Kirit Bakshi

In Memory Of
Kirit Bakshi
November 15, 1943 - April 18th, 2024
Kirit Bakshi age 80 of West Bloomfield, Michigan passed away on April 18th, 2024. Kirit was born in Sholapur, India on November 15th, 1943 to Padmakanth and Kusum. He studied Electrical Engineering at Ferguson college in Pune and received a Masters in computer engineering in Fargo, North Dakota.
Kirit Bakshi married Pratima Mehta on August 7th, 1966 in Mumbai, India. He settled in the Detroit area in the late 60's and made Michigan his home. In the decades that followed, he started businesses, he had his son Monish, and built a vast community of family and friends.
Kirit Bakshi had many professional achievements: entrepreneur, engineer, brought the first IBM PC to India, wrote political cartoons, successfully represented himself in a legal case in front of the Michigan Supreme court, but his proudest achievement was his family and friends. Kirit and Pratima had a wonderful love story, married for 57 years, and dated for five years in a time in India when dating was rare. Kirit and Pratima were always there for each other throughout life's blessings and storms. Witnessing Pratima's devotion in the last very difficult 7 months of Kirit's life is a testament to their enduring love.
Kirit was a wonderful father to Monish, a shining example to guide Monish through his own journey into fatherhood. Kirit so loved being a dad. The only thing he loved more, was being a granddad to his "sweetheart" Sofia. Seeing Monish's life come together when he met Urvi was one of the greatest blessings of Kirit's life.
Kirit believed in the American dream and believed the greatest gift you could give someone is the opportunity to build a life in the United States. He founded several businesses and through those businesses gave opportunities to countless people to follow their own version of the American dream. Kirit Bakshi was most proud of his family and the people he helped bring to the United States. That is Kirit's legacy, the love in the people he left behind. That is how he would like to be remembered.
Every time someone passed away, Kirit would say "Let us celebrate". Let us celebrate the person's life and celebrate the times we enjoyed with that person. You can shed a tear that Kirit is gone or you can smile because he lived. You can cry and be sad or do what he would have wished, smile, celebrate and go on. Celebrate his kindness, his gentleness, his wisdom, and celebrate the M&M uncle. The uncle who always carried M&M's to give to children. Nothing made Kirit happier than a smiling child.
The ancient Egyptians believed that you die twice, once when your physical body passes and the 2nd time when everyone who knew and loved you dies. If you are remembered and loved, you are never really gone.
Know that he fought harder than you can ever imagine, defying the odds and doctors as he battled complication after complication. Do not dwell on how he died. It is more important to remember how he lived and what he fought for. Kirit loved the life he built and just wanted more memories with everyone. It was as simple as that. As difficult as the last seven months have been for the Bakshi family, the blessings were how many people showed up for Kirit in a very bleak and dark time. The love and support from family and friends who showed up was profound and touching. The saying is that it "takes a village". Kirit Bakshi's village was large, generous, kind and loving.
It is hard to explain death to a four-year-old. Every day for the last 7 months, Kirit's granddaughter Sofia would pray "Papaji is sick, he is in the hospital, but he is getting better and will come home soon". On April 18, 2024 Sofia said "Papaji is not coming home. Papaji is with God".
In lieu of flowers, please donate to a charity close to Kirit and Pratima's heart:
Hand in Hand USA - www.Handinhandusa.org
Death is nothing at all.
It does not count.
I have only slipped away into the next room.
Nothing has happened.
Everything remains exactly as it was.
I am I, and you are you,
and the old life that we lived so fondly together is untouched, unchanged.
Whatever we were to each other, that we are still.
Call me by the old familiar name.
Speak of me in the easy way which you always used.
Put no difference into your tone.
Wear no forced air of solemnity or sorrow.
Laugh as we always laughed at the little jokes that we enjoyed together.
Play, smile, think of me, pray for me.
Let my name be ever the household word that it always was.
Let it be spoken without an effort, without the ghost of a shadow upon it.
All is well.
Nothing is hurt; nothing is lost.
One brief moment and all will be as it was before.
How we shall laugh at the trouble of parting when we meet again!