Shahida Asad

Shahida Asad, wife of Syed Asad, mother to Sima Ali and Juhi Asad, grandmother to Zubair, Sabeena, and Nadeera Ali, and Jordyn and Riley Bell, mother in law to Maqsood Ali and Jason Bell, a sister, an aunt, a friend, a medical doctor, and an inspiration to many, died on May 9, 2020, in Naples, Florida at Physician's Regional Hospital, at 6:00 pm EST peacefully with her husband and her daughters by her side. She was brave, honest, a pioneer, fiercely independent, and the heart of her family.

Born in Hyderabad, India, on May 15, 1946, she was the fourth sibling of five. To her family, she was affectionately known as Shanoo. She was an independent Indian woman who defied expectations of what it meant to be a woman in India and pursued her passions and dreams – which in some senses may be considered an oxymoron. She was brilliant, highly disciplined, and organized. Armed with such traits, she graduated from Osmania University College in Hyderabad, India, in 1968. There, she formed close friendships and met her husband, Syed Asad.

Again, defying the cultural norms for a single Indian woman, she came to the U.S. to do her residency and also to get married to Syed Asad. Syed and Shahida married in November 1970. She did not have a big Indian wedding; instead, they married on Thanksgiving day in the presence of very few close friends. They went to Canada for their honeymoon and wedding reception arranged by her two sisters. A year later, Sima was born in November 1971. They lived in the resident housing at Nassau County Medical Center, during their medical residency training. Way ahead of her time, she was a working mother and had to rely on different people for childcare assistance. Shahida and Syed made friends with several other doctors during this time and with some of their classmates from medical school, which formed the basis of their community. Shortly after completing her residency in 1975, Juhi was born. For most of her life, Shahida lived in Long Island, NY - first in Dix Hills, then Huntington, Locust Valley, and Syosset. She enjoyed cooking, golf, hiking, and walking, tennis, cards, and reading. Shahida loved going on trips and traveling the world.

Shahida had a 40 plus year career as a pathologist. She was highly regarded in her field and was an extremely diligent and hard worker, with an unparalleled work ethic; she took great pride in her work. Her longest tenure was at Good Samaritan Hospital, and her last position was at Quest Diagnostics. She retired in 2009 and was able to enjoy the fruits of her hard work by spending time at her homes in Huntington, NY, Denver, Colorado, and Naples, Florida. She played golf, went on many walks, but most of all enjoyed her time with her five grandchildren. Her grandchildren lovingly called her "Nama," which seemed to be her favorite nickname. She was a doting and affectionate grandmother and was loved tremendously by her grandchildren. She was someone who her grandchildren looked up to and loved very much. Shahida played a significant role in all of their upbringings. She enjoyed sharing her many stories about her grandchildren with her friends and family.

Shahida was a role model and inspiration to many. She said what she felt, and she had a keen sense of what was right and wrong and was able to provide great insights to many people. Her greatest accomplishment, though, was her family – she was the matriarch in every sense of the word. She dedicated her life to being a caring and loving wife, mother, and grandmother, to guiding her family and providing an example of how to be the best possible person.

We hope to have a memorial in honor of Shahida in the near future.