Vishnu Dutt Sharma, fashionable former owner of Cedarhurst clothing store, dies at 84

Vishnu Dutt Sharma, a devoted father and husband who left his native India and opened a Cedarhurst women’s clothing store as part of a decadeslong career in New York’s garment industry, has died.

Sharma, a resident of the Kensington section of Brooklyn, was surrounded by family when he died Thursday at Mount Sinai South Nassau hospital in Oceanside from coronavirus complications, relatives said. He was 84.

The married father of three was remembered as a man who had a strong love for his family, instilling in them a robust work ethic and a never-quit attitude.

"He was a very loving father. He was very demonstrative in his affection. He was a hugger, and he was ... even a more affectionate grandfather," said Gan Sharma, Sharma's oldest son.

A native of New Delhi, India, Sharma attended Kurukshetra University, where he studied philosophy, according to family members.

He met the woman who would become his wife of 62 years, Shanta, on a visit to a cousin in her hometown.

"As soon as she saw him, she knew it was it," Gan Sharma recalled his mother, now 86, saying.   

After seeing her walking down a roadway, he decided to accompany her home. In addition to Gan, 61, the couple had two other sons — Adhi, 56, and Ami, 53.

Vishnu Sharma later nabbed a visa to the United States — his area of philosophical studies being considered at the time "highly desirable," the family said.

And so, with just $8 in his pocket, he left India in 1969 and made his way to New York City. On his second day in the United States, according to his relatives, Sharma saw the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in person.

During his early days in New York City, Sharma lived at a YMCA in Manhattan, then a studio apartment in Brooklyn with a roommate. And on one July 4, he brought from India what at the time was his family of three: two young sons and his wife, and eventually moved them to Kensington. The couple's youngest son was born in the U.S.

Sharma took on several jobs but eventually found a good fit in the garment industry. Well-dressed, he would point out if a piece of clothing was poorly made or a suit was well-cut.

"He always dressed very sharply and [was] keen on fashion. So it just seemed to be ... his passion," said his middle son, Adhi Sharma.

Vishnu Sharma started working as a wholesaler, selling material to department stores such as Lord & Taylor and Bloomingdale’s, the family said.

Sharma opened Vingami’s, a clothing store geared to women in Cedarhurst. He created the store’s name based on those of family members. The shop sold items that included blouses and dresses.

He opened two similar stores in Manhattan — one on the Upper East Side and another in the Financial District.

The stores had some success but ultimately closed and Sharma retired.

Among his highest achievements was ensuring his three sons could attend college. Gan Sharma is retired from the tech industry. Ami Sharma is an advertising and marketing consultant in San Antonio, Texas.

Dr. Adhi Sharma, president of Mount Sinai South Nassau hospital in Oceanside, described his father as "stern, but with a big heart."

"We're all very family-minded. I think that comes from both my parents and that was always a center core of what was our time [was] with him," he said.

Along with his wife and three sons, Sharma is survived by his grandchildren. A funeral was held Sunday in Ronkonkoma. Sharma was cremated, his family said.

By Tiffany Cusaac-Smith

tiffany.cusaac-smith@newsday.com@T_Cusaac

Education: Howard University 

Tiffany Cusaac-Smith came to Newsday in 2023 after being a race and history reporter at USA TODAY, where she wrote enterprise and spot articles examining how the past shapes the present. Previously, she worked as the race and justice reporter at the USA TODAY Network of New York, covering issues such as criminal justice reform, housing, environmental justice, health care and politics. At The Journal News/lohud.com in Westchester County, she covered Yonkers, the state's third-largest city. She also worked at The Associated Press in Atlanta.

Honors and Awards: Criminal justice reporting fellowship with the National Press Foundation;  New York News Publishers Association award for distinguished investigative reporting;  Contributed reporting for Best of Gannett honor; Member of Table Stakes, a program funded by the Knight-Lenfest Local News Transformation Fund and managed by the American Press Institute to transform local news.