Dinesh Shantilal Shah

Dinesh Shantilal Shah passed away on Saturday, November 9, in Bridgeport, Connecticut. He was the son of Shantilal Manilal Shah and Shantaben Amratlal Shah, husband of Anila, father of Saurin, father-in-law of Sara, and grandfather of Sarina and Priya, and is survived by his brothers, Ramesh and Dilip, and their families.

Dinesh was born in May 1935, in the Nishapole/Zaveriwad area of Ahmedabad, the oldest of 4 children. Dinesh married his neighbor and childhood sweetheart Anila Haji in February 1966 in Ahmedabad. Soon after their marriage, Dinesh left India to pursue his graduate studies in the USA. His son, Saurin, was born in November of that same year. Later Anila and Saurin joined Dinesh in New York City, then moved to New Jersey, and ultimately settled in Fairfield, Connecticut in 1975.

As he was growing up, Dinesh was known to work hard and excel in his academic studies. He came from humble beginnings and credits the Jain Oswal Club of Ahmedabad for not only paying his school fees, but also for giving him the chance to prove himself. He graduated with a Bachelors in Commerce in 1956 from H.L. College of Commerce, Gujarat University, and earned a Chartered Accountant (CA) designation in 1959 - he passed the necessary CA exams on his first try which was a rare feat in those days. Dinesh was among the first 5000 CAs in all of India. He was also among the first to attend a management course sponsored by Harvard Business School in India, and later to receive a full scholarship for an MBA at the State University of New York (Albany).

Upon becoming a CA, Dinesh joined and quickly rose to become the youngest manager of Raipur Mills, a textile company, in Ahmedabad. After completing his MBA, Dinesh joined Price Waterhouse and then International Basic Economy Corporation, an entity founded by Rockefeller Brothers to promote economic development, for a few years each and eventually became a Director of International Taxation at Champion International in Stamford, CT where he served for over 25 years, retiring in 1998.

In his early professional days, when Dinesh was in India, he was affectionately known as "guru" among his friends for his brilliance, ability to teach, offer sage advice, and tireless efforts to help members of his community get jobs and training. He was famous for taking what was left of his weekly salary after giving most of it to his family, and spending it on spicy snacks and movie tickets for friends and relatives in the neighborhood. He was also a prankster, especially with his friends, tricking them on at least several occasions to take an out of town adventure.

In the USA, Dinesh was always ready to share a funny story, discuss the latest news and market developments, play cards, or make chai, connect with friends/relatives and build community. He was a man with a keen intellect, a thundering voice, a hearty laugh, an adventurous spirit, and a generous and loving heart. He always enjoyed having time with his family and friends, and was always ready for his granddaughters to make him laugh. He is remembered fondly by many across several continents.

During retirement Dinesh enjoyed spending more time with Anila; they were able to take a number of wonderful trips, including to Bali and Thailand and other places, and of course regular visits to India to see their family and friends.

Dinesh and Anila were also devoted to building Gujarati/Jain community in CT and the Jain Center of Connecticut (JCC). Indeed, the first meeting of the JCC was held in their home; the center is now almost 40 years old and has a dedicated prayer space/temple.

Anila, Saurin and his family would like to thank all of our family and friends and in particular, the Jain Center of Connecticut for their full support.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the Jain Center of Connecticut - https://www.jaincenterofconnecticut.org

Jai Jinendra / Om Shanti

Events: Please RSVP to Saurin Shah (saurindshah@gmail.com) and the JCC.

Funeral Services and Cremation:
Saturday, November 16, 2019
10am-12pm
Spear-Miller Funeral Home
39 South Benson Road
Fairfield, CT 06824
203.259.0824

Celebration of Life:
Sunday, November 17, 2019
10am-2pm
Hindu Cultural Center/JCC
96 Chapel Street
Stratford, CT 06614