Obituary of Kusumben Patel

It is with great sadness that we share with you the passing of Kusum Vipinchandra Patel of Mississauga, Ontario on April 14, 2020 at the age of 84. Kusum will forever be known for her kindness, strength of character and adventurous spirit.Kusum was born in Kampala, Uganda and had the great fortune to live in many different places around the world, including the UK, India, New Zealand and various places in Canada before spending the last of her retirement days in Ontario. This, coupled with her love of travel, allowed Kusum to experience different cultures and make friends with people from all walks of life. She was comfortable in any setting and always took a genuine interest in people everywhere she went.After settling in Canada in the late 1970s, the family moved to the small farming community of Neepawa, Manitoba where Kusum’s children could experience first-hand just how special she was. Never one to shy away from trying new things, in her mid-40s Kusum took up golf, cross-country skiing and learned to play bridge. She was a fiercely competitive golfer and bridge player and accumulated countless trophies and awards over the years. Kusum’s family was especially proud when Kusum qualified for the Ontario Provincial Senior Bridge Championship last year with her partner and good friend Joan.In Neepawa, Kusum immersed herself in the community through her involvement in the local golf club and service club, including taking on leadership roles. She cared for the elderly members of the community, whether by delivering meals or simply visiting for a chat. Kusum was always generous with her time.After a few years in Winnipeg, Kusum and Vipin moved to Ontario to be closer to their children and eventually, their grandchildren. Retirement did not slow Kusum down. She continued with her passions of golf and bridge, took up Tai Chi which she practiced daily, had her weekly coffee group get together and was an enthusiastic member of the Gujarati Seniors Society. Kusum also developed a love for the theatre and made frequent trips to downtown Toronto to see the latest shows.Above all, Kusum loved her family and the arrival of her grandchildren made her life complete. Kusum was so grateful to have her grandchildren close by and never missed a dance recital, concert or any opportunity to simply be in their presence.Kusum was survived by her devoted husband of 60 years, Vipin, her loving and caring daughter Shefali and son Sanjeev (Angela), her sisters Pushpa (Manu), Prafula (Indra) and Manjula, her brother Indravaden (Bena), her granddaughters Aria and Beatrix and countless cousins, nieces and nephews, all who admired her spirit and selflessness.We will remember Kusum for the way she lived life, not with sadness or despair but with joy and gratitude. We are so grateful for all the outpouring of support from Kusum’s friends and family. We are overwhelmed with all the kind words and stories describing the impact Kusum had on others. She will be missed.The family would like to thank Dr. Kevin Voon and his staff for taking such good care of her over the last 20 years, as well as the staff at Credit Valley Hospital who cared for her in her final days.Due to the recent COVID-19 Pandemic, regretfully the service will be limited in size and scope to a few family members in order to maintain the safety and health to those closest to them. Please convey your wishes to kusumpatel35@gmail.com.In lieu of flowers a donation can be made to the Canadian Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation at https://cpff.ca/.Please take a moment to sign the Family's guestbook and join the Patel family in Celebrating Kusum's life by clicking the link below.Live stream will begin at 9:55 am on Friday, April 17, 2020.http://www.distantlink.com/dlm1.htmluse password: Arbor2020