Hasmita 'was the most kind, thoughtful and selfless soul'

FRIENDS and family bid an emotional farewell to Hasmita Patel last week, who passed away peacefully last Thursday (6), with her family by her side.

Hasmita, 61, was the wife of the prominent Atlanta-based hotelier and entrepreneur Mukesh ‘Mike’ Patel.

During a poignant funeral ceremony in Atlanta last Saturday (10) – which was watched online by thousands of friends and relatives around the world – Mike said, “Every day, life was like a smile with her, especially in the final weeks.”

Born in Kampala, Uganda, Hasmita mo­ved with her family to London in 1970 where she was educated. She worked in the British Civil Service among other posts.

Mike and Hasmita met during Navratri, the nine-day Hindu festival, in 1981 and they married in 1984.

Soon after the wedding they moved to the US and eventually settled in Atlanta, Georgia, where they founded a business developing hotels, real estate and banking. They have two children, daughter Ayesha and son Rishi.

Paying tribute to Hasmita, Prabhu HG Vedasara Das, co-president of Iskcon Atlanta Temple, said at the service, “I was told that whenever you went to their home, the first thing she did was ask you how you were. Next, she would say, ‘please have a seat and let me serve you’.

“This is not a material quality, this is a spiritual attribute, to always operate from the heart. Hasmita Patel always operated from the heart.”

“Hasmita was my backbone, it was because of her I was able serve and help others” said Mike. “She supported me, encouraged me. When I got angry with people or chastised them, she used to say, give everyone a second chance, give anyone a third chance. She taught me to put myself in the other person’s shoes.”

Their son Rishi recalled a saying that fit his mother – where many people see the brick, she would see the wall.

“I think that’s a very important aspect of how she lived her life. She would look at the bigger picture,” he said.

“And, obviously, family was everything for her. And I’m very sad to see her go when I know that what she left behind.”

Daughter Ayesha said her mother taught her compassion by example.

“She was the most compassionate person I have ever known. My mum embodied this understanding of compassion. She was the most thoughtful, kind and selfless soul.”

Mike served as a commissioner on former US president Bill Clinton’s White House Initiative for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, and accompanied Clinton on his visit to India as president in 2001.

He was chairman of the Asian American Hotel Owners Association, the largest hospitality group in the world with over 20,000 members, in 1998.

He is also a co-founder of the Fair Franchising Initiative, a group of more than 300 hotel owners created in March to give voice to franchisee concerns over the treatment of small business branded hotels.

A daughter’s emotional message...

by Ayesha Patel

One major lesson my mum taught me was the power of compassion. She was the most compassionate person I have ever known.

My mum embodied this understanding of compassion. In our family, she was the most thoughtful, kind, and selfless soul with the most beautiful contagious smile.

I will never forget our endless chats, late-night Netflix TV show binging, and our endless conversations. She was an active listener and incredibly thoughtful. Her enthusiasm for life made her a great companion for any activity.

Whenever I would return to Atlanta, she would always have my bedroom meticulously redecorated to my liking and always surprised me with the latest wellness concoctions or hypoallergenic bedsheets.

She listened without judgement. She gave without expectations. She helped out because it was the right thing to do. She was honest because there was no other way to be.

I am truly heartbroken I won’t be able to share future life chapters with her physically. But I know that she will be with me in spirit.