Maniben B Patel's Obituary
Click link below for Livestreaming;
Today we celebrate the life of our beloved matriarch, Maniben Bhulabhai Patel who passed away peacefully on April 15th, 2023 in Tampa, FL surrounded by family. She is survived by her three children, Prativbhai, Anilaben, and Kanilaben; her daughters-in-law, Kalavati and Niranjna; her sons-in-law Natwarlal and Hemant; her 11 grandchildren- Sundeep, Anand, Niven, Raj, Sheetal, Nehal, Sapna, Nikhil, Nipum, Ravi and Priyanka; her granddaughter-in-laws Hemaxi, Pinal, Anita, Sindra, and Khushbu; her grandson-in-law James; and her 6 great grandchildren-Veshay, Shayen, Naya, Jaiden, Rohan and Kian.
Maniben was born in Salisbury, Rhodesia (now Harare, Zimbabwe). She was the oldest daughter of Naranjibhai and Jamnaben and older sister to five siblings who she helped raise. She married her husband, Bhulabhai Patel at the age of 19 where she built her life in Varad, India. She immigrated to the United States with her sons in the 1980s and has since been the backbone of her growing family in the United States.
Maniben had many passions in her life but none more than taking care of her family. She loved them unconditionally. Cooking for them was her expression of love and she was famous for her homemade pizza endearingly called “Ba’s pizza” in the family. She was very spiritual and was a devout follower of her Guru Maharaji, Prem Rawat, for many years and spread his teachings about inner peace to all her family and friends. She knew she was not a great singer but she loved to sing bhajans towards the end of her life. She would sing with her daughters over the phone every day and with her Satsang group through Zoom, whom she loved like a second family. She also became a novice writer towards the end of her life through journals, books and letters which will be cherished and hopefully passed on to future generations.
Through her amazing 90 years on this earth, she has taught us many life lessons. For one, she taught us the importance of learning and knowledge. She was a fiercely smart woman and had a hunger for reading, writing, and trying new things. She also taught us that perseverance and determination is a big key to success. From learning English for her US citizenship, learning how to drive, navigating the ever-changing world of technology with her iPhone, iPad, WhatsApp and Facebook, she had a CAN DO attitude with anything she was passionate about or put her mind to. She also taught us the importance of kindness and charity. She helped many people throughout her life no matter their circumstance, with such unrelenting kindness, and in turn has touched so many people in their lives.
We will always be thankful and grateful for all the blessings she has bestowed on us throughout her life and we know that she is at peace. She is loved and missed very much.
What’s your fondest memory of Maniben?
What’s a lesson you learned from Maniben?
Share a story where Maniben's kindness touched your heart.
Describe a day with Maniben you’ll never forget.
How did Maniben make you smile?
