Here is the eulogy I prepared for Kama kaka's funeral on Saturday. Unfortunately due to some miscommunication, I wasn't able to deliver it at the ceremony. I did however deliver it this morning at the Cremation ceremony.
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It is an honour to stand here in front of you today because I am speaking about a man who touched the lives of everyone around him. Kama Chitnis (aka Kama kaka or Uncle Kama) was an extraordinary gentleman who had an immediate impact on my family from the first day we became close.

Kama and Claire Chitnis are wonderful, caring, generous and strong people. They are unselfish and always want to make sure that others around them are taken care of. They became very close with my parents about 10 years ago and in that time, the two couples shared many experiences that enriched all of their lives. Whether it was their trip to the Maritimes, the various dinners around Toronto, watching Hindi movies on Kama’s big screen, barbequing Jerk Chicken in our backyard or exploring the streets of Toronto during various street festivals. Kama and Claire knew how to have a good time. They knew how to enjoy themselves and I am forever grateful to them for adding that element to my parents’ lives. Moving forward, we’ll still take part in many of these activities and we know that Kama kaka will be with us every step of the way.

Kama kaka always lit up a room. If you were at the same function as him, it didn’t take long to be aware of his presence. He had this special talent of telling stories that I’ll never forget. He would get really involved in the story – retracing all his steps; renaming all the characters and really making you feel like you were there. The best part, in my opinion, was that he never held back. Kama kaka always told it like he saw it and sometimes, it was blunt – but I must say…being on the other end of those stories was always a treat.

How can we speak about Kama kaka without mentioning his passion? Golf was Kama kaka’s oasis. He was always smiling on the golf course and always up for a round (or two, or three). He took the time to bring us youngsters around as well as he always wanted to introduce the game to new people. During those rounds when we were playing with him, he always gave us pointers and he always paid which were little gestures but always went a long way. Moving forward, it will be tough to forget such a kind and gentle man. For me personally, every time I swing a golf club, Kama kaka will be watching. Some might say it’s like having your very own caddie. I prefer to think of it as having my uncle, mentor and friend all rolled into one.

Yesterday at the viewing, looking at all the pictures of Kama kaka – I wanted to find the one that reminded me the best of this special man. You all must have seen it yesterday…its Kama kaka in his suit standing by the fan with his arm up trying to cool down. This picture screams “Kama kaka” and the main reason is the expression he’s got on his face. Kama kaka was a happy-go-lucky man that brought a special zest to life. He will forever be remembered.

On behalf of Vinayak, Pratibha and Rajesh, Deepali and Samir Hadkar and everyone else whose lives were touched by him, I would like to tell Kama kaka that we all love you and will cherish you for the rest of our lives.
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It's definitely been tough these last few days. It's amazing where we find strength to get us through tough situations. We'll meet again soon...