Dr. Rajani G. Patwari

Rajani "Raju" Patwari passed away peacefully on Wednesday, July 30, 2025 in Palos Heights Illinois. Rajani was born to Uttam Rao and Sharada Bai Pargaonkar in Hyderabad, India on December 25, 1946 and was raised with her four siblings. In Hyderabad, she excelled in primary and secondary education then completed her medical education at Osmania Medical College in 1969. That same year, she married Gajanan Patwari and subsequently settled in the Chicagoland area in 1970. She was a loving and fiercely devoted mother to two sons, Rahul and Ketan, and an adoring grandmother to Radha, Siddharth, and Lakshmi. Her faith and fortitude carried her and many others through the death of her husband, Gajanan Rao, and son, Ketan, over 20 years ago. Her compassion extended beyond family and friends.

Dr. Rajani Patwari built her career in rehabilitation medicine - serving as medical director at the Elisabeth Ludeman Center in Park Forest for over 30 years. In defiance of retiring in 2015, she served as medical director of Trinity Services overseeing their medical clinic, providing consultations, and developing protocols to support an often neglected and vulnerable population of developmentally delayed adults.

Rajani was a spiritual devotee of HH Hariharji Maharaj, Swami Atmanand, and Swami Bramharoopanand, among others. As a religious scholar, she regularly recited the full Gita from memory and was known to exist on a higher spiritual plane than most. She taught and mentored countless children and adults in her family, the local community, and in India about Hindu philosophy, shlokas, and scriptures - leaving a spiritual imprint on several continents. Rajani and her husband were deeply engaged with the Vivekananda Vedanta Society of Chicago. She increasingly became a revered teacher of Hinduism. She conducted over 50 sessions on the Bhagavad Gita through the Maharashtra Mandal of Chicago (MMC) Adhyatma Peeth. She conducted virtual classes nearly every evening that included "Gita in Hindi", Dasbodh, Vivekchudamani, Parmath Vignyan, and for family/friends in India. Bringing her experience in America and India together, she worked with an interfaith group to bridge understanding of faith. Most significantly, she lived as she taught, with an unwaveringly disciplined life that was devoted to spreading the message of the Bhagavad Gita - to live fully in the world, see beyond ego, perform every duty with integrity, and offer all to the divine.

Known for her no-nonsense personality coupled with a playful sense of humor, Rajani spread joy and comfort to those around her. She served as a spiritual guide and mentor to countless people, both in their times of joy and suffering. Through her medical career and her spiritual work, Rajani worked tirelessly to comfort people both body and soul. She demonstrated transcendent resilience during her own family's most trying times. She led her life by example, teaching us all to strive for spiritual consciousness and bliss to realize the Brahman within us all. Rajani leaves a legacy in the lives of the many, young and old, whom she guided with wisdom, love, and purpose.

Rajani was preceded in passing by her beloved husband, Gajanan Patwari, and her cherished son, Ketan Patwari. Rajani is survived by her son Rahul Patwari, her daughter-in-law Pallavi Patwari, and her three grandchildren Radha, Siddharth, and Lakshmi Patwari.

Dr. Patwari's visitation will take place on Saturday, August 2, 2025, from 11:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m., located at McCauley-Sullivan Funeral Home & Crematorium, 530 West Boughton Road, Bolingbrook, Illinois 60440. Puja to follow the visitation, beginning at 1:00 p.m. Her private cremation ceremony will conclude her funeral rites and services.

The LiveStream will be posted as soon as available.

In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting donations to be made to a charity of your choice in Dr. Patwari's memory.

Funeral arrangements entrusted to McCauley-Sullivan Funeral Home & Crematorium.