Mohamed Amin Dadabhoy, co-owner of Anaheim, CA-based AST Sportswear (asi/30244), passed away on Jan. 14 due to a heart attack. He was 62.

Mohamed Amin Dadabhoy [left] and his three brothers: Abdul, Omar and Ali.

Mohamed and his three younger brothers – Abdul, Omar and Ali – have run the family business for 26 years. In June, AST Sportswear was spotlighted in the Los Angeles Times for quickly producing cotton face masks at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

A staple of apparel and promotional products trade shows, Mohamed’s smile attracted many visitors to their booth at all the shows.

“It’s impossible to imagine not greeting him or seeing him every day at the office,” Abdul wrote on LinkedIn. “He would go out of his way to help anyone, whether he knew you or not. Life, work and future trade shows will not be the same without him. We are blessed that he has left us with wonderful memories.”

Nadir Zulfiqar, national sales manager at AST, was Mohamed’s frequent trade show travel partner. “We lost an amazing person, a true gem,” Zulfiqar said. “After setting up his own booth, he would go around trying to see who else needed help. He was always willing to lend a hand.”

He is survived by his wife, their two sons Zahir and Ashraf, his five brothers and his sister.

He was buried on Jan. 15.