Farewell to Clive Kunder: ‘He hasn't left us; he's only flying higher now'

Hindustan Times

20-06-2025

MUMBAI: At the Sewri Christian Cemetery on Thursday afternoon, under grey skies and swaying trees, God was a palpable presence at the funeral of Clive Kunder, the 32-year-old co-pilot of the ill-fated Ahmedabad–London flight. Rain whispered across the leaves and gravestones as mourners gathered beneath a gazebo to remember a man who was, by all accounts, as devoted to his family and faith as he was to the skies he flew.
'Seventeen years ago, we met Clive for the first time. Since then, we watched him grow, evolve, and soar,' said Steffi Miranda, a close friend from Wilson College, addressing an emotional gathering that included Kunder's parents and younger sister, Camille. 'But today, we are here first and foremost for his family—because for Clive, family always came first.'
From the early years in Kalina to the cockpit of a Dreamliner, Kunder's life was marked by quiet determination and deep affection. Arun Balachandran, a fellow Air India pilot and long-time friend, offered a glimpse into their shared past.
'I first knew Clive not as a colleague, but as a schoolboy,' he said. 'We used to wait at the same bus stop when he was just 10 or 12. We played football together. To see him grow into the 6-foot man he became—and then to fly beside him—was an honour I will carry with me forever.'
After earning his undergraduate degree in science, Kunder trained at the Bombay Flying Club's College of Aeronautics before heading to Miami to complete his pilot training. At Air India, he served as a first officer on the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, amassing over 1,100 flying hours.
'Clive was the kind of person who brought both precision and cheerfulness to his job,' said Balachandran. 'He was immaculate in the cockpit and always carried a smile.'
Those who knew him best also remembered the deeper currents of his life—his unwavering religious faith and the love he held for his younger sister.
'Clive was deeply spiritual, rooted in a personal, steadfast version of tradition,' said Miranda. 'He was incredibly devoted to Camille.' She concluded her eulogy with Walt Whitman's O Captain! My Captain!—a fitting tribute to a man who had lived with purpose and heart. 'Though grief surrounds us, there is pride too—in who Clive became. He hasn't left us; he's only flying higher now.'
The service, steeped in music and memory, was led by Father Sam Munnir of UBM Christa Kanthi Church in Kurla, the congregation Kunder was raised in.
'Clive grew up in the Christian faith. I watched him grow in the church, attend Sunday school, and confirm his faith under my guidance,' said Father Munnir, reading from letters of condolence sent by reverends across the globe. 'He had reverence not just for God, but for all people—a true servant in every sense.'
As the church choir accompanied his coffin into the cemetery, mourners sang hymns—soft, solemn notes rising into the stormy air. The service closed with a moving rendition of Jesus, Keep Me Near the Cross, echoing over the final resting place of a young man remembered not just for how he flew, but how he lived.