Joel G. Kuruvilla

Joel Kuruvilla, the 22-year old son of Sathish Kuruvilla and Dr. Jiss Kuruvilla and brother of Dr. Sarah Kuruvilla, went to be with Jesus on February 16, 2020, at Children’s Hospital of  Philadelphia after complications from a bone marrow transplant. Joel was born in Mishawaka, IN on November 28, 1997. Joel grew into a young man of deep faith, an exceptional student, a dear family member and a friend to many.
During his time in Mishawaka, Joel formed a strong bond with his grandfather and late grandmother, KV and Aleyamma Kuruvilla and his extended family. Joel then moved to East Windsor, New Jersey, and then to Yardley, Pennsylvania where he lived the majority of his life. Joel was an honor roll student at Pennsbury High School, where he was a talented trumpet player in the school’s marching band and a popular student among his classmates.
Joel entered Temple University in 2016 with a full Presidential scholarship, where he was part of the Fox Honors Program. He developed a deep fascination for probability — he was interested in the mathematical odds in life. He gravitated towards actuarial science, which would allow him to use his mind to model matters of uncertainty using mathematics. Joel was a member and director of community affairs for Gamma Iota Sigma at Temple University. Joel worked as a Certified Peer Educator for the university, and he volunteered with the charity, Gift of Life.
Joel faced incredible adversity but overcame his challenges with the help of his grit, hard work, and determination. Joel’s academic achievements resulted in two summer internships: one at AIG after his sophomore year and another at CIGNA after his junior year. Joel had accepted a full-time position with CIGNA after graduation.
Joel was unafraid and excited to explore the world around him. Joel traveled to India, London, Australia, and Dubai. In college Joel studied abroad in Rome, traveling the Italian countryside and visiting nearby cities. 
Joel was driven to use his keen mind to understand and obey the will of God, as revealed in the Bible. Raised in a family of faith, he grappled with the inner meaning of the Scripture, which is saturated with the logic of the infinite mind, which captivated Joel.
Joel’s choice to pursue a bone marrow transplant was the culmination of his propensity for mathematical probabilities and his faith and hope for a better life. He desired to understand and follow the mind of God, as revealed through the life of Jesus. While Joel’s hopes were not realized in this life, Joel held on to his faith throughout the process. Joel’s life was a light to those around him and he will be deeply missed. We draw comfort knowing that he is finally at rest with his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Joel is survived by his parents Jiss and Sathish Kuruvilla, his sister Sarah Kuruvilla, his grandparents KV Kuruvilla, Philip Thomas, Raichel Thomas as well as his uncles, aunts, and many cousins.

In honor of Joel’s memory, we ask that any donations be made to the Gift of Life Donor Program. Joel was passionate about this organization and on several occasions, he voluntarily worked to raise funds & awareness. Please join us in honoring this program he devoted his time to. 

Gift of Life Donor Program, 401 N. 3rd Street, Philadelphia, PA 19123. 800-DONORS-1 (800-366-6771)  https://www.donors1.org

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