Upendra "Upa or U.J." Jayantilal Parikh, born on April 15, 1937, was a modest man of humble beginnings, but he was the quiet GIANT in our family and community.

He was born in Vadodara, Gujarat, India into a family of 10 children (6 brothers and 4 sisters). As one of the middle siblings, Upendra took on the role of caretaker at the young age of 13 years old when his mother, Ichhaben Devi Ratilal Mehta, passed away soon after giving birth to his youngest brother. With his father, Jayantilal Chotalal Parikh, an astrologer, choosing not to remarry, Upendra shouldered the responsibility of helping to raise his siblings and manage household duties including daily market visits for fresh produce, taking the wheat to the mill to make flour, carrying drinking water from the neighborhood well for the family, and caring for sick siblings. Upendra's sacrifices ensured his family's well-being throughout his school and college years, demonstrating a rare and selfless dedication.

Upendra graduated from the Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda.  B.Sc. (Geology) and M.Sc. (Petroleum Geology, 1963).  In 1968, at the age of 31, he emigrated to the United States with $300 in his pocket alongside his friends, Piloo and Arni Ilavia. Landing in Rolla, Missouri, he earned his second Master's degree from the University of Missouri in Petroleum Engineering. To support himself in graduate school, his first job in the United States was as a cook at Kentucky Fried Chicken, and he continued to make the Colonel's secret recipe throughout his life - now a Christmas tradition in the family.

After graduate school, he moved to Rosiclaire, Illinois to work at Ozark-Mahoning mine as a geologist. In a town with very few Asian immigrants, his landlord introduced him to another Asian tenant, Nora Flaminiano, a young nurse who emigrated from Gerona, Tarlac, Philippines. That chance meeting led to a beautiful love story, culminating in 52 years of marriage. Together, they navigated the customs of their new country while embracing and celebrating each other's cultures. Every night, they fell asleep holding hands. They adored one another.

They had two daughters, Nina and Joy, before moving to Brooklyn, New York where he worked for the IRS as an oil and gas auditor, then to Indianapolis to work for the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) as a petroleum engineer and eventually transferring to Brandon, Mississippi to work in the Jackson-based BLM office inspecting oil rigs and doing environmental assessments all over the southeast. He also taught Remote Sensing as an adjunct professor at Jackson State University in the 1990s.

Over the course of twenty years, Upa sponsored his remaining siblings and several nieces and nephews in India to emigrate to the United States who eventually became citizens, continued their education allowing them to  create successful careers in the medical, technology, and business fields, and contribute to their communities all over the country.

He lived and created the "American dream" for himself - and for all of us.

He loved growing plants for beauty and for nourishment. He prioritized where the best light and soil was for each plant over a visual landscaping plan. In the summer, we would always have fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, and a variety of Asian vegetables.

He loved singing Indian classical music, 1950s-60s songs from movies, ghazals and Gujarati folk songs as much as he loved singing songs by John Denver and The Carpenters.

He loved cooking and always experimented at combining cuisines - spaghetti with Indian spices, everything with a side of Indian pickled veggies or fruit, chai with hazelnut creamer, etc. As kids, his daughters had no interest in the wacky combos, but as adults they realized he was ahead of his time, an innovator of fusion cooking. He thought everything tasted better with added nuts.

He shared stories from his modest upbringing in India with his daughters, nieces and nephews, and grandsons.

He exercised every day and also took a nap every day of his life. He taught us to take care of our physical and mental health, to be good and kind to our families and to be good and kind to our neighbors.

He donated blood most of his life, volunteered at Stewpot, and donated to charitable causes from Mississippi to India focused on providing education and food to the underserved.

He was happy that he was able to vote in the November election, celebrate Thanksgiving, his 52nd wedding anniversary, and his youngest grandson's 13th birthday in December. He instilled in his daughters the belief that, as women, they can do anything with some imagination, discipline, and hard work.

He is survived by his beautiful wife and devoted nurse/caregiver Nora, daughters Nina and Joy, their husbands / his sons-in-law (Jerel Levanway and Greg Powell), and his most precious treasures, his grandsons  (Roscoe, Simms, and Jasper).  He is also survived by his sisters - Urmila, Nimu, and Devyani; his youngest brother Kirit (Vasanti); sisters-in-law Yogini, Anjana, Saryu, Aida, Leny (Romy), Linda (Mading); 32 cherished nieces and nephews and their families; and his extended family of in-laws, the Levanways and Powells. The Parikh family would  like to acknowledge the wonderful caregivers at Heart of Hospice (Tamika, Cheree), caregiver Nicole, his doctors and their medical teams (Drs. Veerisetty, Balfour, Gulanikar, Patel), and Veeresh Michael of St. Dominic's radiation oncology team.

Upa will be remembered for his generous spirit and charitable nature, his infectious laugh and smile, his "Dad" jokes and pranks, his concern for his loved ones' successes and good health, his playful nature, and his belief in every person's potential.

While he did not consider himself as particularly  remarkable, he guided, supported and nurtured dozens of family members to be successful and live full, layered lives. He created a remarkable world around him and a legacy for future generations.

The family asks if you would like to do something in his honor, please consider planting a fruit tree, volunteering time at a local organization such as Stewpot, donating money or goods to those in need or to an animal shelter, inviting and welcoming someone new to your table, taking care of your health, making time to evaluate your finances and finding ways to invest in your future (no matter how big or small the amount), continually  learning throughout your life and sharing your knowledge with others, and finding time to watch and feed the birds.

A visitation and memorial celebration will be held at Wright & Ferguson Funeral Home in Flowood on Saturday, February 1, 2025.