Monticello business leader passes away

Nalin (Nick) Patel, a beloved Monticello community member for the past 32 years, passed away at a hospital near his home in India on March 2, 2015.
Patel and Rama Patel moved to Monticello from Fiji in 1982. They raised a family of two children and built a family of businesses, including motels, that extended far beyond the community.
He even built a new home near a motel he owned in Cedar City, but he determined that Monticello was his real home and he never wanted to leave.
Despite his attempts to remain anonymous, Nick was well known throughout the area for his charity and support for community projects.
Nick was named Monticello Citizen of the Year and received well-earned honors for his work.
Nick and Rama recently bought a modern home in India, as it was always his dream to have a home to visit in India for a couple of months a year.
He left Monticello on December 28, 2014 and finished all construction on his home in India just ten days before he fell ill. An ulcer in his stomach burst and caused an infection in his blood stream. After being hospitalized, he slipped into a coma and passed away.
Patel was cremated in a Hindu temple following a funeral in his new home. His children, Hetal and Deepash, participated via Skype.