Quintessential People

b y m a r y K l e s t

P h o t o g r a P h y b y t h o m a s b a l s a m o

Smart

Caring

Driven

Strong

BalanCeD

relentleSS

thorough

DeDiCateD

thoughtful

PaSSionate

CommitteD

ConSCientiouS

StraightforwarD

Timely, Talented, Treasure

Shefali Bhuva

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Born in a small town in Eastern Pennsylvania to a mother and father from india, shefali Bhuva was conscious of her immigrant parents’ wish for their children to fit in. while she was growing up, the family celebrated Christmas and other western holidays along with their traditional Hindu celebrations. as the oldest child and only daughter, shefali had to do a lot of persuading when it came to asking permission to go to school dances or talk to boys. “it wasn’t that my parents didn’t trust me. They are open-minded people, but some things were new to them.” she speaks admirably of her parents who came to the United states with nothing, except their ed-ucation, and provided well for her and two younger brothers. at the core of their Hindu values is Dharma (duty/ethics) and Karma (action, intent, and consequences). Family is paramount, too. she remembers relatives moving in when she was 11 years old and a succession of family members staying with them until she left for college.

shefali attended Penn state University and received a degree in econom-ics. “i grew up independent-minded and like making my own decisions.” one of those decisions after graduation from col-lege was to accept a job in Philadelphia in corporate finance managing personal trusts. a few years later, she decided to visit a friend in Chicago who knew someone she thought shefali would like. He was a young intern at rush University medical Center. a long-distance romance followed and they decided to marry. she moved to Chicago and found a position with northern trust Bank. “i loved my job and liked living in the city,” she said. The couple also became parents with two young children along with their de-manding work schedules. “northern trust was a great company to work for. They had on-site childcare and accommodated women with families.” what brought them away from the city was her husband’s opportunity to join a physician friend’s gastroenterology practice in the Barrington area.

“what i liked about south Barrington is its closeness to the expressway as i worked downtown each day, and its proximity to the western suburbs where other family members live. i also like that it is neighborhood driven.” what she didn’t like was commuting downtown with young children in tow. Her husband’s practice was expanding and required him to be on-call at all hours of the day and on weekends. He was juggling work schedules at three different hospitals. so they hired a nanny.

Even though life was hectic, shefali still found time to volunteer at a lo-cal nonprofit. “i loved the mission at the cancer resource center, wellness Place, when it existed. i met incredible, like-minded people who are close friends to this day,” she said. she started as a volunteer on the wellness Place auxiliary board assisting with fundraising and public relations, then became a board member focusing her efforts on development and later served as chairman of the board.

it was two years after her third child was born that she announced “my retirement” from corporate work. as someone who always loved working, she decided to get more involved in community projects. she praises the inclusive nature of the Barrington community. “You can become a part of

whatever interests you. You don’t have to know someone or be invited to join by someone. You just jump in.” over the years, she has also volunteered on the Barrington area United way allocation Committee and recently served as a parent mentor for Hope’s in style.

in addition to her volunteer efforts, for five years she wrote a local news-paper column covering south Barrington families, news, and events. when her kids started school, she became active in the Pto volunteering in the classroom, mentoring students, and organizing fundraisers. “Being in the schools you can better understand what goes on behind the scenes—what the teachers need, and how to support initiatives.” she was on the programs committee at rose Elementary school bringing in authors to speak to the students. after learning of a mother/daughter tea at school she wondered why there was no father/son night. she researched what kind of program would be best for them and created one.

at station middle school she got involved in service learning programs that teach kids how to support charities. “we taught them that small ac-

tions could have a big impact.” shefali spearheaded a program at Barrington High school that brought for-mer BHs students now in college to speak at the Pto morning line, a program for parents of high school students. “i introduced this idea because we had such a program in my own high school and it could be helpful for students,” she said.

For shefali, the Barrington area Junior women’s Club is the philanthropy and community service or-ganization that impacts so many others. “it spreads a wide net,” she said. “These are talented women all working to their strengths. There’s a lot of power amongst women with such different experience.” she has been an active member for eight years.

Throughout her years as a corporate professional, wife, working and stay-at-home mother, newspaper columnist, business development manager, and volunteer, shefali has learned to prioritize. some may call it life/work bal-ance. “i ask myself where is my attention most needed? it varies with the age of my kids, my spouse’s schedule, family commitments, and community needs. often, it comes down to what you can handle. That varies from person to person.” when she gets a request for her time and talent that she knows she cannot fulfill, she instead offers suggestions for what might work rather than not get involved at all.

with her two oldest children away at college and a son who is a freshman in high school, her life is taking a new turn. she, like many women, wonders what’s next. ideally she’d like to find a structured position working in devel-opment or community relations for a nonprofit organization. “i believe in following the path and not forcing it. Finding your own way. i am blessed to have options. i’ve had some parameters with the kids at home, but what will i do when the parameters are lifted? Figuring it all out is an adventure. i will always keep a foot in community work. i don’t know how not to do that.” The week that we met she was busy planning a celebration of Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights, at her home with 25 friends who wanted to learn more about this Hindu holiday. somehow, shefali makes it all fit in.

Deven Bhuva, SonHaving balance is crucial in whatever one does. This may be one of the most important things that my mother taught me. This notion helped me throughout my teenage years, and is now helping me in college. For me, she was mom first, then a community leader. i honestly had no idea how much community work she did until i was older. she was always there to help at home, attending every soccer and lacrosse game, every dance recital for my sister, and every pre-dance photo shoot. she always looks out for others before herself, and she has made doing so very easy. more than anything, she wants others to succeed, which is one of the most amazing qualities you could ask for in both a mother and a friend. she has taught me to be kind to others and help others whenever possible. my siblings and i couldn’t have asked for a better role model to admire while growing up.

Kimberley Burns, neighBorshefali Bhuva is my neighbor and my good friend. i distinctly recall meet-ing shefali almost nine years ago. new to the neighborhood, i opened my front door to her smiling face; she and another neighbor had a basket of welcoming treats which started the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

since then, i have been blessed to know shefali as one of my dearest friends. she is always there with a listening ear, excellent advice, a delicious meal, a ride for one of my children, a glass (or two) of wine… the list is end-less. shefali is smart, compassionate, generous, devoted, energetic and very organized. i am constantly amazed at her ability to juggle so much and do it so well! whether it be chairing an event, sitting on board of directors, man-aging a Pto office, running a neighborhood event, or loving her family, she does it all with such energy, focus, and grace. she is especially thoughtful; in fact, she makes plans for my birthday before i even realize that my birthday is coming! That’s a good friend!

laura horak, frienDshefali is the type of person who defies the saying, “There are never enough hours in the day.” a typical day for shefali includes volunteer commitments, multiple meetings, family and friend time, and even a workout at the south Barrington Club. she is a wonderful role model for living a productive, meaningful, and balanced life. somehow shefali manages to “fit it all in” and does so with composure and patience.

shefali and i first met through wellness Place where she served as board chair. we soon realized that we have children of similar ages and share com-mon family and parenting values. one year our families happened to be in the same place for spring Break and i experienced shefali’s strong ties to her extended family. shefali and i have partnered on various community projects such as the Hope’s in Fashion show and ride for 3 reasons. when i have worked with shefali on these projects, i am always challenged to never cut corners or give up on good ideas. she has a way of inspiring people to offer their best and to set high, but attainable goals. shefali has offered noth-ing short of her best to our community and for that we are grateful.

Jackie Kapcheck, neighBorshefali and i met about 15 years ago as neighbors. we discovered that we were both pregnant with our third child at the same time. These common-alities first brought us together and we’ve developed a deep friendship over these years. There have been many organizations, events, and causes that we have shared. our families have also become close. we enjoy traveling to-gether and have come to look to one another for support. she is literally a no-maintenance friend who gives without a thought of receiving. i can count on her to be straight with me as she is direct in a very authentic way.

There are many unique gifts that shefali offers. she’s always ready to help when distress presents itself, even at her own expense. managing many tasks concurrently never prevents her from taking on one more to help a friend. in the most stressful of moments, she manages to be a voice of reason with a thoughtful approach. she instantly is called to action like wonder woman! she has an ability to harness energy that even she doesn’t realize exists within her. she seems to have a pool of resources at her fingertips to always get a job done. it’s rare for her to turn away a new project that interests her, and there are many!

Her reach within the greater Barrington area is broad, encompassing contacts and organizations of many backgrounds. she is passionate about

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h e r e a r e S o m e w o r D S t h at o t h e r S S h a r e D a B o u t S h e fa l i B h u v a .

cultivating a Barrington that is rich in culture, education, economy, and entertainment. she has a fine palette and appreciates trendy eats and drinks. i don’t think i have a friend who travels more than shefali. i’m ashamed to admit that on several occasions i can’t remember where she is when out of town ‘cause there’s just so many trips. she’ll remind me that’s she’s leaving town the next day, and i won’t admit that i have no idea where she’s off to now and play along. she loves traveling to distant lands and is very savvy with travel planning and sightseeing. she’s my best friend and confidante. i plan on trying to keep up with her for many more years.

Bob lee, frienDFriendships are important. i am honored to have shefali Bhuva as a dear friend. Family friendships are very special and offer unique opportunities for several generations to interact and learn from one another. our grand-son, who is a good friend of shefali’s son, describes shefali as kind; comfort-able to be with; a mom who listens and hears; and one who is driven to lead, is focused, and gives of her time and talent to the community and beyond. Yes, shefali is a mentor and friend to many generations.

i was fortunate to meet shefali over 15 years ago when she volunteered with wellness Place. shefali is a volunteer who leads in a very positive and diplomatic way, builds confidence in her teammates, is organized and ef-ficient, remains calm and in control, and promotes enthusiasm and energy for whatever the cause. while working with wellness Place for over 11

years, she held many positions of responsibility, the last being chairman of the board.

our daughter, laura Horak, has also been asked to share her comments in this tribute. i have had the pleasure of watching shefali and laura working together on various community initiatives as they have supported and en-couraged one another with the result of creating new levels of success within an initiative. Good friends! Good teammates! Good leaders!

i personally was the recipient of shefali’s talents and kindness when she volunteered with my charity fundraiser, riDE For 3 reasons, engaging not only her generation, but that of her children.

The strength of our Barrington community is built through the leader-ship of people like shefali who volunteer their time to make a difference. as James taylor sings, “You’ve Got a Friend.” Yes, it is good to be able to call shefali a friend!

Chrissie mena, frienDshefali championed an organized approach to sponsorship at Barrington Junior women’s Club that forged closer relationships with local businesses, benefiting both far more than had ever been done in the past. shefali is close with her family and has been very generous sharing her traditions and rich culture with her friends.

neil Shah, Brotheri am shefali’s youngest brother. shefali on the outside is what others strive to be: smart, beautiful, and witty. But if i had to think of a defining trait, her superhero power, it would be her relentless sense of caring for those around her. Those around her are her immediate family, her extended family, her friends, her neighborhood, her community, and worthy causes. she always seems to have others on her mind, thinking of how they are doing, how she can help to improve their lives. Perhaps there are some others who have that sense of caring, but her relentlessness and pursuit of caring, in ways small and large, tragic, and fun, always astounds me.

For example, in my experience (among a literally countless number of ex-amples), she has cared to remember my favorite desserts, and to find me the perfect internship when i had no prospects. she will always be the first and last there for the ailing or ill, and also the first to decide that a 10-year-old’s birthday party should be more than bowling and cake, that in fact it could be (and thus will be) a mexican themed pinata party (which was unheard of in Pennsylvania Dutch Country in the 1980s). Thus, she has not just a thoughtfulness beyond others, but a drive, a motivation, to follow through to perfection, while (importantly) asking or expecting nothing in return. i don’t know anybody else like that. That is what makes her shefali, to me.

shefali tends to be very positive. it’s not that she doesn’t have moments of dejection, but it’s more like she may hear news that is not positive, processes it, and then she moves on to find the bright side or another path. she always emerges on the positive side.

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Publisher’s Note: Quintessential People™ is a heartfelt collaboration between our publication and portrait artist Thomas Balsamo. Our goal is to share exceptional images and words that ring true about some of the finest, most inspiring people in our community. For more informa-tion, contact QB at publisher@qbarrington.com, or Thomas Balsamo (Por-traits By Thomas) at 847-381-7710, or visit www.portraitsbythomas.com.