Anil Kishore Bhargava

Surrounded by family and loved ones during his final days, he is survived by his devoted wife, Veena Bhargava; his children, Vinay (Anjali) Bhargava and their children Pallavi Rani and Arjun Raj; Monica Bhargava; and Shalini (Sugata) Ray and their children Rahul and Sharmila; his two loving siblings, Vijay Kishore Bhargava (Yolande) and Indra Mehrotra (Ashok); and many cherished nieces, nephews, and other extended family members. He was predeceased by five brothers and one sister.

He was born 9/1/1940 in the small town of Beawar, Rajasthan, India, in the days before independence. He was a lively, studious, and curious young person. He loved his eight siblings and, as a child, enjoyed reading, playing soccer, and, of course, eating ice cream (always a relief on a hot day). As a teenager, he excelled in academics, debate, and sports. He served as captain of the cricket team, a sport he loved throughout his life.

He attended the University of Rajasthan and graduated with a master’s degree in Mathematics in the early 1960s.

He married his extraordinary wife of 60 years, Veena, in 1966 in Rae Bareli, Uttar Pradesh, India. They moved to Canada soon

after to pursue graduate studies, and their American journey began in 1970. In 1975, he graduated with a PhD in Statistics from Purdue University in Indiana, where he excelled as a student and teacher, receiving the inaugural I.W. Burr Award for the most outstanding graduate student in Statistics.

After several years of teaching, he pivoted to an applied field, one that beckoned the future: pharmaceuticals. For decades he helped design and analyze clinical trials. He was passionate about advancing healthcare and being, in the words of one of his employees, “the best boss I’ve ever had.”

As a father, he was warm, dedicated, and deeply invested in his children’s academic and extracurricular pursuits – even coaching his son Vinay’s AYSO team, the championship-winning DeKalb Jets in 1979. He inspired us with his generosity, deep fund of knowledge (from Bayes’ theorem to Bertrand Russell), and commitment to bettering his community.

He lived in Rochester, NY from 1980-1994, where he was President of the Hindu Temple of Rochester (a founding member) and helped lead the India Association of Rochester. Though he remained very connected to Indian culture, he was tremendously proud to be an American and took his civic duties seriously. He loved to vote. He was also an avid sports fan, supporting the Buffalo Bills on Sunday and the Purdue basketball team in March.

In 1994, after his daughter Monica joined Stanford University, he moved to the San Francisco Bay Area, where his career flourished for nearly two decades.

In his retirement, he moved to Homewood, AL, to live near his daughter Shalini and her family. He had four adorable grandchildren in two cities, for whom he reserved his biggest smiles.

Our father valued character, faith, and family above all. We will miss his sparkling public presence, love of poetry, and broad concern for everyone in his orbit. We will miss his fine mind and expansive heart. And, of course, his pitch-perfect jokes.

We deeply appreciate the compassionate care team of ACG Hospice and all of the medical professionals who attended to him throughout his life.

A private Hindu funeral will be held on Monday, August 31, 2026, in Homewood.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to The Hindu Temple of Rochester or the Community Food Bank of Central Alabama.