It is with profound sadness that we convey news of the passing of Dr Sarla Patel.  Dr. Sarla Patel, 78, of Shrewsbury, died Wednesday, April 11, 2012 at home, following an extended struggle with Pulmonary Fibrosis.

She leaves her beloved husband, Choudhary Balwan Singh Patel; her two loving daughters, Sangeeta Doshi and her husband Nilesh, and Noopur Kapadia and her husband Anand; her four sisters, Santosh Arora, Neena Sawe, Veena Khanna and Rita Joshi; her brother, Sanjay Khanna; her grandchildren, Shailen, Vishal, Kabir, Shaan, Rana, Aashna , Jai, Palbha , Sureena, Rohin, and Riddhima; her nephews and nieces, Neha, Sameer, Shraddha, Shruti, Aastha, and Aakansha. She was born in Quetta, India in 1934, daughter of the late Prakash N. and Raj Khanna.

Dr. Patel worked for 27 years with the Department of Mental Health at the Worcester State Hospital, and the UMass Medical School, Worcester, where she retired as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry until her retirement in 2001. Prior to coming to the United States in 1968, Dr. Patel specialized in the field of Obstetrics and Gynecology in India. She enjoyed gardening, reading in disciplines of philosophy and spirituality, travelling, the ocean, and nature. Most of all she loved spending time with her family and especially her grandchildren.

She was a longtime member of the India Society of Worcester, where she served as a member and chairperson of its crisis intervention committee. She also served for several years as co-chair of the "Humrahee" sub-committee, the senior citizens group, and worked in the area of domestic violence.

A cremation service will be held on Friday, April 13th, promptly at 11 AM in the Ellen Rogers Chapel of the Rural Cemetery Crematory, 180 Grove Street, Worcester. A memorial service honoring Dr. Patel's life will be held on Saturday, April 14th at 10:30 AM at the India Society of Worcester (www.iswonline.org), 152 Main Street, Shrewsbury.

In lieu of flowers, memorials remembrances may be sent to

• The Perkins School for the Blind (www.perkins.org),
  175 North Beacon Street, Watertown, MA 02472
  or to the
• Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation (www.pulmonaryfibrosis.org),
  811 West Evergreen Ave., Suite 204, Chicago, IL 60642.