Mangaluru: Patricia D’Souza continues to carry the deep sorrow of losing her husband, Ignatius D’Souza, in the devastating Mangaluru air crash. But what aches the most is a lingering regret—his unfulfilled wish to spend meaningful time with their two children.
Ignatius was on board Air India Express flight IX-812, which crashed on May 22, 2010. Patricia recalls a poignant moment when their younger son, Chris Gary D’Souza, pleaded with his father over a call, saying, “Dad, you never have time for us—please take us on a trip.” Moved by his son’s words, Ignatius decided to advance his journey home, originally planned for June 1, after an earlier attempt in April didn’t work out.
A dedicated chef by trade, Ignatius often stayed away for long durations due to his demanding job. He managed to visit his family only once every year or two. While he and Patricia worked in Dubai, their children, daughter Precita and son Chris, were raised by relatives in India.
Now an engineer and a pharmacist respectively, the children grew up with limited moments spent with their father. “He was our backbone,” Patricia shares, “and it hurts that we never got to live those family moments he dreamed of.”
Another grieving parent, BH Aboobakker from Malpe, lost his younger son Navid Ibrahim, who had left for Dubai in search of a better life.
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