A deeply respected Trigg County community member, hotelier and businessman for nearly three decades, Deepak Patel died late Tuesday night — following difficulties in a long-held battle with a private illness.
Officials with the Cadiz-Trigg County Tourism & Convention Commission shared the news on social media early Wednesday, offering condolences to the Patel family.
Owner and operator of the Rodeway Inn, Patel most recently was awarded Kentucky Colonel status by Tourism Executive Director Beth Sumner and the commission — one he sat on for years, and chaired from 2016 until 2025, when he passed the gavel to Matt Ladd.
According to the May 14, 1997, edition of The Cadiz Record, the Patel family held a grand opening for the Cadiz Knights Inn Motel for what had had formerly been the Aldray Motel, and the Patels had put it through extensive renovations — including a new parking lot with ample truck parking, new carpeting, furniture and room accessories, as well as improved painting and resurfacing of the facade.
Patel said then they were “proud to be an important part of the Cadiz community,” and they had hopes of “continuing successful operations” for years to come.
Successful, they were and still are.
Knights Inn Motel, and its later namesake, were transformed into an award-winning, budget-conscious option for visitors to Cadiz and Trigg County — especially during the annual Trigg County Country Ham Festival.
Just ask Sumner.
Patel was a close associate and friend of former Tourism Executive Director Bill Stevens. Upon his retirement, Sumner said Patel was instrumental in making the transition smooth and effortless for her.
Patel’s services will be familial and private, and survivors include his wife and two children, Danika and Primal, both of Chicago.
