Obituary - Dr. Nitin Jesingbhai Shah

Nitin Shah passed away at the age of 77 years on August 29, 2024 at Henrico Doctors’ Hospital - Forest in Richmond, VA after a long struggle with pulmonary hypertension and fibrosis.

Nitin was born October 29, 1946 in Sabarmati, Ahmedabad, India to Jesingbhai and Shardaben Shah. The youngest of three children, he earned his bachelor’s degree in engineering at L.D. College of Engineering. Nitin came to the United States and earned his Masters and Doctorate in Mechanical Engineering from North Carolina State University. He later earned his MBA from Old Dominion University as well. He and Suhasini Shah married in 1975 and began a lovely, lifelong journey raising two children and establishing a beautiful life in the United States. Nitin was a devoted son, brother, husband, father, grandfather, and friend who touched many lives during his lifetime.

If you ask Nitin’s family and many friends to pick one word to describe him, overwhelmingly, they would say he was kind. Nitin was one of the kindest people you will ever meet. He always had time for those who needed him, and he loved to tell jokes and make people smile.

He had the heart of a teacher, volunteering for several years, over his lunch hours, to coach middle-school students at Tuckahoe Middle School on the MathCounts Team. He also coached a high school robotics team and other science-related competition teams. When his friends expressed a desire to learn to play bridge, he organized bridge groups to teach them. They affectionately called him “Guruji.” He helped those in need by volunteering for Meals on Wheels and completing tax returns on a voluntary basis through the AARP.

Nitin lived in Richmond for 35 years. He was an active member of both the Jain and Hindu communities throughout these years, assisting both the Hindu temple and the Jain temple whenever help was needed.

In addition to volunteering his time, he supported both of these communities, as well as many nonprofit organizations, monetarily. He was a strong supporter of No Kid Hungry, Habitat for Humanity, Doctors without Borders, and St. Jude’s Hospital.

Nitin was intellectually curious. He noticed everything, wanting to know how things worked, developing solutions to common problems, and creating new inventions. He enjoyed engaging in conversations that led to new learning and understanding. In particular, he loved chess, mathematics, pool, bridge and anything mechanical.

Nitin is survived by his wife, Suhasini; daughter, Vaishali; son and daughter-in-law, Sunit and Goeun; granddaughter, Kirsi; and brother, Arvind.

A Memorial Service will be held Friday, September 6, 2024 at 11:00 a.m. at Woody Funeral Home-Parham at 1771 N Parham Rd., with a private cremation to follow.