Obituary of Mrudula Champaklal Morzaria

June 12, 1940 – Jinja, Uganda

January 28, 2024 – Lethbridge, Alberta

Mrudula Morzaria (nee Kotecha) loving wife of Champaklal Morzaria, of Lethbridge, AB, passed away on Sunday, January 28, 2024, at the age of 83 years. A loving, caring, and devoted wife; a giving, nurturing and attentive mother to Mayuri (Shashi), Shriti (Paul), Shilpa (Kevin), and Ashish (Sheetal); a generous, tender-hearted, and affectionate grandmother to Kirana, Amrish and Krishan; and the eldest daughter-in-law of the family.

Mrudula Kalidas Kotecha was born in Jinja, Uganda, on June 12, 1940, to Kalidas Jinabhai Kotecha and Lalitaben Kalidas Kotecha. She had four siblings, Dilipkumar, Jayshree, Arunaben, and Josh.

She studied at the Government Secondary School until October of 1959 and then moved from Uganda to Kericho, Kenya when she married Champaklal Liladhar Morzaria on December 11, 1959.  The family moved from Kericho to Jamnagar, India in 1971 and then to Lethbridge, AB in 1976.

She was an amazing mother, mentor, and guide to her four children, managing the complex aspects of cultural adjustments and all aspects of their education with patience, grace, and kindness. She continued as an amazing grandmother and role model to her three grandchildren.

Gardening was a passion, and she had a huge vegetable garden and then canned and froze the homegrown fruits and vegetables for the winter. She enjoyed cooking and feeding people, knitting, playing games with kids and grandkids, listening to bhajans, listening to katha, and discussions about religion. For many years she knit blankets for ‘Blankets for Canada’, and these went to homeless people in the winter. She also knit sweaters with a local craft shop.

Even in her youth, she was well thought of by her leaders, teachers, and peers. Her high-school principal, Mr. Benerjee wrote in 1959, that she had a sensible interest in the cultural activities of her house and faith and was very helpful on all occasions with fellow students, contributing generously to the welfare of all. She was giving, easy to get along with, amicable, and with a sense of purpose demonstrated by excellent demeanor and irreproachable conduct.

Inspired by her compassion for all people, the Mrudula Morzaria Scholarship Fund was established in 2023 at the University of Lethbridge, which is permanent, to help students with disabilities, with nine individuals recently receiving scholarships.

She lived her life with immense faith in the Hindu religion with a particular lifelong devotion to Mataji. Devout and self-sacrificing, she exemplified unwavering strength in her spirituality, beliefs, and faith.

A shining and guiding light in our family has been dimmed with her passing.

Funeral Services will be held at McInnis & Holloway (Deerfoot South, 12281 – 40th Street SE, Calgary, AB) on Thursday, February 1, 2024, at 11:00 a.m.

Condolences, memories, and photos may be shared and viewed with Mrudula’s family here. 

In living memory of Mrudula Morzaria, a tree will be planted in the Ann & Sandy Cross Conservation Area by McInnis & Holloway Funeral Homes, Deerfoot South, 12281 – 40th Street SE, Calgary, AB T2Z 4E6, Telephone: 403-203-0525.