Ashok Gokani lived 74 years of a full life before bravely closing his eyes in a room full of love, as he held the hands of his wife, daughter, and son. We will miss him, as will many others, including his extensive family in India, Canada, USA, and the UK, and his friends and colleagues here in Canada.

Ashok was born in Gujarat, India, where he spent the first two decades of his life before travelling through Africa and ultimately settling in Canada in 1976 at the age of 28. In 1980, he married his wife, Bharti Gokani (born Budhdev), with whom he had 42 years of marriage and two kids – a son, Ravi Gokani, and a daughter, Mamta Gokani. In 2019 he had the privilege of walking his daughter down the aisle and welcoming his son-in-law, Jonathan Paletta, into the family. And in 2022, he met his first grandchild, Domenico Paletta.

Ashok was the type of person who brought people together, often serving as a mediator of family quarrels and bridging divides. He was a free spirit who sought to get as much out of his life as possible. He disliked school but loved learning, so after completing a bachelor’s degree in commerce, he dropped out of law school but continued to learn about politics, religion, history throughout his life. He loved all of the wonderful pleasures that life brings – music, food, drink, laughter – often seeking to enjoy them with the people he loved most.

Someone once said that people don’t really die until we have forgotten them. And Ashok won’t easily be forgotten. Indeed, he lives on in the hearts and minds of many people. In his wife, he lives on in memories, formed over 42 years of marriage. In his daughter, he lives on in a natural desire to look after the people around him. In his son, he lives on in a boundless curiosity. And like these three, there are many, many other examples of the positive impressions Ashok made over 74 years.

Funeral Arrangements have been entrusted to Bay Gardens Funeral Home. Visitation and Funeral Service will be held at Bay Gardens Funeral Home, 1010 Botanical Drive, Burlington, on Monday October 17th, 2022, from 10:30 a.m. till 1 p.m.