Baldev (Dave) Radha Krishna Bhatia

Baldev (Dave) Radha Krishna Bhatia, 89, of St. Louis, Missouri, passed away on Friday, October 23, 2026, surrounded by his family.

Dave, a Chemical Engineer, was born on September 12, 1937, in Dera-Ismail-Khan, West Pakistan. His family moved to India in 1949, after the partition of the country. In 1957 he earned a B.S. in Chemistry and a minor in Physics from the Jai Hind College in Bombay. In 1960 he earned his Chemical Engineering degree from Indiana Tech, in Fort Wayne, Indiana and finally in 1962 he earned his Master’s in Chemical Engineering from the University of Missouri School of Science & Technology.

He and his wife, Heidi, were avid photographers and travelers. They were members of the St. Louis Camera Club for 25 years, and together, they visited at least 50 countries on 5 different continents. He used his love of photography and travel to author several books. Dave loved to help others and volunteered at Meals-on-Wheels for many years. He enjoyed being with people and making them laugh. He never met a stranger; everyone who got to know him loved him and his sense of humor. Family was most important to him, and he was always there for them when they needed him.

He is survived by his wife, Heidi, of 62 years, his daughter Anita (Jim) Dunn, his grandchildren Andrew (Morgan) Dunn, Ellie (Nathan) Osborn, and Caroline (Jack) Philo, his siblings Vanita (Deepak) Kumar, Ramesh Bhatia, and Rani Bhatia, and many lifelong friends.

Dave came to the United States to study with only 2 suitcases of personal belongings to his name. Through his education and the support of his family, he built a full and comfortable life, one filled with love for family.

As a final gift, he was an organ donor.

He will be missed by many!

Services: A short prayer service and wake in both English and Hindi will be held at Mason Pointe, 13190 S. Outer Forty Road, Town and Country, MO 63017 on Saturday, November 14, 2026, starting at 2 p.m. followed by a celebration of life at 4 p.m. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the American Heart Association.

As a service of the SCHRADER Funeral Home and Crematory, friends may sign the family’s on-line guestbook at Schrader.com.