Nikil Rajanikant Patel, 22, of Alpharetta, Ga. died of unknown causes in his hometown on May 23. He was a senior majoring in marketing.

Patel was born May 1, 1989 in Zambia, Africa to Mr. and Mrs. Raj Patel. He graduated from Alpharetta High School in 2007 and decided to attend the University after a conversation with his friend Nick Paladino.

“In November of 2006, he and I were talking on the phone, and we were going through all the schools we were considering,” said Paladino. “I mentioned Alabama, and he said that was one of his also. He said ‘If you go, I’ll go.’ We were roommates freshman year.”

Paladino, a senior majoring in telecommunication and film, met Patel in 6th grade at Northwestern Middle School in Alpharetta.

“We are both huge Atlanta Braves fans,” he said. “He wanted to eventually work for the Braves. We used to go to the games together all the time. We even went to their home opener this year together. We will be best friends forever.”

Sam Arnold, a senior majoring in philosophy, worked with Patel at Best Buy in Tuscaloosa and said he knew Patel for seven months before Patel transferred to the Huntsville store after getting a better job offer.

“He was extremely nice,” Arnold said. “One of the nicest guys I’ve worked with, and I’m not just saying that. He was always eager to help and he was just one of the few people you meet who is genuinely nice.”

Arnold said Patel was in Huntsville for about a week and a half before Patel was in a car wreck that caused him to lose most of his memory from the last two years.

“He was very intelligent and just generally a good guy,” Arnold said.

Patel’s funeral was held at Wages & Sons Gwinnett Chapel in Lawrenceville, Ga. last Friday.