Raj Kumari Mehta's Obituary
Raj Kumari Mehta was born on Saturday January 26, 1929 in what is now Pakistan to a family that dreamt in mathematics and idolized literature. She and her family were fortunate enough to survive the partition in 1947 and moved to Delhi with the help of family members in the army. Raj pursued a career in education just like her father, whom she deeply adored, and completed her Bachelor of Teaching at Shimla and Master of Arts in English Literature. Against social norms, she married in her mid-late 20s to a handsome man named Inder Prakesh Mehta and they raised 2 kids - Anita and Sunil- primarily in Bombay. Although she and her husband were considered middle-class, Raj firmly believed in doing whatever it takes to educate her children thoroughly because she wanted them to achieve their highest potential. She was a multitasking mom who worked as a college professor, helped her kids with homework and exam preparation, diligently made sure meals were served on time and ran the household finances as well. She enjoyed the simple things in life such as dissecting the lyrics of KL Saigal’s Jab dil hi toot gaya ji ke kya karegi, singing, knitting, and believed in the Arya Samaj movement (no ritual or idol worshipping). In her mid 50s, she and the whole family eventually moved to California with the great help of her sister’s family. Even throughout her retirement, Raj always valued independence, diplomacy and did not want to be a burden to anyone. She helped her children and grandchildren gain stability in their lives by giving them the support and care to start their family and careers. Raj Kumari passed away Monday, November 8, 2021 at the age of 92.75 years but the principles, philosophies and achievements she left her family and friends with are eternal.
All the world’s a stage,
And all the men and women merely players;
They have their exits and their entrances;
And one man in his time plays many parts,
His acts being seven ages....
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