Kashiben B. Sojitra

Kashiben Bhimjibhai Sojitra of Southfield, Michigan ascended to Heaven on August 29, 2024. She was met at the gate by her beloved husband, Bhimjibhai and her parents, Maniben and Lavjibhai Nakrani. Born in Sanosara, Gujarat, on May 31, 1931, she was the daughter of a mill worker. At 8, the Hindu-Muslim riots broke out and she had to stop going to school. Though her education was interrupted at an early age, Kashiben was a
lifelong learner and adored reading, writing, and singing about Lord Krishna. At 13, she became an orphan and was raised by her now late aunt Motaba, brother Dheerubhai, and sister Manjuben, whom she loved dearly. At 16, while she was fetching water for the house, she met Bhimjibhai, who was in town to fundraise for kids to go to school. They soon got married and began their legacy with 90 rupees in their pockets. They were married for over 57 years. 

 Kashiben and Bhimjibhai moved to Chinaibaug, Ahmedabad, where Arun, Renuka, Kirit, and Janhvi Patel were born. As her kids, grandkids, and great grandkids joined the family, she fondly became known as “Ba,” for her kind, gentle, and generous love. In 2004, upon becoming a widow, Ba moved to Southfield, Michigan with her youngest son, Kirit Patel, and his family. She filled the Michigan home with her sweet smile and fragrance of black coffee with chai masala and lemon. You could always count on her to give the best head oil massages, and to ask “Have you eaten?” And when greeting those she adored,she would say “maru gol nu gadu” (my little truck of sweetness).

Ba was a giver with a servant heart. She cared deeply for her family and for the less fortunate in the world. She was committed to community service throughout her lifetime, from getting toys for orphan kids to cooking endlessly for her family and friends. She was a master chef at making Gujarati food, especially “Suran nu Shaak” (her husband’s go-to dinner), “Rajgira no Sheero” (her staple dessert) and “Karela nu Shaak”(bitter melon, a kid’s nightmare). She was a devotee of Lord Krishna, always meditating on the Bhagavad Gita. She passionately enjoyed watching the Mahabharata and listening to Anup Jalota’s songs. Her favorite bhajan was “Jai Kanha Kala.” Her favorite Krishna musical was “Sathvaro Radhe Shyam No.” In her lifetime, she went on numerous walking pilgrimages to Dakor and Govardhan Parikrama, and established lasting spiritual friendships along the way, especially Sulochnaben.Even as she progressively lost her vision, she continued singing bhajans of God’s goodness with Parvatiben and Shardaben, who would call her daily at 8AM and 4PM like clockwork. 

 Ba’s legacy is carried on by her four children,  Renuka (Dinesh) Patel of Mumbai, Arun (Hema) Patel of Ahmedabad,  Kirit (Anjana) Patel of Southfield, and Janhvi (Atul) Patel of Matawan. She was a beloved grandma to her 8 grandchildren, Mehul (Heetal) Patel, Sejal Patel, Jay (Parthivi) Patel, Anar (Kapil) Sahansi, Karan (Ashley) Patel, Rupal Patel, Aman Patel, and Aarav Patel, and 6 great-grandchildren, Aarushi Patel,Dhriti Patel, Rishi Patel, Rudra Patel, Avery Patel, Maya Patel,and many beloved nieces and nephews. Our dearest Ba – always loved, never forgotten, forever missed. 

A service will be held in Ba’s honor on Sunday, September 1st at 4:00PM EST in the Schrader-Howell Funeral Home, 280 South Main Street, Plymouth, Michigan. A dinner reception will immediately follow at Punjab Indian Cuisine in Livonia.

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