Vinod Chhabra

OCALA, Fla. Vinod Chhabra, 57, formerly of Clifton Park, died unexpectedly on Thursday, January 1, 2004, while vacationing in Vermont. He was born in Calcutta, India on January 24, 1946 and was the son of the late Dr. Bahadur Chand Chhabra and Susheila Batra Chhabra, 93, of Bangalore, India. Vinny was a longtime journalist, both in his native India and in the United States. He moved to Albany after marrying Karen Maria Rohrwasser in 1970, and resided in the Capital Region until 1991. Vinny made his mark on this area for 16 years as the food/restaurant critic and features editor for the Albany Times Union and Knickerbocker News. He is best remembered for his offbeat sense of humor, and his love of food, travel, music, writing, and photography, and was among the lucky few able to make a successful career of these passions. Most recently, Vinny served as the publisher and editor of Ocala Magazine in Ocala, Fla. Vinny was the husband and business partner of Linda Marks, and the father of Vikram Chhabra of Ocala and Tara Chhabra of Saratoga Springs. Vinny is also survived by two sisters in India, and several nieces and nephews. A memorial reception honoring Vinny's life and achievements will be held on Sunday, January 18 at Golden Ocala Country Club in Ocala, Fla. Contributions in Vinny's memory may be made to the Marion County Humane Society Building Fund, 10699 SW 105th Avenue, Ocala, FL 34481 (352-854-8233).