Sejal Aruna Desai

Sejal Aruna Desai passed away at the UW Medical Center on June 4th, 2017 after bravely fighting ovarian cancer for a year and a half. She was just a month shy of turning 40, but left a huge impact on those who knew her over the 4 decades of her life. She is survived by her parents, Arun and Asha, and her younger sister, Sruti. She wanted to be remembered as having lived her life with compassion, commitment and heart.

A native of the Pacific Northwest, Sejal was born on July 21st, 1977 at Seattle Group Health. She was a happy-go-lucky child who loved to spend hours reading books, drawing pictures, playing make believe, and day dreaming. Sejal’s mother gave her the childhood nickname, “the absent-minded professor,” due to her tendency to get lost in thought while doing chores or eating dinner. Sejal never quite grew out of this trait – even as an adult, she remained a dreamer and an idealist.

Sejal had a life-long passion for learning. She completed a double degree in Classics and Classical Studies before receiving her post-baccalaureate and master’s degrees in Speech and Hearing Sciences. In addition to her undergraduate course work in Greek and Latin, Sejal also studied Sanskrit, Hindi, Spanish, French, German and Italian. She generally took the maximum number of credits allowed, then audited additional courses in History, Art History, South Asian Studies and World Religions for fun. All in all, Sejal was in school for 23 years of her life, and she continued to drop into lectures and seek continuing education opportunities well after completing her graduate degree.

Sejal’s career as a Speech Language Pathologist combined her love of language and learning with her commitment to helping others. During her decade long career, Sejal worked in Elementary Education for the Olympia and Bellevue School Districts. Sejal cared deeply about the children on her caseload, putting in long hours during the school year and often working summers to provide additional support for her students. She was held in high regard by her colleagues as well as the families she worked with – for her intelligence and professionalism, balanced with a kind heart and positive attitude. And Ms. Desai was a favorite with the elementary school crowd – she was often mobbed by adoring students when she visited the classroom and always kept her office door open for students who wanted to chat or play during lunch and recess.

Outside of work, Sejal had a number of hobbies – she particularly loved music and dance. She took piano lessons for many years and was also a classically trained singer with a lovely soprano voice. She studied classical Indian dance as a child and later became a competitive salsa dancer, performing in Seattle as well as out of state. Sejal also enjoyed practicing yoga, cooking for family and friends, and traveling the world. An avid traveler, Sejal visited 20 countries across 4 continents, but was always happy to return to the Northwest. Family was very important to Sejal – she chose to stay close to home so that she could easily catch up with her sister over chai or watch PBS with her parents.

Sejal’s positivity and optimism continue to inspire her family and friends. She faced her original diagnosis of ovarian cancer and two recurrences with great courage and a quiet inner strength. In her final days, Sejal said, “I felt surrounded by so much love and support and for that I am truly grateful. Love and blessings to you all.” Her bright eyes and infectious smile will be truly missed by all who knew her.

Before her passing, Sejal mentioned two causes she was very passionate about – refugee assistance and animal welfare. Donations can be made in Sejal's memory to the following charitable organizations.

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) is an organization committed to resettling refugees and helping them to assimilate in local communities.

help.rescue.org/donate/us-seattle-wa

Seattle Animal Shelter is an organization that rehabilitates animals subject to cruelty and neglect and promotes animal welfare.

www.seattle.gov/animal-shelter/donate/

Right or wrong,

Joy and sorrow,

These are of the mind only.

They are not yours.

You are everywhere,

Forever free.

-Excerpted from the Ashtavakra Gita