Rajkumar P Bhatia

Services for Dr. Rajkumar “Raj” P. Bhatia will be held at 11am on Saturday, May 24th at Moore Funeral Home Chapel. Cremation will follow at Moore Crematory at 1pm. He passed away on Monday, May 19th in Arlington, TX.

Raj was born on October 12th, 1945 in Karachi to Pahlajrai and Parmeshwari Bhatia.

In Mumbai, Raj attended K.D. Hinduja High School and Kishinchand Chellaram (K.C.) College. He earned his Bachelor of Science at Manipal University. He emigrated from India to Philadelphia, PA and attended Temple University, where he earned his Master of Science in 1975. In 1976, he received his Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Pharmacology at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, NJ.

He married the love of his life Bhagwanti “Bharti” Tekchandani on January 2nd, 1977 in Mumbai, India. After a short period of living in Memphis, TN and Richmond, VA, they moved to Arlington, TX in 1978 where they laid down roots to start their family. They built their home and created many happy memories, from the birth of their three children through the development of lifelong friendships and work partnerships.

Raj dedicated his career to the scientific advancement of eye care. He led pharmaceutical innovations that resulted in more than 35 patents and eye care products that have been used by millions of people across the world during his 33 years as an R&D Scientist at Alcon Laboratories in Fort Worth, TX. Colleagues highly regarded Raj for his creative and methodical approach, incredible passion, even temperament, and collaborative nature.

As a proud husband and father, he largely focused on the development and cultivation of his family. Fond memories include camping and hiking with his two sons, driving his daughter to and from dance practice, and traveling around the world with his entire family. With their father’s support, both of his sons earned their Eagle Scout ranks and his daughter achieved the highest levels of honor in Indian classical and folk dance. Along with his wife, he was an avid organizer of and participant in Hindu cultural and religious groups and could be frequently found among friends at local temples and gatherings. His friends respected him for his clear integrity, calming presence, and jovial nature. His ear-to-ear smile was his trademark.

A true chemist and inventor at heart, his hobbies included “extracting” orange juice on Saturday mornings with his granddaughters, “concocting” interesting wine varieties, and “assembling” ambitious travel itineraries with his wife. He approached solving most problems (however mundane) armed with his trusty inventor’s hat and scientific method.

Raj was preceded in death by his parents; his two elder brothers, Balram P. Bhatia and Shyam P. Bhatia; his younger brother, Ashok P. Bhatia; and his younger sister, Ratna S. Bhatia.

He is survived by his beloved wife of 37 years, Bharti Bhatia of Arlington, TX; his eldest son, Rajiv Bhatia and his wife Reena of San Francisco, CA; his daughter, Shimona Thakrar and her husband Anand of Washington, DC; his youngest son, Rahul Bhatia of Arlington, TX; his eldest sister, Shobha Radhakrishnani of Mumbai, India; his two cherished granddaughters, Maya and Divya Bhatia of San Francisco, CA; brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law Kamla B. Bhatia, Madhav Radhakrishnani, Suresh Bhatia, Madhuri A. Bhatia, Suresh Tekchandani, Hema Tekchandani, Smeeta Tekchandani, Vishnukumar Mansharamani, Shobha Mansharamani, Neeta Tekchandani, Jaywanti Samtani, Kavita Tekchandani, Asha Tekchandani and their families including many nieces and nephews; his colleagues; and many close friends.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to the D/FW Hindu Temple Society Ekta Mandir (1605 N. Britain Road, Irving, TX 75061; 972-445-3111) or Prevent Blindness Texas Dr. Rajkumar Bhatia Memorial Fund (http://tinyurl.com/DrRajBhatiaMemorialFund)