Menish V. Patel

Manish (Manny) Vinod Patel, 49, of Dallas, Texas, passed away peacefully on November 19, 2020 at Baylor University Medical Center of Dallas. He is survived by his parents Vinod and Kokila Patel, his brother Tushar Patel, and countless friends near and far.

He was born in El Paso, Texas, on August 9, 1971. After spending his childhood in Houston, he moved to Bedford, Texas at the age of 15 and attended Trinity High School. He went on to graduate with a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of North Texas in Denton, where he was a member of the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity.

A project management professional with expertise in mobile and digital, Manny spent the early part of his career in Dallas before relocating to New York City in 2009 to work for his brother’s company, Simplikate Systems. He stayed in New York for a decade, assuming a leadership position at E*TRADE before returning to Dallas earlier this year as Vice President, Group Product Manager for U.S. Bank.

The ultimate conversationalist and effortlessly funny, Manny made friends everywhere he went. He loved to quote his favorite shows – Seinfeld, 30 Rock, The Simpsons and Family Guy – but it was his off-the-cuff bits and impersonations that would have friends crying with laughter. An original “new wave” kid, Manny once had the most incredible head of hair. Even after his enviable coif was gone, his love for the music of his youth remained, often debating no one in particular about which band was the greatest of all time: Cocteau Twins, The Cure, The Smiths or The Sundays.

This passion for music, and his knack with electronics, led him to join his college friends in Deep Blue Something as their lighting director, sharing in their success as they toured the world. His thirst for adventure continued later in life, planning epic European treks for his friends and following in the foodie footsteps of his hero, Anthony Bourdain.

Manny was also a die-hard Dallas Cowboys fan, proudly wearing his Jason Witten jersey to the only Cowboys sports bar in Manhattan and coming up with outrageous watch party themes like “Pizza Off” and “Chili Bowel” – the latter of which he won a record three times. He was the glue that held his friends together and loved them all like family. His magnetic smile, contagious laughter and genuine warmth will never be forgotten.

A private service will be held at 1 PM on Sunday November 22. 2020 at Hughes Family Tribute Center, 9700 Webb Chapel Rd, Dallas, Texas, 75220. For those unable to attend, the service will be streamed live at https://client.tribucast.com/tcid/50519361.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in memory of Manny Patel (and his late, beloved dog Lazlo) to The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) at https://secure.aspca.org/team/Manish%20Patel-memorial-campaign-ymsqhxgh.