida via Smokey Mountains in 1976 with my mother and father, with whom he enjoyed a wonderful relationship. Later on in life, I was fortunate in having his company during quite a few trips together, each one etching out pleasant memories in my heart.
He would invariably take every guest, especially visiting from India, to his alma mater, University of Wisconsin, and also to The Baha'i Temple in Chicago, a philosophy that he deeply believed in and respected a lot.
Our fun travels include the one with family to Las Vegas; a cruise trip to Greek Islands; to Austria and Switzerland. Our walks at dawn time on the topmost deck of the ship shall remain an unforgettable experience.
Everywhere we went, he would join in enthusiastically and cheerfully, like the young-at-heart man that he has always been !! During his trip to India in2013, we managed to visit all his ancestral places, where his roots were...Bhavnagar, Palitana, Rajkot....meeting his old school and college mates, sharing with us the memories of the places, where he was born and lived during his early years. I am really thankful to the Almighty for having made this possible, as it meant so much to him.
And finally, in his last trip to India in 2014 to attend Rutvan & Eshita's marriage, he became an integral part of every function....at Rohtak, Bhopal, Bombay and Surat, with full involvement, even under adverse weather and travel issues. Presence of Apoor, Lisa, Dara and Drew added tremendously to his joy, as it allowed him to caringly look after them. He put on head gears and dresses to suit every function, danced at every opportunity...By the way, he was a very stylish dancer of garba and raas. He mingled with all the family members and guests freely, who remember him as a very fine gentleman.
Basically a " People's Person ", he loved to live life to the hilt. In 2015, even with my fractured foot, he took me to watch a Bears game in Chicago, and also walked all the way with me in a fundraiser marathon in Elmhurst !!
A gentle soul with a lot of compassion in his heart, Sureshbhai deserves the very best, and I am sure that he is on his way in his final journey to a very calm and peaceful resting place.
Ohm Shanti.....Shanti....Shanti....
Bharat Sheth
The Anchor of Gami family in America
I met Sureshkaka in 1977, when he visited me in Cambridge MA during one of his work related trips. He took the time to tour the campus with me and was basically thrilled to see another Gami in the US. We spent many hours discussing whereabouts of various family members in the US as well as in India. His eyes lit up when I told him how proud everyone was about his accomplishments and especially the news about his parents. I had the good fortune to get to know his parents – Shantilaldada and Maniba - while I lived in Ahmedabad.
Soon after completing my graduate studies, I visited him in Chicago and met the rest of the family. When Abhi and Apoor found out that my name was Bharat, they were a bit amused and said, “How nice! We know this name very well.” They were referring to their mama - Bharat Sheth - who was living with them at the time. During the next four years, I lived in Iowa and became a visiting member of the family. I joined them from time to time to enjoy great company, laughter and musical performances by Renukaki.
Sureshkaka has been a constant source of inspiration, wise counsel and friendship over the years. He was truly an anchor of the family and will always be recognized as the first immigrant from Gami family to settle in the United States.
In the words of Bhagvada Gita, “Bījaṁ māṁ sarva-bhūtānāṁ viddhi pārtha sanātanam.” [BG. 7.10] In describing the presence of God in everything and every living being, Krishna says that, “I am the seed – bijam - in every living being. While the body changes constantly, this seed or soul remains – sanatanam - eternal.” I salute this eternal soul and pray that it continues to shine the light of wisdom and good fortune upon all of us.
Suresh as a father in law
Suresh was a good guy. These comments are illustrative of what we all know, and more. He was kind, generous, an equal opportunity person-- someone that looked at the inside and not the title, skin color, or sex.
I want to share my relationship/view. He was funny. He would laugh at me, himself, and anything else that struck him as funny. He was not afraid of risks. He joined Ava and I on ski trip when he was 70 and decided on the spot he wanted to learn to ski. It didn't go well. The Rockies at 70 were too much. But he tried and he was honest. He gave it a go. How many people would even try? How many do you know that would say "no" instead of “why not?"
He was feisty. We debated everything from politics (well that is sort of a lie, we agreed), to sports (I was always right, baseball is stupid), to where he was going to live when he “got old.” That escalated. I recall it vividly and have laughed with Abhi about it several times since. Suresh was visiting us in NJ and told me he was going to live with us when he got old. I said that would never happen. He ignored me and said he was planning on it. I told him I am not Indian and I am definitely not housing anyone. We were nearly shouting. Back and forth. I stomped off to the kitchen where Abhi was just giggling and brought us some beers. We were fine. No hard feelings, no ruffled feathers. Just a beer. We would bait Renu and she would take it. Arguing about moving downtown or anything else Suresh had cooked up. He would bait me. Fun! I would bait him. I actually went to an Angels game and bought a t-shirt while he and Abhi went to a Cubs game. I met up with them later with my new shirt on…!
We talked a lot. We spent hours chatting and drinking a beer or wine. I heard so many stories and learned many secrets. The secrets were great. We would laugh. I wish he was still here. It was nice to speak with him. It was great to seem him play with Ava or one of our rotties. Or find a new sushi restaurant to try.
I would say Rest In Peace, but he would know that is not authentic; too saccharine for our banter. So I say ‘rock it like you mean it, skinny dip in heaven or come back as an Olympic skier.’