Obituary for Mr. Pratap Nahata
Pratap Nahata passed away peacefully from complications due to Parkinson’s Disease on November 11, 2022. He was born in the small town of Rampura, Madhya Pradesh, India, to Shri Rajmalji Nahata and Smt Badaambai Nahata. He was the 4th of 6 children, with 2 sisters and 3 brothers. His mother died early in his life and he and his siblings were raised by his father and a loving extended family of kakasabs and kakisabs, and a large group of cousins. He lived through the struggle for the independence of India and believed deeply in that movement. His eldest brother was passionately involved in the Quit India Movement and that outlook permeated their home. He was raised at a time that simultaneously uplifted the traditional but also embraced the new nation that was being created. He went to college at VJTI and earned a BS degree in electrical engineering. Shortly after graduating, he married Sushila Parekh, from Vadodara, Gujarat in 1960. They subsequently had two children, Ajay and Renu, and decided to move to the US while they were very young.
He maintained his love of Indian culture and learned more about the new culture he had adopted and infused those ideas into the life of his family. He cooked and cleaned like few other fathers they knew in the early 1970s. The family discussed politics regularly and debated ideas. They voted on big family decisions like buying their first house. He and Sushila raised their family in Oshkosh, Wisconsin for the early part of their lives in the US, but by 1982, they decided to move to CT, choosing to be on the East Coast where both children received their college educations.
He believed strongly in doing things the right way, which certainly came out of this early training and stood him in good stead both as an engineering student at VJTI and later as an engineer. He worked the majority of his professional life for two companies, one in Wisconsin and the other in Connecticut, where he was the vice president of engineering, designing specialty transformers for use around the world. He was precise in everything he did and expected everyone to strive for the same.
More than anything, he was a loving family man. He built his life around his wife and children, his extended family, and later, his grandchildren, who became his greatest source of joy and pride. In his role as a father, he was lighthearted, funny and playful, regaling his young children with magic tricks, sharing his fondness for games and later teaching them to play tennis, which he had learned on his own, as a child. He was equally committed to his grandchildren. He taught his granddaughter, Anjali, how to read and understand Hindi via Skype over the course of several years. He engaged his grandson, Aditya, in everything from making rabdi, to building electrical devices, all the while having discussions about politics, philosophy and Indian history. He adored and was utterly charmed by his youngest grandchild, Ayush, who brought out his lightest and most surprising sides. In many ways, his three grandchildren represent his most important legacy.
In his late 70s, he developed Parkinson's Disease. For many years, its symptoms were minimal and stable. However, in the last 6 years, they grew increasingly present and came to take over all aspects of his life. He worked hard to overcome its constraints, walking several miles a day for years, exercising to keep his muscles strong. As is true for so many others, Parkinson’s is a terrible disease and ultimately takes its toll.
He is survived by his wife, Mrs. Sushila Nahata, his son, Ajay Nahata, daughter-in-law, Anita Jain Nahata, his daughter, Renu Nahata, son-in-law, Sam Shinn and grandchildren, Anjali and Ayush Nahata and Aditya Shinn. He is also survived by his brothers and sisters-in-law, Dr. Manakchand Nahata and Dr. Prem Nahata, and Mr. Prakash Nahata and Mrs. Mridula Nahata.
A Memorial Service is scheduled for 6 pm on November 14 at the Honan Funeral Home at 58 Main Street in Newtown, CT.
He maintained his love of Indian culture and learned more about the new culture he had adopted and infused those ideas into the life of his family. He cooked and cleaned like few other fathers they knew in the early 1970s. The family discussed politics regularly and debated ideas. They voted on big family decisions like buying their first house. He and Sushila raised their family in Oshkosh, Wisconsin for the early part of their lives in the US, but by 1982, they decided to move to CT, choosing to be on the East Coast where both children received their college educations.
He believed strongly in doing things the right way, which certainly came out of this early training and stood him in good stead both as an engineering student at VJTI and later as an engineer. He worked the majority of his professional life for two companies, one in Wisconsin and the other in Connecticut, where he was the vice president of engineering, designing specialty transformers for use around the world. He was precise in everything he did and expected everyone to strive for the same.
More than anything, he was a loving family man. He built his life around his wife and children, his extended family, and later, his grandchildren, who became his greatest source of joy and pride. In his role as a father, he was lighthearted, funny and playful, regaling his young children with magic tricks, sharing his fondness for games and later teaching them to play tennis, which he had learned on his own, as a child. He was equally committed to his grandchildren. He taught his granddaughter, Anjali, how to read and understand Hindi via Skype over the course of several years. He engaged his grandson, Aditya, in everything from making rabdi, to building electrical devices, all the while having discussions about politics, philosophy and Indian history. He adored and was utterly charmed by his youngest grandchild, Ayush, who brought out his lightest and most surprising sides. In many ways, his three grandchildren represent his most important legacy.
In his late 70s, he developed Parkinson's Disease. For many years, its symptoms were minimal and stable. However, in the last 6 years, they grew increasingly present and came to take over all aspects of his life. He worked hard to overcome its constraints, walking several miles a day for years, exercising to keep his muscles strong. As is true for so many others, Parkinson’s is a terrible disease and ultimately takes its toll.
He is survived by his wife, Mrs. Sushila Nahata, his son, Ajay Nahata, daughter-in-law, Anita Jain Nahata, his daughter, Renu Nahata, son-in-law, Sam Shinn and grandchildren, Anjali and Ayush Nahata and Aditya Shinn. He is also survived by his brothers and sisters-in-law, Dr. Manakchand Nahata and Dr. Prem Nahata, and Mr. Prakash Nahata and Mrs. Mridula Nahata.
A Memorial Service is scheduled for 6 pm on November 14 at the Honan Funeral Home at 58 Main Street in Newtown, CT.