Nila Mahesh Thakrar

Nila Mahesh Thakrar, age 74, passed away peacefully Wednesday, November 5, 2025, in Wilmette, Illinois. Born November 23, 1950, in Nairobi, Kenya, Nila was the daughter of two adoring parents, Chotalal and Godavari Chandarana, and the 11th child of 12 siblings in a large, loving family.
A lover of nature and literature, Nila relished moments where she could collect leaves to put in her leaf book, observe and appreciate wild giraffes and zebras, and sneak off with her sister to enjoy ice cream at Sno Creme or masala chips at various places. She felt loved most when her sisters would help her get dressed and ready for school, and when her brothers dropped her off at Ngara Secondary School.
An accomplished legal secretary for many years in Nairobi, Nila married her life partner Mahesh Thakrar in Nairobi, before embarking on a big journey to a new country, the US. In Chicago, Nila and Mahesh found themselves most comfortable in the north suburbs of Evanston and Wilmette, building stability and then bringing two children into the world, Subhash and Anjali.
Nila was an amazing and devoted mother to her two children, supporting them through all of their schooling, whisking them off for after school snacks and sports, and enriching their lives with beautiful experiences and wisdom. She was also a soft corner to her siblings, a doting aunt to many nieces and nephews, and a beloved neighbor in her community.
Nila was always a supporter of the underdog and the most vulnerable, forever a lover of animals, and appreciated the best of a new country while always celebrating her homeland. Every chance she got, she shared stories and memories, both of her sweet days in Nairobi and her adventurous days in the US.
She will be remembered for so much, including her kindness, her deep love for family, her humor, her infectious laugh, and her deep well of wisdom.
Om Shanti Shanti Shanti
Visitation and Funeral Service, Sunday, November 9, 2025, from 9:30 a.m. to 12 noon, at HABEN Funeral Home & Crematory, 8057 Niles Center Rd., Skokie, with cremation immediately following.
Please Note - To view livestream of services, please scroll down to the Watch Event button in the services box below Nila's obituary.
Mom dearly loved animals and was a supporter of conservation efforts for animal wildlife in her home country of Kenya. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Mount Kenya Wildlife Conservancy (mountkenyawildlifeconservancy.org).
Funeral info: 847.673.6111 or habenfuneral.com to leave a condolence message.