Neil Parikh

Neil Anthony Parikh, a civil engineer who designed runways for Chicago's O'Hare International Airport and was informally known by his airport colleagues as "The King" thanks both to his soft skills as a leader and his deep expertise, died on January 21, 2025 after a valiant battle with brain cancer, surrounded by family and friends. He was 68.

A long-time resident of Skokie, Illinois, Neil graduated from Chicago's Kenwood High School in 1973. He earned a bachelor's degree in civil engineering from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and a master's degree in civil engineering from Oregon State University. After serving in executive positions at several engineering firms including Chicago-based McClier Corp., which eventually merged with infrastructure consulting firm AECOM, Neil spent 16 years working in top management positions for AECOM at O'Hare. He was widely respected and beloved by his longtime colleagues and became known for his mentorship of young engineers.

"The city of Chicago owes you a big thank you for all you have done to make our airports the envy of the world," Jamie Rhee, the commissioner for the Chicago Department of Aviation, told Neil recently. "Your contributions will always be felt by millions of travelers who go through our airports every year."

On a recent visit to Neil, his colleague Megha Patel told him, "You are such an incredible mentor to me. You were a strong team leader, and in times of chaos, you knew what was most important and what noise to disregard."

Neil was predeceased by his father, Niranjan Parikh, a research scientist at the Illinois Institute of Technology who inspired his son's interest in engineering. Neil's children, Grace and Gordon, then followed in Neil's footsteps, both pursuing careers in engineering and the sciences.

Born on April 28, 1956, Neil grew up in Chicago's Hyde Park neighborhood and spent his summers at Camp Martin Johnson, a YMCA camp in Ludington, Michigan, which became a defining time in his life. It is where he grew to love the outdoors, learned to canoe and taught canoeing, developed his leadership skills as a camp counselor and made many lifelong friends, including Barbara Hanson - who became his wife and Neil's loving and adventurous companion of nearly 40 years.

From an early age, Neil was fascinated by travel and different cultures. His mother Jean's family was from a small farming community in central Vermont, while his father was from India, so Neil's childhood vacations alternated between road trips to rural Vermont and long-distance journeys to Bombay. At just one and a half years old, Neil boarded the Queen Mary with his parents on a voyage to England and then India, where they stayed for two years until returning to the U.S.

Later, Neil, Barb, Grace and Gordon, would all pile in their minivan for regular summer road trips to the East Coast, the West Coast and Canada. And with Barb's background as a linguist and high-school Spanish teacher, the family also enjoyed travel to Mexico and Costa Rica.

Grace, who now teaches wildlife ecology at New Mexico State University, recalls one favorite road trip, "A Big Western Loop," that the Parikh family took in 2002 when she was just shy of 14. Highlights on their itinerary included Custer State Park and The Badlands of South Dakota, Yellowstone and Glacier national parks and, at Neil's request, the ghost towns near Butte, Montana.

Gordon, now a software engineer in Minneapolis, also treasures the solo trips he took with his dad. Every spring break from the time Gordon was in seventh grade until he graduated from high school, he and Neil would fly to Las Vegas and drive from there to places like the Grand Canyon and Zion and Arches national parks in Utah.

Steady, easygoing and loyal, Neil made many lifelong friends with whom he stayed in touch even as they dispersed around the country. Frequent visitors were welcome at the Parikh house in Skokie, where Neil and Barb would whip up a spicy Asian fusion lunch or an international feast for dinner. Family and home were the center of their full lives.

Inspired by his mother's love of learning and culture, Neil was an avid reader of history and a collector of music, old movies and classic comedy. He was also a master of DIY projects, building tables and shelves to house his extensive collection of books and media.

He quietly shared of himself, making custom mix tapes for friends and family, showing up for others without being asked, or slipping into the kitchen to do the dishes at the end of a dinner party. Underneath his quiet exterior he had a sly sense of humor and always appreciated a good pun or silly joke. A devoted animal lover, Neil often spent Saturday mornings watching cartoons with a cat or two by his side.

The family would like to express gratitude to Neil's many friends and colleagues who were a constant source of support throughout his life and illness. You meant everything to him and your presence in his life has meant everything to all of us. Neil's final days were full of visitors and well-wishers letting him know how much they loved and admired him. It was a soft and beautiful landing for a kind and gentle soul who will live on in the many lives he touched.

Neil is survived by his wife, Barbara; daughter, Grace Parikh (Daniel Jamison) son, Gordon Parikh (Veronica Richfield); mother, Jean Parikh; brother, Alan Parikh (Lisa Rouff); and sister, Sara Parikh (Scott Baker).

Visitation will be held from 4 to 7 pm Thursday January 23 through Monday January 27 at the family home. Contact Grace, Gordon, or Barbara for further details. If bringing food, the family requests no meat in observation of Hindu bereavement rituals.

A memorial service is being planned for spring 2025. Plans will be announced at a later date.

A scholarship for underprivileged students has been established in his name at the College of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Donations can be made at https://uif.uillinois.edu/. Click on the Give Now Box, select UIUC, then select "Other" for Designation and type in Neil A. Parikh Scholarship Fund. Gifts can be one time or recurring annually for up to five years. Gifts may also be made via check payable to University of Illinois Foundation, designating the Neil A. Parikh Scholarship Fund in the memo line, and sent to University of Illinois Foundation, P.O. Box 734500, Chicago, IL 60673-4500.