Tarun R. Naik Obituary
Dr. Tarun Ratilal Naik passed away peacefully at his home in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin on January 29, 2024 at the age of 83. Tarun was the beloved husband of 57 years to Irene de Venecia, loving father to Eela (Nathan) Jones and Nisha Naik, and doting grandfather to Nikhil, Sarita, Talia and Landry. He will be remembered as a family man, educator, researcher, international traveler, current news aficionado, Green Bay Packers fan and enthusiast of great food and wine.
Born in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India on April 22, 1940 to Ratilal and Kusumben (nee Gajaraben Desai) Naik, Tarun was a lifelong scholar, having completed college in India with a degree in civil engineering and then being one of the first of his family to immigrate to the US for his continuing education. He earned his master's and PhD degrees at the University of Wisconsin - Madison, but he would undoubtedly say his greatest accomplishment there was meeting Irene at an event for international students at the Memorial Union.
Tarun's most notable legacy will be his passionate championing of the value of a good education. Tarun tirelessly worked at improving his teaching skills while simultaneously encouraging and supporting his students, family members and friends in their own educational pursuits. His area of expertise was civil engineering with a focus on industrial recycling, which he shared with students at UW-Madison, UW-Milwaukee for over 40 years, and later at universities in Japan, France, Italy, India, Mexico and the UK.
In his retirement years, Tarun relished the opportunity to spend several months of each year in both the Philippines and especially Ancona, Italy which he considered his second home and where he enjoyed hosting friends and family every year. His time in Ancona was probably his happiest, and if you were lucky enough to share a bottle of wine with him there or join him at one of his favorite Italian restaurants, it was always time well spent.
If Tarun could leave everyone with final thoughts, it would be to cherish your family, always keep learning and Go Packers! Visitation and gathering will be held on Monday, February 5, 2024 from 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at Schmidt & Bartelt Funeral Home, 10121 W. North Avenue, Wauwatosa. Interment at Forest Home Cemetery, Milwaukee. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Hope House domestic violence shelter (https://www.hopehouse.net).
