Ushaben "Baku" Patel

Ushaben (Baku) Patel was born in Saroli on June 25, 1957. At the age of 63, she peacefully completed her life journey on January 24, 2021 surrounded by her family and friends as they chanted prayers. Baku was the second of Jashuben Patel and Dr. H.P Patel’s six children. She spent her early years in Atul, where she completed her schooling and college education. She accomplished her B.A, B. Ed, & LLB (law degree) in South Gujarat. More than formal education, Baku valued simplicity and relationships. Garba and bhajans were her passions. Upon relocating to the U.S, she had the opportunity to live in New Jersey, Michigan, California, and Arizona. Baku moved wherever she could contribute the most to her family. She considered her nieces and nephews to be her own sons and daughters. She touched all the children of the Patel/Punjya family in their formative years. She found a lifelong home in Arizona, enjoying the rest of her days with her youngest sister, Niyanta (Dolly), and brother-in-law, Umesh. This is where the story of the love between two sisters blossomed. Baku was embraced by Dolly, Umesh, and their children, Dhruv and Shivani. She nurtured an atmosphere of unconditional love and forged unbreakable bonds. Dhruv and Shivani remember Baku as a mother figure. She lived with them from the day they took their first breaths, to the moment she took her last. Baku made their happiness her happiness, and felt their pain as her own pain. Any given day, you could find her at a pool, basketball practice, or piano recital, cheering on the children she raised as her own. Baku had a particular love for people. In the most positive way, she had no reservations. Conversations with neighbors and friends inevitably led to meaningful relationships. She shared laughs, late nights, lifelong lessons, and unforgettable memories, spreading her love to those around her. In the later years of her life, Baku battled through a neurodegenerative condition. Throughout this adversity, she displayed incredible strength and resilience. Baku was a fighter until the very end. She serves as an inspiration to her family, showing them how to deal with the tribulations in life with calm and faith. These are the telling qualities of Baku. She will be remembered by her loved ones as the lighthearted, selfless, and loving soul she embodied. Baku is survived by her siblings, Ramilabhen, Sunil, Pravin, Rajiv, and Niyanta, brothers-in-law, Gordhanbhai, and Umesh, sisters-in-law, Bhagi, Uru, and Jayu, and nieces & nephews, Kuntal, Jigu, Shivam, Meera, Nirali, Niraj, Shivani, and Dhruv.