Dr. Rasik D. Mehta

Dr. Rasik D. Mehta MD, FRCS, passed away peacefully Sunday, November 6, 2016 in Naples, Florida. His beloved wife, Elizabeth and devoted family were at his side. Born on his family’s farm on April 6, 1926 in Ghodasar, India, Dr. Mehta was a passionate follower of Mahatma Ghandi, marching with him and his followers in 1943, ultimately being jailed by the British in Poona for nine months. This marked the beginning of his passions for social activism and volunteerism.

He attended medical school in both Ahmedabad and Bombay before traveling to England in 1953 to pursue his residency in orthopedics in London and Plymouth. Dr. Mehta was a senior surgical resident at Salford Royal Hospital in Manchester where he ultimately met his wife to be, Elizabeth. He became a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons in 1961 after which he practiced general surgery at several Manchester hospitals while maintaining a private general practice. Dr. Mehta and Elizabeth were married in 1956 and brought their three daughters into the world between 1957 and 1960.

The family emigrated to Naples in 1972 where, after a stint at the VA Hospital in Asheville, NC, Dr. Mehta took a position as an Emergency Room physician at Naples Community Hospital in 1973 where he worked, and eventually Chaired, for many years. He subsequently founded the Rehab Department and worked in various capacities for the NCH system. He was a member of their Bio-Ethics Committee until the present. At the same time, Dr. Mehta served as the Medical Director at Moorings Park, Lakeside Plantation, Heritage Healthcare, Manor Care, Windsor Place and others specializing in geriatric care. He was instrumental in the founding of Hospice in 1982 and was its medical director for a number of years.

Most recently, he was an avid and constant volunteer at the Neighborhood Health Clinic and the Senior Friendship Center and gave his time as a court appointed Guardian for the Collier County and State of Florida court systems. Dr. Mehta was also instrumental in the founding of the India Association of Naples, serving as it’s first president. He fulfilled his wish of serving this community until the end of his life, working his last clinic the evening before leaving on a short vacation to visit his family in North Carolina.

Dr. Mehta is survived by his wife of 61 years, Elizabeth, daughters Sharda Spahr (Steve) Naples, Dina Cordell, Naples and Rika Bitter (Jim), Charlotte North Carolina, grandchildren Nicholas (Amy) Spahr, Naples, Fiona Spahr, West Palm Beach, Alexander Bitter, Charlotte and his newborn great-grandson George Rasik Hardy Spahr. His is also survived by his brother Chandravadan Mehta and many nieces and nephews in India.

There will be a celebration of his life at 5PM on Wednesday, November 16th at Hodges Funeral Home at Naples Memorial Gardens. Please consider donations to the Senior Friendship Center of Neighborhood Health Clinic in lieu of flowers.