family and the inevitable Indian food. He was born in Delhi to Harpiyari and Girraj Prakash and
he was the eldest son of seven children. Due to the nature of his father’s work they moved
around India before setting in the Pink City of Jaipur. During his time in India, he played cricket,
often in the streets with his friends. One day he was able to convince a maharaja to play on his
polo grounds. Vijai achieved a BSc. in Geology at the Hindu University in Benares and then
obtained a BSc. in Mechanical Engineering at Durham University in the north of England where
he met Moira Smith at a dance in Sunderland. Much to the chagrin of both sides of the family,
true love ensued and they were married in 1964. Clearly proving everyone wrong about the
pitfalls of an interracial marriage in the 1960s, the marriage endured over three continents and
over five decades. After a brief return to India, Vijai and Moira settled in Scotland in 1968 with
their growing family. Their three children, Seema, Simon and Sonia grew up there before Vijai
was recruited to Storage Tek in 1982, a career move he felt he needed to take even though the
family had a good life in Scotland. Vijai then went to Bell Labs and ended his working life at
Lucent after the birth of his first grandchild gave him the perfect excuse to take early retirement.
Vijai in his youth was a university champion badminton player and in Scotland, naturally, he took
up golf which he continued to play in Boulder. His wife forced him to swim and ski, the latter he
loathed but he would do anything for Moira. He loved hiking with Moira up near their condo in
Frisco, traveling with her around Europe and frequently returned to India to see his family there
and be feted as only the eldest son can be. In his retirement years he loved to spend time with
his grandchildren, Olivia, Iain, Simon, Sophia and Sydney and was, of great support when his
grandson, Iain, was diagnosed with Pulmonary Hypertension. Vijai leaves bereft his wife of 54
years, Moira, his children and their spouses, Seema and John Hess, Simon and Heather
Prakash and Sonia and Kurt Brocko. His clever, dry humour and the unwavering love he had for
his family will be sorely missed.
A Celebration of Life will be held at Crist Mortuary on 22nd September, at 10 am. The family
request that in lieu of flowers donations be made to the Alzheimer’s Association or the
Pulmonary Hypertension Association.
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