Chicago IL: Laxmiprasad Harshadrai Barot, father of \'Hi India\' publisher Hemant Brahmbhatt, passed away in a hospital in Chicago after a prolonged illness on April 25.

He was 85. He leaves behind his wife Sushila, two sons (younger Hemant and elder Nitin) and daughter Dharmista. While Nitin is working with GEB, Dharmista lives in Philadelphia.

Scores of well-wishers and relatives were present when Barot was cremated on April 30.

Born on July 31, 1931 in a hamlet near Khambhat town in central Gujarat, India, he spent his childhood at his maternal uncle\'s house and shifted to nearby Nadiad town after marriage.

Barot, who had started eking out a living for family members from the time he turned 14, gradually mastered the art of typing and worked with some private companies before joining the top-drawer organization like Gujarat Electricity Board as a typist.

Being a man with a zeal for learning and zest for hard work, he rose to the enviable position of Superintendent at GEB, from where he retired in 1992.

\'He was a workaholic but fun-loving and always lent a helping hand to his colleagues and community members\', recalled some of his friends and relatives who flew down from Gujarat to attend the funeral.

Barot, who had been living in the US for the past 16 years, enjoyed going to gardens and watching dramas and musical shows. After kidney failure, he had been on dialysis since 2009 and, in September last, was admitted to hospital where he remained semi-conscious till he breathes his last.

\'His loss is irreparable\', says grief-stricken Hemant, adding that his father always did his best to put a smile on the face of all his dear ones.

May his soul rest in peace!

Laxmiprasad Harshadrai Barot, father of Hi India publisher passes away