a resident of Little Italy, in San Diego, California, previously from Elmont, New York, passed away on Tuesday November 24, 2020. Born August 13, 1969 in New Delhi, India, he was the only beloved son of the late Jacob Uralil and Annakutty Jacob Uralil. Berchman immigrated to the United States in 1977 at the age of seven. He was raised in New York, a native New Yorker, until he relocated to California in 2000. He lived in Los Angeles, CA from 2000-2010, and then moved to sunny San Diego, CA, enjoying downtown living in Little Italy, until his passing in November 2020. He was lovingly referred to as the “mayor” of San Diego by friends and family, for his love of giving walking tours of downtown and welcoming out of town visitors with open arms.
He graduated from Elmont Memorial High School in 1989 in Elmont, NY and received his bachelor’s degree in Finance from Saint John’s University in 1992 located in Queens, NY. During his college years, Berchman was an active brother in The Pi Lambda Phi fraternity. He was employed in financial real estate positions in both New York and California. Joby, as he was commonly referred by, is survived by three sisters, Elizabeth Jaya Jacob-Kahn (Solomon Kahn), Annie Jincy Sanque (Richie Sanque), and Julie Ann Bellavia (Michael Bellavia). He was a beloved Uncle or “Chacha” to Anjali and Deena Kahn and Willow Sanque. He also adored his two goddaughters, Anjali Kahn and Isabelle Raju.
Fondly called “Joby Chacha”, Berchman is also survived by many cousins from both the Arackal (maternal) and Uralil (paternal) families, who he loved like siblings. He had a special connection to his maternal grandfather the late Kurian Arackal, who fought in WWII. Berchman emulated his grandfather’s, or beloved “Appachen’s”, familial values and loved his aunts as second moms and his cousins as brothers and sisters. His family values also extended to so many others by the way he opened up his heart and home to friends and family with his motto of “mi casa es su casa”. Berchman had friends literally all around the world, who he treated as family. He had an infectious smile, laugh, and generous heart which touched the lives of everyone he met. He will be deeply missed by all of his family and friends. Let’s make a toast in honor of Joby who always lived life to the fullest. The funeral will be private, at the convenience of the family. Due to California CoVID-19 restrictions, the family is requesting that their wishes be respected during this difficult time. A special celebration of Berchman’s life will be held at a future date to honor his love of life and his dedication to family and friends. Flowers can be sent to: The MERKLEY-MITCHELL MORTUARY 3655 5th AVENUE, SAN DIEGO, CA 92103 by Tuesday December 1, 2020.
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