Uday passed away peacefully on October 31, 2019 due to complications from acute myeloid leukemia. He was cared for by his loving wife Kalpana, son Kiran, daughter Meera, son-in-law Scott Feldman, and faithful dog Reina. He is also survived by 11 nephews and nieces living in India, France, the UK, and the US; all his siblings having predeceased him.
Uday was born in India, where he grew up as the youngest of five children in a well-educated Hindu family. After graduating with honors from the elite Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay in the field of Mechanical Engineering, he immigrated to Canada in 1968, where he received his Master’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Windsor. Uday immigrated to the US in 1970, received his MBA from the University of Pittsburgh, and subsequently became a US Citizen.
Uday found a lifelong career as an environmental consultant (1971-2013) in the Philadelphia area, starting with a small firm, James A. Commins & Associates (JACA) Corp., and ending with The Silvi Group Companies, Inc. as VP of Environmental Affairs. In 1974, he received one of the first Professional Engineer (P.E.) licenses in Pennsylvania in the category of Environmental Engineering. Additionally, Uday served Schuylkill Township in Chester County, PA (where the family has resided since 1986) from 2004 to 2019, first as member of the Board of Supervisors and later on the Zoning Board.
An avid horticulturist, Uday’s dream of winning a prize in the Philadelphia Flower Show was realized in 2017. He was also an amateur photographer with many followers on social media.
Uday’s memorial service and cremation will be held on Friday, Nov. 8th at the Catagnus Funeral Home, 329 N. Lewis Road, Royersford, PA, 19468. Visitation will begin at 9:30 A.M., followed by a 10:30 A.M service. His family will receive friends at their home on Saturday, Nov. 9th from 6:00 P.M. to 9:00 P.M. A Deliverance Service will be performed at the Won Buddhist Temple of Philadelphia, 423 Abington Avenue, Glenside, PA, 19038, on Sunday, Nov. 10th at 3:00 P.M. Donations may be sent in his memory to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society https://donate.lls.org .
I feel a sense of the great loss you must feel at the death of Uday. I ‘met” Uday through our online photography group and always enjoyed the beautiful photos of his flowers and plants. He would share his knowledge of them as well which I always appreciated. He was kind enough to give me permission to print one of his photos of a Monarch butterfly and I will treasure it even more now. I am sorry that he has moved on from this life. May he Rest In Peace and may you find comfort in the memories of good times together.
As a classmate and wing mate in the dorm (Hostel 5) of Uday’s I have many fond memories of interactions with him. He enjoyed playing bridge which he had learned from his sister and brother-in-law, Usha and Achyut Thate, who lived in Bombay.
Kalapana and family I am so sorry for your loss May memories comfort you. Sincerely, Kathy Cronin