Arun Kumar

Arun Kumar September 14, 1941 - August 27, 2022 A beloved man, my father, passed away peacefully in his sleep at the age of 82 years old. Mr. Arun Kumar was gifted with good old common sense, compassion for people of all walks of life, keen insight, and the heart of a mean fighter. My Dad loved and embraced challenges. When my father found himself in his 20’s, at the top of his career, and at one of the best companies for his profession in India, he was not satisfied. He talked it over with my mother and sold their things, so that he could book a flight to New York city to begin a new chapter of his life for himself and his family. There he began a several decades journey of grinding away against prejudiced perceptions from others and working tirelessly on his ambitions. He never admitted this outloud, but his family knew that his one true love was his work. He loved work; regularly diving right into his responsibiities and feeling true satisfaction of being task and project oriented. Dad took his role as a husband, father, brother, son, friend, and patriarch dead serious. He committed his whole being and without a flinch, in protecting, providing, and scaffolding the lives of others as much as they would allow. He wove his faith, work ethic, and physical and mental well-being for the sole purpose of doing right by his life and for the life of others. He cared and looked after his family with fervent passion and integrity. For him, his family spanned beyond immediate and extended. He considered his community, as well as his colleagues (new and old) to be family. It was very common to be at a dinner party and witness my father sidling up to a grandchild, niece, nephew, a family friend, or other people’s children to share about the economy, politics, and life decisions. He took care of other people and he was quiet about it. Throughout his life, and up until the very end, he supported the education of several family members and the education of economically disadvantaged children through an Indian non-profit. He helped with costs of weddings and seeded money for businesses for his nieces. He helped out near and distant families that needed long term help with living costs. In the end, his death was the best he could hope for. He had said that he had lived a good life and he was okay in leaving when he did. He held his dignity, by his standards, to the very end. He had a living meditation that spanned over 30 years about dying well, by living well. He worked out, did yoga, prayed, and meditated for three hours a day, everyday, never veering from his routine. He was no floating angel. By his own admittance he could be selfish, vicious, and cold. With that said, even down to the last day of his conscious life, he never gave up on developing and working on himself. His kindness, wisdom, and love lives on in the many lives he touched. He will be missed by many people who consider him their best friend. Arun Kumar is survived by his eternally loving wife Sarita, son Ash, daughter Devika, and two granddaughters Amber and Aria. A celebration of life will be held at the Twin Chapels Mortuary in Vallejo, CA on August 31, 2022.