Aruna Mehta

Aruna Mehta, age 69, of Nashik, India passed away peacefully in her Frisco home on Saturday, October 24, 2020 at 4:52 CST with her two adoring sons, daughter-in-law, and grandson by her side.

Born on January 6, 1951, Aruna Shah grew up in the small town of Nashik, India as the second youngest of nine children (6 brothers and 2 sisters). When Aruna was a young child, her father gave up the worldly life to became a Jain monk. She was raised by her mother and elder siblings in a religious, but very close and fun-loving, family.

In 1971, she was arranged to be married to Jitendra Mehta. Shortly thereafter, Aruna, Jitu, and their newborn son, Danny, made embarked for the American dream and immigrated to America. While they spent most of her adult life in Houston, TX, they also lived and built lifelong friendships in Boston, Charlotte and, most recently, Frisco (near Dallas). After nearly 44 years of marriage, Aruna widowed in January 2015.

Aruna built most of her career as a hair stylist / beautician. In Houston, she had the garage converted into her own full-service hair salon, which she ran for several years. In addition, she also provided on-location wedding make up and hair style services for many brides in the Houston area. While she enjoyed her long career as a beautician, Aruna took the most pride in her office/desk job with the Texas Workforce Commission in Collin County. She loved having an office to go to each morning, the camaraderie with her co-workers, and helping others in need.

A woman of deep faith in Jainism, Aruna was actively involved with her local Jain temple. In the 90's, she taught Sunday school "Pathshala" to children. In recent years, she received great joy in decorating the temple for special events and religious holidays.

Aruna was diagnosed with stage 4 ovarian cancer in early 2018 and then breast cancer in early 2020.  In a testament to her mental strength and unbreakable spirit, she fought the disease for nearly three years in order to spend more time with her family. Aruna was preceded in death by her husband, Jitu Mehta. She is survived by her two children, Danny Mehta (spouse: Rinku Mehta) and Rishi Mehta (spouse: Sarah Das Mehta). “Grandma” is also survived by her three loving grandchildren: Veer (18), Jace (14), and Ryan (almost 4). Lastly, she will always be a beloved sister and auntie to numerous family members in India who affectionately called her "Chaku". 

Aruna was most known for her warm, soft-spoken, giving, and positive nature. Her compassion for others, deep love of family and friends, and infectious laugh will be dearly missed by all.