- Date Of Death: November 9, 2019
- State: Connecticut
Dinesh Shantilal Shah passed away on Saturday, November 9, in Bridgeport, Connecticut. He was the son of Shantilal Manilal Shah and Shantaben Amratlal Shah, husband of Anila, father of Saurin, father-in-law of Sara, and grandfather of Sarina and Priya, and is survived by his brothers, Ramesh and Dilip, and their families.
Dinesh was born in May 1935, in the Nishapole/Zaveriwad area of Ahmedabad, the oldest of 4 children. Dinesh married his neighbor and childhood sweetheart Anila Haji in February 1966 in Ahmedabad. Soon after their marriage, Dinesh left India to pursue his graduate studies in the USA. His son, Saurin, was born in November of that same year. Later Anila and Saurin joined Dinesh in New York City, then moved to New Jersey, and ultimately settled in Fairfield, Connecticut in 1975.
As he was growing up, Dinesh was known to work hard and excel in his academic studies. He came from humble beginnings and credits the Jain Oswal Club of Ahmedabad for not only paying his school fees, but also for giving him the chance to prove himself. He graduated with a Bachelors in Commerce in 1956 from H.L. College of Commerce, Gujarat University, and earned a Chartered Accountant (CA) designation in 1959 – he passed the necessary CA exams on his first try which was a rare feat in those days. Dinesh was among the first 5000 CAs in all of India. He was also among the first to attend a management course sponsored by Harvard Business School in India, and later to receive a full scholarship for an MBA at the State University of New York (Albany).
Upon becoming a CA, Dinesh joined and quickly rose to become the youngest manager of Raipur Mills, a textile company, in Ahmedabad. After completing his MBA, Dinesh joined Price Waterhouse and then International Basic Economy Corporation, an entity founded by Rockefeller Brothers to promote economic development, for a few years each and eventually became a Director of International Taxation at Champion International in Stamford, CT where he served for over 25 years, retiring in 1998.
In his early professional days, when Dinesh was in India, he was affectionately known as “guru” among his friends for his brilliance, ability to teach, offer sage advice, and tireless efforts to help members of his community get jobs and training.
