Suman Ananth Shenoi

Suman Ananth Shenoi (born Prabhu), wife to Belle, mother of Hemanth and Tara, passed away on July 19th, 2025 in Tampa, Florida at the age of 86. Suman lived a full life, born in Mombasa, Kenya to Maharashtrian parents who settled in East Africa in the 1930's. Some of her fondest memories were from this childhood, where she grew up alongside Indians from all across the country. She attended primary and secondary school in Mombasa before moving to India to attend the University of Mysore where she earned a Home Sciences degree. Here, she learned about textiles and fashion, which would define her career. Suman's passion for this field ignited as a young child watching her mother teach women how to make clothes patterns and sew out of their home.
Suman married Belle in December 1961 and emigrated to the United States soon after. Her first impressions of American culture were formed at the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana as a young wife. She supported her husband as he completed his degrees. After graduation, they moved to St. Paul, MN, where Suman pursued a Master's degree in the History of Costumes and Textiles. This was an ambitious pursuit for a young immigrant woman in the 1960's. Suman taught graduate students and imparted her love and knowledge of this field on anyone who showed an interest. In 1975, she was appointed Curator of the Goldstein Gallery at the University of Minnesota where she served for ten years.
She was also a Board Member of the Costume Society of America, as well as a member of the Costume Society of London and the Textile Society of America. Over her nearly 50-year career, she contributed to university and private collections across the U.S. through donations of historical pieces she had acquired, appraisals, conservation and restoration work, and education. With incredible ease, she could pinpoint the origins, historical context, and unique attributes of any piece of clothing she came across. She was happiest within a museum collection, exploring new finds, educating students, or restoring vintage gowns or thousand-year-old tapestries. She was lucky to be able to travel the world and feed her passion. She continued working after her two children were born and was a pillar for the growing Indian community in the Twin Cities in the 1960's-1980's. She and Belle formed lifelong friendships during their time in Minnesota, which were cherished until the end.
More than anything, Suman is remembered for her natural caring ways, generosity with her time and resources, kind words, smart solutions, strong will, independent character, and multi-faceted talents. Which made her Alzheimer's diagnosis in 2020 so devastating to her family. What they hold on to today is the vast legacy she leaves with the countless friends and family members she supported during her life, the hundreds of students she mentored, the many professionals she worked alongside, and the siblings, children and grandchildren who so loved her. She will be missed, but not forgotten. The family asks that she is remembered for the love she so effortlessly shared, not the sadness of her passing.
Suman was preceded in death by her husband of 63 years, Belle, in 2024. She is survived by her sister, Sunanda and her partner Billie Jo, her brother Vasant, her children, Hemanth and Tara, their spouses Debra and Christopher, and her five grandchildren, Kanu, Maya, Priya, Sophia and Kiran.