Vidya Devi Sircar

Vidya Devi Sircar (née Ramdhan) was born on September 18, 1944, in Number 60 Village, Berbice, Guyana, South America to parents Mangri and Pundit Ramdhan. She was the 7th of 9 children and grew up helping her parents on their rice farm and in their family store.

Vidya enjoyed her early life riding her bicycle to and from school with her friends, spending time at the beach behind the family home and learning Hindi and religious studies from her father. She completed her elementary and high school training in Guyana before deciding to pursue higher education.

In 1962 on her 18th birthday, Vidya left Guyana to study nursing in England. Crossing the Atlantic on her own via propeller plane, she began her training at Clare Hall Hospital in London. She would go on to work in various hospitals around England including Brook General Hospital, The British Hospital for Mothers and Babies, The London School of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, Dulwich Hospital and Kings College Hospital to name a few. In September 1969, she graduated with her degree in nursing.

On August 15, 1969, Vidya married Dr. Samar Sircar, an orthopedic surgeon, whom she met and worked with while training in London. Theirs was an epic romance that spanned the continents of Europe, Asia, South and North America. They remained married for 45 years until Samar’s death in 2014.

In 1975, Samar and Vidya moved to Boston, Massachusetts from London with their 2 daughters Kanta and Anita. They would later have their third daughter Shoma in Norfolk, Virginia in 1976 and their son, Shuvo in 1987. In 1977 they moved to Los Angeles, California where they remained in the South Bay area and were active members in the Indian and local communities.

Vidya raised her four children and took care of her family, while supporting her husband's private practice clinics.
In 2003 she decided to go back to work for the first time in the United States as a registered nurse. She worked at Star View Adolescent Center in Torrance, California, helping high-risk adolescents with behavioral health disabilities for 10 years.

Vidya was an exceptional mother, wife, friend and nurse. She was a kind and gentle soul who believed in living a life of service and selflessly giving to others whenever she could. In 2015, she self-published her memoirs on Amazon.com in a book called "A Traveler's Tale," ( https://a.co/d/14Ciki2 ) where she beautifully recounts the story of her extraordinary life.

Vidya passed away, peacefully at her home in Rolling Hills, California on April 18, 2024 surrounded by her family.

She is survived by her three daughters Kanta, Anita and Shoma Sircar, her son Shuvo, her daughter-in-law, and her granddaughter Sofi Devi Sircar. She is also survived by her three brothers Paulo, Peter and Naren Ramdhan and her two sisters Baby Jairam and Susheila Ramdhan.