Amit "A.J." Joshi

Amit "A.J." Joshi, 39, died April 19, 2009, at his home in Anchorage. A funeral will be at 11:30 a.m. Saturday at the Alaskan Heritage Memorial Chapel, 440 E. Klatt Road in Anchorage. A celebration of his life and achievements will be at 6 p.m. Monday at O'Malley's on the Green. A.J. was born March 24, 1970, in Hoboken, N.J., to Jayant P. Joshi and the late Panna J. Joshi, and moved to London, England, with his family at young age. They returned to the U.S. in 1982 and he spent many years in Massachusetts (Go, Pats and Go, Red Sox). A.J. graduated from West Boylston Junior Senior High School in 1987. He spent time in the U.S. Air Force and was given an honorable discharge. A.J. strived to be a constant learner and was in the process of completing his Bachelor of Arts degree. He moved to Anchorage in 1993 and met the love of his life, his wife, Irina Joshi, and they were married in August 1996. "A.J. was an avid businessman who enjoyed life to its fullest," his family wrote. "He purchased and grew the Insurance Group of Alaska to be one of the most successful independent insurance agencies in Anchorage. His agency was given numerous awards and accolades for outstanding performance and service." "A.J. supported the American Diabetes Association, was an active member of the Rotary Club, and supported the local Lubavich Jewish Community. He enjoyed the company of his friends and loved to entertain at his home. A.J. was an avid chef and was always experimenting in the kitchen to the joy of his wife and many friends who benefited from his multicultural culinary tastes." He is survived by his wife, Irina Joshi; children, Jayant Joshi, Sonia Joshi, Nina Joshi and David Joshi; father, Jayant Joshi; his sister, Tejal Kaji and family; and friends from around the world. A memorial fund has been set up in memory of Amit "A.J." Joshi at the Alaska USA Federal Credit Union for the Joshi Children's College Fund.