Kunja Jitendra Pathak

Dr. Kunja Jitendra Pathak, born Kunjbalaben Chandubhai Patel, passed away peacefully on April 22, 2025, at the age of 85. She was born in Baroda, Gujarat, India, on April 13, 1940, and lived a life defined by courage, compassion, and deep devotion to her family and faith.
Kunja was raised in a traditional Baroda household, the third child of Chandubhai and Shantaben Patel. Growing up, Kunja was very close to her three sisters, and she followed her older sister to medical school. While at Baroda Medical College, M.S. University, Kunja's journey took a bold turn when she met, and later married, Dr. Jitendra Pathak, a joyful, charismatic man who would become the love of her life. Only a few years later, she crossed the world to marry Jitendra, who had recently moved to the United States to continue his medical training. Kunja completed her Obstetrics and Gynecology (OB-GYN) residency at Bridgeport Hospital in Bridgeport, Connecticut, an affiliate of Yale University School of Medicine.
Together, Kunja and Jitendra (or "Dr. K and Dr. J" as they were known in their community) built a thriving practice in Russellville, Kentucky. Their partnership, perseverance, and love touched the lives of countless individuals in their adopted southern town. Like her husband, Kunja was a gifted physician. She practiced as an OB-GYN for over 30 years, delivering hundreds of babies and providing exceptional care to the women of Russellville.
Kunja balanced her professional life with her role as a devoted wife and mother. She worked long hours as a physician, but she is remembered most by her children as a mother who made time for her family. She always came in the door prepared to make two meals: a traditional Indian meal for herself and Jitendra, and, often, the American dishes her children asked for-perfecting enchiladas and broccoli casserole and sloppy joes over the years. Her delicious meals were legendary, and one of the many ways she nurtured her family.
Kunja and Jitendra created a home in their small town, but they also traveled the world with their loved ones and friends. Often returning with their children to visit family in Gujarat, they also explored the world together. From Morocco, Africa, and Europe to Vietnam, China, Bali, Australia, and New Zealand, Kunja and Jitendra embraced each journey as a chance to grow closer with family and friends and learn different cultures.
In her later years, Kunja loved Indian movies and never missed an episode of the evening news and Wheel of Fortune. She filled her home with the sounds of classical Indian music. She was an avid reader, and she cherished her phone calls with her sisters in India as well as her many friends from her years in the US. Throughout her life, she enjoyed going to casinos with her husband and family, and her grandchildren knew that she was always ready to take them to play games at Dave and Buster's. Kunja took up crocheting, learning the craft from a dear friend and continuing her journey through YouTube tutorials-becoming the most tech-savvy octogenarian her family knew. Her creativity and curiosity never faded. A devout Hindu, Kunja prayed daily and filled her home with the calming scent of incense-a quiet and sacred rhythm that grounded her and those around her. She also shared a close bond with many younger women who came to think of her as a second mother, full of advice, wisdom and love, including her nieces in America and her caretakers over the last eight years, Ana and Lila, who became treasured parts of her heart and home in her final years.
To know Dr. K or Nanima or Neema, as she was affectionately called by friends and her grandchildren, was to know love. Family was her foundation, her highest value, and her greatest joy. Her face would light up when she spoke of her children, her grandchildren, and her beloved husband. She was a storyteller full of wisdom, humor, and gratitude. When recounting the difficult days of adjusting to life in a new country, she spoke not with bitterness, but with deep thankfulness-for the life she had built and the opportunities she and Jitendra created for themselves and their family. She was a deep listener and a humble person-never seeking credit, never acting for recognition, but always acting out of love for her family and her loved ones. Her belief in education and her encouragement of others' success were constant. She reminded those around her of their intelligence, their worth, and their potential.
Kunja is survived by her son, Dr. Aman Pathak, daughter-in-law, Dr. Kelley Evans, grandsons, Kiran Douglas Pathak and Roan Evans Pathak, of Wilmington, NC, and her daughter, Anar Pathak, son-in-law, John Glassley, and their children, John Ashwin Pathak Glassley and Raiva Jain Pathak Glassley of Burke, VA. She is also survived by several siblings, Dr. Kokila Patel, Hema Patel, and Ankil Patel, and many extended family members, cousins, nieces and nephews whom she held close to her heart. She was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Dr. Jitendra Pathak. The two were married on April 26, 1969, and shared a life filled with love, faith, and mutual respect.
Kunja was a generous, loving, intelligent, and compassionate woman. Her legacy is one of quiet strength, humble service, fierce devotion, and joy shared through laughter, faith, food, and unconditional love. To be around her was a gift. She will be deeply missed-and always remembered.