Birth date: Jun 13, 1930 Death date: Mar 8, 2021
Devika Mansukhani died peacefully in her sleep March 8, 2021. Born June 30, 1930 to Bulchand and Lachmi Kripalani in Karachi India, loving wife of Sunder for 61 years, loving mother to three children and their spouses, Kiron and J Read Obituary
FEW OF RAMESH MEMORIES OF DEVIKA
My knock on the massive wooden front door echoed down multiple stairs I had scaled. Stepping in, I was dwarfed by an enormous living room bathed in daylight from a row of windows across an entire wall. This was Donald House in Colaba, Mumbai.
Mumoo had sent me with a gift for Devika to whom Sunder had just been engaged. With her warmest smile, she introduced me to the extended family.
Most weekends I visited Devika and Sunder at their racecourse apartment from my school dorm. Before l left for the US, they both regaled me with interesting stories of their US experience.
A few years later, Ki and Ash flew with their parents to LA, where I was at UCLA. They drove my car to the East where Sunder had a med school job offer.
Periodically I visited them in various places to which they moved. Devika extravagantly entertained swarms of friends and family with gastronomic feasts. Late nights she still found time for personal conversations before bedtime.
Commendably assertive, she has always been a unique blend of best human qualities and progressive philosophy. Several of her friends and family have shared with me their appreciation for her infinitely caring spirit. She has been their steadfast psychotherapist and confidante.
Devika has been an invaluable pillar of the extended family. Her magnanimous presence will be sorely missed but her loving spirit shall fill our hearts forever.
Ramesh
Sunderbhiya I like to extend my sympathy for my dear lovely friend and neighbor devika she was a beautiful person inside and out and won my heart for ever u know I am there for u all the time just the way u r there for me
My love to you and family remember you have tons of people who is around
For you she was one happy person and shared her happiness with all of us with unique smiles
Dear Sunder and Family,
Niti and I are deeply saddened by sudden demise of Devikaji. Unfortunately we have not seen each other in last year but we have very fond memories of her.
We always remember her motherly love towards us and of course all the delicacies she served. We will always remember her smiling pleasant demeanour.
May God give you and family strength to withstand this loss.
Kirit and Niti Chhaya
Dear Mansukhani ji
Please accept our heartfelt condolences on the loss of Devika ji. She was an accomplished yet humble woman, ever smiling, beautiful, wonderful hostess, phenomenal gourmet cook, We pray for strength during this difficult time of sorrow for the entire family. May her atma attain sadgati.
🌺🙏🏼Om Shanti Shanti Shanti
Sangeeta & Subhash Rashatwar
Dear Sunder and family,
Devika was truly an extraordinary woman! We are so sorry for your loss.
“Wherever a beautiful soul has been there is a trail of beautiful memories”
Warm regards.
Rita and Gary Ackerman
Some people come in your life and stay with you and leave footprints in your heart and you are never ever the same.. this quote reminds me so much of Devika.So blessed to have known her.. Sunderbhai, she will always be with us.. Heartfelt wishes to family
Nita and Mom
Sunderbhai
May God bless the departed soul of Devikaben and give you strength to bear the loss of life long companion and support. Surendra and Jayshree
We were privileged to know Devika for more than 35 years, probably 40, first in NJ and then in Florida. And it was a privilege.
Sunder and Devika, both extremely social and warm, attracted people like flies to Indian sweets, full of sugar. Their home was always open for anybody at any time – to stay, for meals, or just for good company. Sunder would invite people over to his home without any hesitation and in fact, an invitation was not necessary. My daughter and granddaughter lived close to Sunder and Devika in Florida and once when my granddaughter was 3 or 4, she saw a lot of people at their home and decided to attend the party. My daughter told her they were not invited to this party and Natasha responded, “I do not need any invitation, I am always welcome.” Because Sunder had told her that she was always welcome. And she marched off to the party. Sunder was able to be a generous host because he knew that he had solid support from Devika.
All this socializing and generous hospitality was possible only because Devika smilingly made it possible – her buffet rivaled that of the legendary Taj Hotel in Mumbai, where she came from, her flan out of this world.
Devika never complained or criticized, always smiled and supported. She made you feel like family, genuine caring.
When Sunder bought a house in Florida, where I had already moved from NJ, in my development, suddenly my social network increased four-fold, as, within a year of moving, Sunder and Devika had created a vibrant following, which I was lucky to be a part of. About a dozen people from NJ bought a second home in our development, The Reserve, to be close to them. There was a party at their home almost every week with Sunder in his Hawaiian short presiding and Devika making sure that everything was going smoothly. I started calling our development “Sunder Nagar” – Sunder’s township.
What is missed in all this is Devika’s more important qualities. As I learned about Devika’s life, I was absolutely fascinated. She went through much hardship in life having been driven out of her home as a refugee at a tender age and became responsible for her younger siblings when normally she herself would have required caring. She came out on top. She was a determined lady, committed to overcoming one and all adversities in her life. She traveled to the US on a cargo ship to get educated at the University of Minnesota. Imagine a single woman all alone on a ship and imagine an Indian woman in a sari walking from her dorm to the classroom through the snow when there was not another Indian anywhere nearby. Gutsy or crazy, whatever you may call it, I am just plain awestruck.
I was so fascinated by her life story that I wanted to write it up and publish it. It was one of those things that never happened. And now that she is gone, there are so many memories and perhaps it is not too late to write the story I wanted to.
In Hindu tradition, a soul is imperishable and maybe she is looking down at Sunder Nagar, whose unquestionable queen she was, on her friends here, smiling. Devika, we will miss you.
Arun Maheshwari
EVER SMILING, AFFECTIONATE ,DOWN TO EARTH BIG SISTER , WE WILL ALWAYS MISS YOU DEVIKA JI...WE ALWAYS LOOKED UP TO YOU,THANKS FOR SHARING YOUR EXPERIENCES, YOU WILL ALWAYS BE A GUIDE IN OUR LIFE.. AMRIT AND ANJU NAYAR
Sunder and Family Please accept our heartfelt condolences at the passing away of dear Devika. We honor her life of achievements and pray for her soul. May eternal peace be hers! Pappan and Meena Sadani
