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Kanu I. Patel
January 12, 2023

Obituary

Kanu I. Patel, 87, a longtime New Hampshire resident, passed away on Thursday, January 12 at Maplewood in Amesbury after a long battle with Alzheimer’s Disease. He was the widower of Charlene A. “Pat” (Hazel) Patel who passed away in July of 2009 after 47 years of marriage.

Kanu was born in Ahmedabad, India on January 18, 1935. A son of the late Ishwarbhai Patel and the late Mathurbhai (Patel) Patel. Early in his life he was educated in India and upon the death of his parents, he immigrated to the United States where he enrolled in Clemson University in South Carolina. He would later further his education at Lowell Tech, eventually graduating with a Master’s in Textile Chemistry and a Master’s in Business Administration. Along with a world class education at Clemson, he also met the love of his life and future wife, Charlene, during his time in college at Lowell Tech.

A few years after college he was married and became a US citizen, which was one of his proudest moments. His legacy and life's work are his innumerable contributions to the field of cosmetic chemistry, hair and skin care. He first started at Revlon in the early 1960’s and was instrumental in the development of their hair color line. He then moved on to Redken Inc. in California where he worked as the head of research and development creating many of their systems and proprietary formulas including pioneering work focusing on the importance of hair care based on pH balanced formulas. He also did consulting work for John Paul Mitchell Systems and KMS. He co-founded Sukesha All Nutrient Inc. In 1997 he started Kanu Inc. the world’s first completely customizable haircare products. He was a member of the Society for Cosmetic Chemists for over 20 years. Over his storied career, he accumulated multiple patents in haircare and skincare. His acumen for chemistry has impacted the lives of countless individuals and he is considered a founding father of modern hair care.

Kanu was a world traveler and visited many countries over his life. His favorite places to visit were Ponte Vedra, Florida and Tucson, Arizona. Ponte Vedra held a special place in Kanu’s heart because his best friend Robert “Bob” Schafer resided there. They would sit on the perfectly manicured warm sandy beach and enjoy each others company. Kanu also loved Tucson and considered it his second home because his son, Sean lived there until 2018. He loved the warm, dry climate and ubiquitous Mexican food. Mr. Patel was also a gifted blackjack player and enjoyed trips to Las Vegas for blackjack tournaments. His four grandchildren affectionately referred to him as Papa. Kanu loved cooking Indian food for his family and the “magic” Masala tea he made would cure all his children ailments. Mr. Patel had an affinity for Eggo waffles and always joked “remember to bury me with a box of Eggo waffles when I go.”

Kanu had an infectious laugh and loved interacting with people. He was kind, giving and an amazing Father. He always wanted to win the lottery or develop an idea worth millions of dollars but his impact on the people he touched was priceless and he has left a treasured legacy for his family and friends.

He is survived by his 2 children, Shannon Patel-Bourassa of Salem, NH and Sean Patel and his wife, Lannie (Bugarin) Patel, also of Salem, NH, his 4 grandchildren, Seattle Bourassa, Noah Bourassa, Kanu-Jai Patel and Sawyer Patel, all of Salem, NH. He is also survived by many nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.

In addition to his parents, he was predeceased by his siblings.
 
Mr. Patel’s services will be held privately at a later date.

Please consider a memorial donation in his name to The New England Old English Sheepdog Rescue at www.neoesr.org/donate or The Alzheimer’s Association of New England at www.alz.org/get-involved-now/donate at any time in lieu of flowers.

Arrangements by the Tewksbury Funeral Home, 1 Dewey Street, Tewksbury, 978-851-2061.

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Tewksbury Funeral Home
1 Dewey Street
Tewksbury, MA 01876
978-851-2950