Obituary of Ulka Prakash Khare
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Ulka passed away peacefully on Sunday, May 2, 2021.
She leaves behind many dear family members and friends including her devoted husband of over 51 years, Prakash Hari Khare; her daughter, Sharmila in Ottawa; and her son, Shree and her daughter in law Makiko Ashida in England. Her dear sisters in India, Meera, Sanjivini and Rani, will deeply feel the loss of their eldest sister. Kanchan Anusha and Dholu Aakash, who flourished under her grandmotherly love and attention, will miss their Aji tremendously. She also leaves behind many extended family members in India and the United States as well as a large circle of friends in Waterloo.
Ulka’s life was an adventure. She trained as an architect at a time when very few women chose this career. Early in her career, she spent time in Hawaii, training Peace Corps Volunteers in the Marathi language. As a young bride she left her homeland and started a new life in Canada that was full of adventures as she navigated Montreal, Quebec before settling in Waterloo, Ontario. Everyone will remember Ulka for her community service and her unfailing generosity. She was recognized many times for her volunteer work, including as a founding member of Focus for Ethnic Women, a Waterloo based non-profit organization, established to provide opportunities for personal growth and socio-economic advancement for immigrant women and she supported initiatives such as Club 55, a support group for South Asian seniors. She made menstrual hygiene kits with Days of Girls, and through the Waterloo Quilting Guild, she donated many quilts to the Children’s Oncology Unit at Grand River Hospital. She was a very active volunteer in local Hindi and Marathi theatre productions, raising money for local charities.
During the pandemic, she sewed hundreds of masks which were distributed throughout the Waterloo region and in indigenous communities and she took care of her granddaughter for the first three months of the lockdown. As a homemaker, she worked hard to make sure the family home was welcoming to all, inviting everyone to come and stay, share meals and laughter.
Although she was far from relatives in India, she created a beautiful circle of family friends in Waterloo. If she could help you in any way, she would. If she had anything to share that you needed, no questions were asked. Hers was a life of service to others.
The family would like to thank all those who were involved in her care during her final months, not an easy task during pandemic times. We are most grateful to Dr. Louise Vitou for her care and compassion and all the staff in the dialysis unit.
Due to COVID-19 restrictions, a live-streamed Celebration of Life for Ulka will be held on Friday, May 7, 2021, at 1:00 p.m., officiated by Lay Chaplain Susan Patterson from Grand River Unitarian Church. Family and friends are invited to view the livestream and recording of the service at www.erbgood.com
In lieu of flowers, the family would welcome donations in Ulka’s honour to the Grand River Hospital Foundation. Condolences for the family and donations may be arranged by contacting the Erb & Good Family Funeral Home, 171 King St. S., Waterloo at www.erbgood.com or 519-745-8445.
