Kanaiyalal Ramanlal Shah

Kanaiyalal Ramanlal Shah was born October 5th, 1939 in the town of Bhaner, Gujarat, India, toRamanlal Shankarlal Shah and Muliben Ramanlal Shah (née Muliben Choksi). He was the fourthof six children, growing up with brothers Kantilal, Pramodhray, Rameshchandra, Govindlal andsister Dhanalakshmi. He was, as a child, known as intelligent, spirited and energetic. He excelledin the classroom, and also in sports, captaining his high school volleyball team to the GujaratState championship. His competitive spirit defined his life. His name is found today on his highschool’s honor board, recognizing him as the top scorer on the all-India college entranceexamination.

Kanu, as he was known to family and friends, began his university education at the University ofBaroda, India, receiving in 1961 his Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, and then atGujarat University, India, completing his Master’s in Electrical Machines in 1963. He found hislifelong partner in Dakshaben Jayantilal Shah, known familiarly as Daksha. Both of their fatherswere teachers in the same school. They married on January 20, 1964. He emigrated to Americathat same year, starting first at the University of Missouri, in Rolla, Missouri, where hecompleted another Master’s in Electrical Engineering in 1965. Daksha joined him in 1966. Kanuand Daksha moved to Lexington, Virginia, in 1967. In this Shenandoah Valley town, Kanu servedon the Electrical Engineering faculty at the Virginia Military Institute. In 1968, their first of threesons, Udayan Kanaiyalal Shah, was born. Kanu then earned his PhD in Electrical Engineering atthe University of Missouri, Columbia in 1969. The family moved to Blacksburg, Virginia in 1969,so that Kanu could teach at Virginia Polytechnic Institute. Southern California was their homefrom 1971-1973 where Kanu engaged in projects at the Hughes Research Laboratories, beforeowning their first home on S. Wisner Avenue, in Jackson, Michigan. In Jackson, Kanu managedthe Section on Special Studies and R&D at the Gilbert Commonwealth Companies. In Jackson,sons Shreedhar Kanaiyalal Shah and Rahul Kanaiyalal Shah were born, in 1973 and in 1975,respectively.

It was into this 1300 square foot home, in Jackson, that arrived the first of the many familymembers Kanu and Daksha sponsored to come to America. Over the next five decades, theirlove, guidance and inspiration would grow the extended Shah family in this new world ofopportunity and freedom. It was in the basement of this home, in 1977, that Kanu started Shah& Associates, Inc. (S&A). Just as the family outgrew S. Wisner Avenue, so too the companyoutgrew the basement of this modest home. In 1978, they moved to their current home inGaithersburg, Maryland. Gaithersburg allowed for proximity to the corporate and governmentclients S&A was serving, and, from Daksha’s perspective, had much warmer weather than theirother option, Chicago, Illinois. The home and company in Gaithersburg became the launchingpads for the nuclear as well as the extended Shah family, as our trajectories extended far fromthe east coast. Kanu remained a touchpoint throughout for generations of the Shah family, andfor others. His example, and courage, were and remain sources of sustenance for those hetouched.

Kanu not only transformed the Shah family: his work through S&A brought safer and moreefficient electrical systems to millions of people in the United States, and globally. His nationaland international professional reputation was established through novel approaches to ensuringsafety in electrical power transmission and distribution. He served to protect communities,companies, countries, and our state and federal governments, as well as our military. S&Areceived numerous awards for “industry firsts” as well as for their designs. His technicalexpertise was recognized through invited presentations and award-winning papers, and througha patent for a unique UV lighting power system. He was regarded by courts as a premier expertwitness in electrical safety injury lawsuits. He started a series of “short-courses” that becamelegendary as the place for professionals to learn power engineering from the expert, Kanu Shah.He served as professor and lecturer at the Ohio State University, and George WashingtonUniversity, among others. He was a Senior Member of the Institute of Electrical and ElectronicsEngineers. He was so proud that his middle son, Shreedhar, helped him grow S&A to a topnational engineering consulting firm, before departing to launch his own successful powersolutions firm.

Kanu’s commitment to changing the world extended beyond his family and company, into thebroader world. He regarded education as the most important ingredient for a person’s success.At his birth in the small town of Bhaner, Gujarat, there was neither early childhood nor highschool education: students walked, or were transported, to other towns for schooling. Toremedy this deficit, in 2005, he built and endowed the Dr. K.R. Shah Higher Secondary Schooland the Smt. D.K. Shah Primary School. Through his generosity and vision, students in Bhanertoday can matriculate into college, whence they are further supported through Kanu’s gift tocomplete four-year degrees. Today there are 350 students in each school. To date, forty womenand men have gone onto college, and so far there have been 15 who have graduated fromcollege.

Kanaiyalal R. Shah passed away in the early morning hours of December 6th, 2023 in Gaithersburg, Maryland.

His beloved wife, Daksha, survives him, as do his children Udayan, Shreedhar (Sonal), and Rahul (Banu). He is also survived by grandchildren, Henry, Silas, Nishrin, Devani, Sanjay and Amir, as well as by brother Govindlal, sister Dhanalakshmi, and by Jessica Riviere, Henry’s and Silas’mother.

He would have wanted us to remember, and celebrate, that he led a beautiful life, full of love,accomplishment, success and service. He would want to remind us that we are blessed to haveour health and our talents. He would insist that we use these gifts to help other people. And hewould challenge us to leave the world a better place than we found it, as he did throughout hislife, through his inspirational words, and his tireless deeds.

Kanaiyalal R. Shah’s Viewing and Funeral will be on Friday, December 15th, 2023, from 9:00 AMto 11:00 AM, at the DeVol Funeral Home, 10 East Deer Park Dr., Gaithersburg, Maryland. Therewill be a reception at Lakewood Country Club, 13901 Glen Mills Road, Rockville, Maryland, from11:30 AM to 2:30 PM.

For those that cannot attend, the service will be live-streamed here:https://youtube.com/live/0lwwvu604yM?feature=share

In lieu of flowers, for those who wish to recognize his life through a gift, please do so bycontributing to an educational not-for-profit charity of your choice.