Dr. Shahil M. Patel, MD sadly passed away suddenly and unexpectedly on October 13, 2020, at the age of 46. Shahil was born on July 14, 1974 at Vassar Brothers Hospital in Poughkeepsie, NY. He was the youngest of three siblings and adored by his mother with whom he shared a special bond. He was loved by his friends who found a brother in him and fondly referred to him as “Sal or Shaq”.
After completing high school in North Carolina, he began his undergrad studies at UNC Chapel Hill. As a brilliant scholar he went on to receive both a PharmD (Doctor of Pharmacy degree) and a MD (Doctorate in Medicine) and completed his residency in General Psychiatry from Brooklyn, NY. He was beloved by colleagues and patients alike and was a passionate patient advocate.
Shahil was an extremely generous person. He was an inspiration for others around him to be the same way. He was very sensitive, extremely genuine and had high ethical and moral values. His ambition was to always do better in life and be a productive citizen.
Shahil's honesty and passion for his profession was unparalleled. He worked as a well-respected and loved psychiatrist in various states around the country which included Whiting Forensic Division in Connecticut, the VA hospital in Wyoming where he owned his own physician staffing company, the Correctional system in Vacaville and Salinas Valley in Northern California, Department of Correctional and Rehabilitation in San Diego and the Forensic State hospital in Southern California. Be it the severely mentally ill patients in Upstate New York or the sex offender patients in Southern California, he made sure his patients got the best care. He fought his way with the bureaucracy or politics that came as a barrier .
Shahil was a globe trotter and he loved the royal flying experience on Emirates First Class. He traveled all around the world with his life partner, Soumya over the last decade. His most favorite destination was St. Maarten where he lived for two years and would return yearly with his closest friends. During this recent pandemic times of Covid-19 when he could not travel, his favorite hobby was to watch Hogan's heroes, Million dollar listing, Los Angeles and various International food channels.
He would love to cook which would bring back the fond memories of his mother Late Jayaben Patel whom he loved dearly. Over the years he had perfected many recipes and would delight friends and family with delightful dinner meals. His dream was to build a house in the 'Bird Streets' area of Los Angeles one day and be a very successful businessman following his grandfather's footsteps. Shahil's love for dogs continued since his childhood and he was looking to get a dog as it would remind him of 'Jesse'. His favorite movies included Trading Places, Cheech & Chong, Bad Santa and Trains, Planes & Automobiles. He was very passionate about cars and loved his Maseratis! During his spare time he would spend hours on the internet looking for his next dream car.
Shahil was an avid monopoly player and a great skier. His love for snow and desire for skiing prompted him to move to the East Coast where he wanted to rekindle his childhood memories with his beloved brother Late Dr.Vijay Patel.
His empathy and compassion towards his wide range of friends from all walks of life made him extra special and he could go to any extent to provide the right level of support for them in times of need. His optimistic nature to win all struggles and live his dream 'life of a king' was a role-model to many around him.
He is survived by his father Manubhai Patel, stepmother Kokila Patel, sister Raksha Patel, life partner Dr. Soumyadipta Hazra, his childhood buddies/brothers Gurinder Rathore aka GMan and Dr. Varinder Rathore aka Vindi, sister-in-law Tove Moore, and his beloved penguins and travel partners Pusth and Bosco.
He was a gentle soul and had a heart of gold, going to all lengths to help family and friends. He will be deeply missed by all that knew him.
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