Madhu Shrivastava

Born into a humble family in India, he leveraged his brilliant intellectual capabilities, his unbounding self-confidence and his incredible capacity for compassion to build a business that, at its height, spanned twenty-two convenience stores and fast-food restaurants and a petroleum distribution business that collectively employed hundreds of people.

Along the way, his success and caring for others were recognized through awards such as the University of South Carolina School of Business Alumni Award and the Columbia Chamber of Commerce Small Businessman of the Year. He was one of the founding members of the Columbia Hindu Temple and Cultural Society and continued to serve on its board until his passing. The Temple now boasts thousands of members, serving the Hindu community throughout the Midlands area. He served on the board of the South Carolina Petroleum Marketers Association.

He was a business advisor to scores of immigrants who, in his footsteps, have founded successful businesses in America. He was a father figure to countless people who leaned on him for support, guidance and caring. He was a loving father, devoted husband and a hard-charging businessman with a gigantic heart. In the business world, he was a “handshake kind of guy”. His word was his bond.

Madhusudan Sankardayal Shrivastava was born in Rajghar India, on March 25,1945. His father, who lived in an orphanage as a young child before later being adopted by relatives, worked in the civil service. His mother raised five children, of which Madhu was the eldest.

As a child, he was a brilliant student, earning a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering. While in college, he met and fell in love with his future wife, Sulochana, with whom he had a son and daughter.

He moved to the United States in 1970 in pursuit of better economic prospects and continued education. Unsure of where to go in America, he flew to the capital, Washington, D.C. and stayed at the YMCA. He arrived with only 100 dollars and few connections. Finding his way to Milwaukee, he worked various jobs while earning a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Madhu and his wife used the money they earned to support their young family in the US as well as their family in India.

After earning his master’s degree, he went to work as an engineer for Square D in Milwaukee and elected to transfer to Columbia, SC, where the company had recently opened a manufacturing plant. Having earned an MBA via evening courses at the University of South Carolina, he joined NCR corporation, as director of manufacturing at their plant on Platt Springs Road.

But that wasn’t enough to satiate his boundless ambition. In 1981, while still employed at NCR, he used his life savings of five thousand dollars, combined with five thousand dollars from friends, to make a down payment on a loan to buy a rural convenience store. This first store would be the foundation for his future success.

Through trial and error and with years of support from his brother Krishna, he learned how to operate a successful business. Over time, his company grew. His engineering experience and intellectual curiosity enabled him to develop raw land parcels into high- traffic retail centers. Eventually, he grew his business to encompass S-Mart convenience stores, Popeye’s, and Hardee’s franchises which were scattered throughout the Columbia metropolitan area. He was the first minority Amoco jobber in the nation.

In parallel with his business success, Madhu also helped found the first Hindu Temple in South Carolina, named the Hindu Temple and Cultural Society. It has been a hub of religious and cultural events for the past forty years. He served as a critical member, leveraging his expertise in organizational management, finance and construction. In his advanced age, he served as a key advisor to the temple members, helping them through important decisions and development projects.

Madhu was a loyal and reliable friend to countless people in the US and in India. He kept in good touch with them over the years and maintained friendly relations with all.

Madhu’s biggest impact was on his family. As the eldest son and eldest of his generation of extended family, he culturally had tremendous responsibility for his parents, siblings and younger cousins. He was a man of duty who served his family in India and the US with compassionate leadership. He provided them with guidance on important decisions and always strove to visit India to support his family through both their celebrations and times of tragedy.

He showered his wife, Sulochana, with care and affection. He always sought to take care of her every need. He was the love of her life. She recently told him that he was a dutiful husband who fulfilled all of the promises he made to her when they first met. They were truly in love through the end.

He pushed and encouraged his children to be their best. Without fail, he emotionally supported them when they were at their lowest. Most importantly, he set an example for how an ideal father should behave: with compassionate support, unquestionable love, hard work and prioritizing having fun with family and friends. He was incredibly proud of his children and their accomplishments.

He did not espouse a patriarchal mindset. The girls in his family felt wholeheartedly supported through his ongoing encouragement and high expectations. He prioritized their needs, ideas and input.

Despite how busy he was, he was a second father to dozens of his children’s friends, his grandchildren’s friends and to those in the Indian community. For them, he provided the same love and example that he did for his own children.

It will be impossible to replace the impact he had on others around the globe.

It is important to note that Madhu was also a world-class connoisseur of having fun with family and friends. Whether it was impromptu decisions to take twenty people out to dinner at Olive Garden or attending Gamecock football games, where he was a season ticket holder for forty-five years, he made the most of every moment. He loved to travel to visit friends throughout the United States and watch college football on Saturdays. He also had a passion for consuming news, watching multiple news networks and reading several print publications daily.

Never one to sit still, in his later years, despite increasingly difficult health problems, he continued to push himself. Even after turning over the family business to his daughter, he continued to stay involved, assisting whenever needed. He spearheaded several construction projects for his neighborhood HOA. He advised the temple. He supported his family. He enjoyed life, watching Gamecock football, taking family vacations across the world, and undertaking religious pilgrimages with his wife to India.

He died in the hospital in the arms of his loving family, with the knowledge that they were holding a man who had led a life well-lived.

He was predeceased by his parents, Sankardayal and Savitri Devi Shrivastava, as well as his youngest brother, Devendra Mohan.

He is survived by his wife, Sulochana; son, Manish; daughter, Seema; daughter-in-law, Irma; son-in-law Ratish; grandchildren, Rani, Rohan, Shivaan and Veera; brother Krishna Mohan; sisters, Urmila and Padma; sisters-in-law, Usha and Amita; nephew, Ankit; niece, Monica and scores of additional relatives who, through his example, encouragement and assistance, now live across the world.

The funeral will be held on June 1, 2025 at 3pm at the Caughman Harman Funeral Home in Lexington, SC.