Rajnikant D. Mehta

The family of Rajnikant D. Mehta will celebrate his life of 92 years at 12:00 p.m. on Tuesday, July 19, 2022, at Lake Ridge Chapel and Memorial Designers. We invite you to view the live-streamed service and sign his virtual guestbook on this page.

Rajnikant Dashratlal Mehta was born on October 27^th, 1929, to the union of Dashrathlal and Dahiben Mehta in Ahmedabad, India.  He was the youngest of seven siblings.  Rajnikant departed this life on Saturday, July 16^th, 2022, peacefully surrounded by his wife Hemlata Mehta and daughter Rupal Turner in Lubbock, Texas.

On May 12^th, 1956, he married Hemlata Shah.  Their union was blessed with three beautiful daughters, Rupal Mehta Turner, Sonal Mehta Patel, and the late Minal Mehta Cordero.   On September 2^nd, 1969, he immigrated to the United States from India.  He was one of only ten   Indians residing in Lubbock at that time.  His wife and daughters came to the USA six months later on April 1^st, 1970.  Rajnikant and his family have resided in Lubbock, Texas for 53 years.

Rajnikant graduated from Gujarat University with a Ph.D. in Chemistry and Physics.  He was employed with Texas Tech University Textile Research Center since 1969 and was the head of Chemistry Research.  He retired in January 1997 after working 29 years there.  Rajnikant accomplished many achievements throughout his career:  He was a Fellow of the Textile Institute in 1975 in Manchester, England.  He was a senior member of the American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists and was often requested to act as a legal consultant in the field of textile flammability.  He presented numerous papers at national and international conferences and published more than 100 academic research papers on textile dyeing and finishing in leading scientific journals.

Rajnikant was recognized as an expert in the field of flame-retardant finishes.  Through his efforts and in recognition of his expertise, the International Center for Textile Research and Development was designated in 1989 as a Federal Aviation Authority-approved testing facility.

Rajnikant was a volunteer with Lubbock Meals on Wheels for 21 years after he retired.  He was adventurous and loved traveling, often taking his family and grandchildren on generous vacations throughout the years.  His favorite hobbies included swimming, writing research papers, and playing chess with his grandchildren. Rajnikant was generous, a challenger, determined, outspoken, and funny. He always knew how to make everyone laugh.

Other immediate family members have preceded him in death: his daughter Minal Cordero and son-in-law Carlos Cordero.

He leaves to cherish his memories:  wife, Hemlata Mehta; daughters, Rupal Turner and Sonal Patel; son-in-law Tushar Patel; grandchildren, Shivam Patel, Kalindi Cordero, Kishori Turner, Ishani Patel, Karishma Cordero, and Kaveri Cordero and a host of friends.

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