Funeral Details

Shakuntala Swami, 82, of Buffalo Grove, IL, passed away on September 9th, 2026. She was born in November 1943 in Nar, Gujarat, India, to parents Govindbhai and Shantaben Patel. She grew up in Gujarat and went on to earn a Master of Arts with a focus in Commerce from St. Xavier's College in Ahmedabad, Gujarat — a remarkable achievement for a woman of her generation, and a reflection of the sharp mind and determination that would define her entire life.
In 1967, she married the late Girish Swami, and together they built a life and a family rooted in love and resilience. In 1979, she moved to Deerfield, IL to create a new life with Girish and her three daughters, Deval, Krupal, and Rachana, who became the center of her world. She worked for the TJX Companies for almost 38 years making life-long friends at Marshalls.
Although the family faced significant challenges over the years, through her example, all three girls learned strength, perseverance, resiliency and compassion, characteristics she also instilled in her grandchildren. She loved cooking for friends and family, cherished the 10 minutes she used to get with the grandkids during school pick-up, she learned how to use technology so she could stay connected to friends and family all over the world. She enjoyed family dinners and family FaceTime calls every Wednesday and Sunday evening. She cherished family vacations filled with so much laughter and so many memories made, enjoyed an occasional margarita and became a connoisseur of ice cream.
Shakuntala's life was marked by extraordinary loss, met at every turn with extraordinary strength. She lost both of her parents at a young age, faced the heartbreak of losing her husband, Girish, and grieved deeply for her younger sister. When she was diagnosed with breast cancer, she fought it with the same fierce determination that had carried her through every hardship before; and she won. She never let life's blows soften her into someone quiet or resigned; if anything, they only revealed how tough she truly was. She spoke her mind, never asked for pity, was kind to everyone and carried herself with a strength that was impossible to miss.
Shakuntala is survived by her children and grandchildren, including Deval Clearwater, and children Jules (husband, Collin Sanders), Jessica, and Nicholas; Krupal Swami; and Rachana Parrish, her husband Chad Parrish, and their son Jaden Parrish. Her legacy of compassion, strength and kindness will live on through all of them. She was preceded in death by her husband, Girish Swami, her parents Govindbhai and Santaben Patel, and her younger sister Swati Patel.
Service Information
Chicago Jewish Funerals, 195 North Buffalo Grove Road, Buffalo Grove, IL 60089
Sunday, September 13, 2026
Visitation: 12:00 PM to 2:30 PM
Service: 2:30 PM
In lieu of flowers the family welcomes donations in Shakuntala's memory to American Diabetes Association, P. O. Box 7023, Merrifield, VA 22116-7023, www.diabetes.org, Breast Cancer Research Foundation, 28 West 44th Street, Suite 609, New York, NY 10036, www.bcrf.org, Ascension Alexian Brothers Hospice House, 901 Martha Street, Elk Grove Village, IL 60007, www.healthcare.ascencion.org or Yog Sadhan Ashram of Chicago, 28W 100 Street, West Chicago, IL 60185, www.yogsadhanashram-usa.org. To attend the funeral live stream, please visit our website. Arrangements by Chicago Jewish Funerals - Buffalo Grove Chapel, 847.229.8822, www.cjfinfo.com

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