Dhirajlal Bhikhabhai Patel

Rickey Stokes

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Posted by: RStokes
Date: Oct 16 2016 9:05 AM

Dhirajlal Bhikhabhai Patel went to be one with God October 15, 2016, on Sharad Punam, a significant Indian holiday. He was surrounded by his immediate family. Dhirajlal loved India and his Hindu faith. He was born July 3, 1939, in Kholvad, India, where he spent his youth farming. After graduating from university in Surat, Dhirajlal moved to London and opened the first of what would be his many successful business ventures. In 1982, he moved his family to America, settling in Dothan in 1983. His was one of the first five Indian families to make Dothan their home.

He earned his citizenship in 1996. A self-made man, Dhirajlal lived the American dream but never forgot the poverty he endured in India. In addition to other motels and businesses, he purchased the Beeline Motel, where he provided shelter, food and other provisions for many of the area’s homeless and near homeless population. He also opened his businesses to hurricane evacuees and personally purchased and prepared food for those in need. He made sure children had toys, clothes and a place to play. He also loved animals.

Dhirajlal worked seven days a week and made sure his three children earned college degrees; all graduated from the University of Alabama Birmingham. He attended services at Krishna Hindu Temple and Swaminarayan Temple in Dothan, and he shared his faith with humility, honesty and generosity. During his hospitalization and outpatient care, he shared food, candy and coffee from his businesses with the nurses and other patients of Flowers Hospital and Davita Dialysis. He shared his beautiful smile with everyone, but he reserved his heart for the love of his life, his wife, Manjula. A hopeless romantic, he often picked flowers from his garden and brought them to his bride. He would sing a favorite love song and dance with her in his arms. He left on his terms, having told his family, “When it is time, I’ll go.”

Dhirajlal is survived by his wife Manjula Ben Dhirajlal Patel and son Jatin, Dothan; daughters Rupla (Pinkesh) Patel of Lexington, Kentucky, and Rhavika (Keyur) Patel of Andalusia; grandsons Dhruv, Anand, and Raj; and a special nephew Javik Patel, who took care of his uncle every day. Other survivors include his 4 brothers, 3 sisters, and several nieces, nephews, and cousins, all in various countries.

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