Dr. Jagdish Sharma: 1931-2023
HOUSTON: Dr. Jagdish Chandra Sharma, devoted husband, loving father and grandfather and respected physician began his earthly journey November 30, 1931 in Jodhpur, Rajasthan in Northwest India. He is the son of Kalyan Das Sharma and Bhuri Bai Sharma and grew up with four brothers and one sister.
His adventurous spirit and quest for knowledge led him to pursue a love for the outdoors and a fervor for academic excellence. After attending His Majesty of Jodhpur’s Durbar Intermediate School, he was the first in his family to pursue a career in medicine. He attended SMS Medical College in Jaipur where he obtained his MBBS in 1956.
He completed his Internal Medicine boards for his medical doctorate and fellowship at the prestigious King George Medical College in Lucknow in 1962. It was here that he wrote his well-received thesis on epidemic encephalitis.
In 1959, he married the lovely Kamla Nath from Varanasi and they began a beautiful life together in Ajmer, Rajasthan where he worked as an internist with the Western Railways.
Desiring to pursue further training for medical specialization, he traveled to Pittsburgh in 1964 to complete his Internal Medicine residency at St. Francis Hospital.
At Boston University and the Boston VA Hospital, Dr. Sharma completed his residency in Neurology from 1965-1969. He was then armed and ready to fulfill an academic career at a medical university upon returning to India.
Destiny ordained that he return to practice medicine and raise his young family in the United States. At that time, this decision was not an easy one, being fraught with many challenges and unknowns for a new immigrant family. The family settled in Houston in 1971 where a life of adventure and career highlights began.
Dr. Sharma worked as a neurologist at Methodist Hospital and Baylor College of Medicine for a short while before traveling to the University of North Carolina for further specialization through a fellowship in EEG.
Dr. Sharma begin his very successful private practice in 1975 where he was affiliated with Houston Northwest Medical Center.
A consummate diagnostician, his primary focus was the welfare of his cherished patients and championing the integrity of the doctor-patient relationship.
Seeking to create broad positive change in medicine, he was the founding member and first president of the Indian Doctors’ Association of Houston in 1980- an organization that flourishes to this day. He also served as a proud delegate to the Texas Medical Association for several years.
He held leadership roles in Harris County Medical Society and served as Chief of Staff of Houston Northwest Medical Center.
In addition, he was an active member of AAPI (American Association of Physicians from India) and TIPS (Texas Indo-American Physicians Society) where he was able to facilitate positive changes in healthcare policy.
Throughout his medical career, Dr. Sharma stood firm on the value of hard work, integrity, and service to humanity.
Personally, he emphasized the importance of meaningful spiritual connection and the love and strength of family. He was a pillar in the Houston community lending his service and knowledge to many worthy causes. His wit, charm and intelligence endeared him to all whom he encountered.
From his early childhood days, Dr. Sharma, reveled in exploring the outdoors, be it mountaineering in the Himalayas or trekking the sandy dunes of his desert state of Rajasthan. He also adored traveling, reading and researching the epochs of Indian history, fine dining and cooking.
He is adored by his three children, Taruna, Aneet and Sumeet, daughters-in-law Swati and Archna, and the true treasures of his life, his grandchildren, Deven and his wife Kya, Neel, Ryan, Sheil, Jaya, Brij, Rohan and Arjun. He is also survived by his older brother Tulsi Ram Sharma and numerous family members and friends throughout the world.