Former Guadalajara resident Kesari Dandh, 74, died peacefully June 2 in McAllen, Texas.
Born in Mumbai, India in 1937, Dandh was educated in his hometown before moving to the United States, where he obtained a Master of Science degree in Chemical Engineering from Vanderbilt University.
Dandh married Elaine King, a teacher from New Hampshire, in 1966. They lived in Durham, New Hampshire, before settling in Amarillo, Texas, by way of spells in Massachusetts and New Jersey.
In Texas, Dandh had switched his career path, working as a building contractor before he suffered a serious automobile accident which left him paralyzed.
He tried to continue his profession but found work impossible due to his physical condition.
In 1986, the couple relocated to Guadalajara, where they lived happily for 22 years, making many friends and enjoying plenty of unique experiences, some of which Elaine Dandh chronicled in her book, “A House Far South.”
“The years in Guadalajara were the best of our lives and Kesari loved Mexico,” Elaine said this week. As organizer of the Unitarians and in her other endeavors, she said her husband always supported her and contributed with ideas.
The Dandhs were compulsive travelers, making several visits to India, as well as touring more than a dozen European and Asian countries.
Although wheelchair bound, Dandh had a sharp mind and was an addictive crossword puzzle solver and cryptologist. He also took a keen interest in politics on both sides of the border.
The Dandhs returned to the United States in 2008 so that Kesari could take advantage of the Medicare program. They settled just outside of McAllen, Texas, and were frequently delighted to welcome many of their friends from Guadalajara who drove up to the border to visit them.
Dandh is survived by his wife Elaine of McAllen, niece Sharmilee Khona in Hartford, Connecticut, and cousin Shashi Parekh in Plymouth, Massachusetts.