R.I.P. Bapu Rane

This picture was taken on May 9, 2013 -- the last day he visited the Garden

Bapu Rane has left us.
After months of battling with intestinal cancer, he breathed his last yesterday afternoon around 1400 hrs. He was 72.
Rane is survived by his wife, three sons and a daughter.

Condolence Meeting in the Garden

Since the time this news broke, his friends and well-wishers from the Garden have been streaming into his home at Adarsh Nagar to pay their last respects and commiserate with the bereaved family.
On behalf of the Club, Srichand Arora placed a wreath over his body before it was taken on its final journey to Oshiwara Crematorium late evening.
The mortal remains were consigned to flames close to midnight.
As a mark of respect, the laughter session was suspended today and a two-minute silence observed, followed by a condolence meeting in the Garden.
While Sitaram Hivarkar shared his thoughts on a ‘very dear friend’, Sardar Teja Singh invoked the scriptures, praying for eternal peace for the departed soul.
Kiran and Srichand Arora: We cannot understand why God needs all good persons with Him. This is unfair. Good people should remain here and turn earth into heaven. WE PRAY RANE'S SOUL RESTS IN PEACE.
Renu Babani:
A true gentleman, full of life, always smiling. May his soul go towards the Light, where he suffers no more and is at peace. Mr Rane, you shall be missed by all. May He give the family the strength to endure this loss. Our heartfelt condolences go to all bereaved.
Yusuf Rassiwala and family:
We have lost one of the most humble and generous gems among us. May his soul rest in peace.
Bhaswati Bose:
Bapu, you will be with us every morning, though unseen and unheard. For you shall live on in the hearts and minds of the loving BIG LAAF family you have left behind.
Ved Prakash Grover:
You will remain in our hearts for ever.
Harish Wadhwa:
A very simple, down-to-earth gentleman, a die-hard cricket fan, a good friend to many, an ever-smiling human being known for flashing his toothless grin to one-and-all... My heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family. May his soul rest in peace. We will miss his impromptu dance steps and bursts of laughter in the Garden.
Sitaram Hivarkar:
We have lost a very dear friend -- a humble, supportive and kind-hearted man. As someone who was there for everyone in need, he was loved by all. I will always cherish my memories with him. We would go for bhajans together every Tuesday at the Ganesh Temple. We would share cricket updates as Rane was a great follower of the game. Well, there is a lot more to say about him. With a heavy heart, I offer my condolences and pray to God that may his soul rest in peace.
Kiran Makharia:
We shall miss Bapu every morning.
Teja Singh Bhambra:
Such a nice and polite person he was... It will never be possible to find another person to fill the vacuum. May God keep his soul in peace.
Jagmohan Papneja:
Though he is no longer in our lives, Rane-ji will always be there in our hearts. Let him be in our fondest memories and in our everyday actions. May his spirit experience celestial peace and heavenly bliss.
Dilip Babani:
We will always miss Rane-saheb. May his soul rest in peace. He was a very nice man.
Razia Khan:
Losing a friend is a great setback in life. Bapu Rane has made us feel such. The time we spent with him, the enjoyment he gave us and the laughter we shared shall remain forever etched in our hearts. Losing this good man brings loneliness which cannot be expressed in words. Just 'Tum bhale hi nahi rahe / Par hamari yaaden tum se wafa karengi aye dost' and 'Kal talak kehte thhe, ke bistar se utha jaata nahi / Uth gaye duniya se, ye taaqat kahaan se aa gayi?' May his soul rest in peace. We pray his family gets the strength to recover from this great loss.
Kishor Babani:
Words do injustice in explaining how much we miss Rane-ji. He remains alive in our memories and admiration. May his soul rest in peace.
Santosh Tyagi:
He was a thorough gentleman and an extremely kind-hearted person. My deepest condolences on his demise. May God rest his soul in peace.
Banoo Khan:
"Achche doston ka saath dilata hai achcha ehsaas /Kaan khichte khichte tumne kheecha apni saans /Yaad hamesha kaayam rahegi hamare dilon mein ae Rane /Subah ki thandi hawa jab bhi guzre hamare paas paas."
Ramila Mistry:
A genuine, simpleton. The freshness he brought to the Garden with a hearty "namaste" will echo in our hearts. Even in his last days, I always saw him smile. Will miss all the cheerfulness and the dances he performed with Shekhawat-ji. I am happy he is now out of pain and will be in our memories for ever. RIP Rane-ji.
Monthi Serrao:
A jovial, humble, supportive man. He was a very close friend, someone who was there for everyone in need and loved by all. My heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family. May his soul rest in peace. We will miss him always.