Natvarlal Prahladas Patel, 86, passed away on October 28, 2026, at his home in Columbus, Georgia surrounded by family and loved ones.

Born on May 12, 1940, in Thol, Gujarat, India, Natvarlal was the oldest child of eight. In addition to being a devoted father, sibling, and friend, Natvarlal dedicated his life to faith and education and taught many more to do the same. While working as a teacher and raising a family, he received his BA and MA. He believed in karma yoga and wrote a book on the Bhagavad Gita.

He married Savitaben Natvarlal Patel at the age of 19. They were happily married for 64 years. They both enjoyed traveling the world and took immense pride in raising a big, beautiful family after immigrating to the U.S.

He is preceded in death by his late wife, Savita Natvarlal Patel. He is survived by his three children Vijay Patel (Nilesha Patel), Kamlesh Patel (Nandini Patel), and Malti Patel (Dinesh Patel), his five grandchildren Mansi Patel (Mihir Patel), Ekta Patel (Nishant Babaria), Akash Patel, Arnav Patel (Lilly Miles-Patel), and Anjali Patel (Ashwin Thiruppathi), and two great-grandchildren Meera Babaria and Mohit Patel.

A funeral will be held on Friday, October 30, 2026, 9:30am at McMullen Funeral Home in Columbus, Georgia.

Natvarlal’s presence will be dearly missed by all whose lives he touched. He will be forever remembered and loved.

In lieu of sending flowers, please consider donating to Muni Seva Ashram, a cause dear to Natvarlal’s heart that provides relief and humanitarian services those in need in India. The link to donate is Donate | Green Ashram (https://www.greenashram.org/donate).