Abhaya (“Ajay”) Ramachandra Badachhape of Houston, TX, passed away on April 15, 2021. Ajay was born to Ramachandra Badachhape and Sarojini (Navgale) in Jalgaon, Maharashtra, India on October 9, 1960. Ajay’s family emigrated to the United States shortly after his birth. Ajay excelled at academics at a young age and was a recipient of a National Merit Scholarship in 1978. Educated at Rice University and University of Texas, Ajay became a gifted geophysicist who pioneered many advances in the field of seismic inversion. He authored multiple publications in leading geoscience journals and his work was featured at conferences throughout the world. His expertise made him a highly sought after expert in his field and he worked for numerous companies throughout his nearly forty year career. His work was integral to the discovery of resource deposits that are critical to the energy needs of modern society. Ajay was a born explorer – he explored every continent and befriended numerous people around the world. In his free time, Ajay would study the heavens armed with only a telescope and a camera. Prized amongst his possessions is an extensive rock and mineral collection that Ajay would proudly display for curious family and friends. Ajay’s love for the natural sciences led him to constantly share his wonder at ongoing meteor showers, eclipses, and other natural phenomena with friends and family through email chains and social media. Ajay is survived by his wife, Sutapa Sur; son, Andrew Badachhape; his parents; sister, Maya Bledsoe; brother-in-law, Murff Bledsoe; niece, Grace Barr; and nephew, Nathan Lonsdale Bledsoe. The memories of his humility, compassion, and brilliance will give strength and comfort to his family and friends. A visitation will be held at Woodlawn Funeral Home on Thursday April 22 from 10 AM -2 PM, with remarks at noon. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to organizations that Ajay felt strongly about supporting including United Way Worldwide (unitedway.org) and The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (lls.org). United Way: https://www.unitedway.org The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society: https://pages.lls.org/ltn/txg/Houston21/mbourque ______________________________________________________ Stargazer “For small creatures such as we, the vastness is bearable only through love.”… Carl Sagan Ajay wanted to be an explorer of the heavens, solar system, moon, and the stars. He wanted to be an astronaut. He wanted to explore the unknown, seek knowledge, and explain its significance to the less adventurous. Asthma at a young age felled him. He knew space travel for him was not possible for him, so he focused on our planet. He loved rocks – they were mysterious and majestic; they unlocked the earth’s divine story and the story of humankind. Love of rocks and a gift for mathematics and physics led Ajay to the study of geophysics. I really never understood this profession early on. But the reaction of my work colleagues to what my husband did brought into focus how difficult and revered his profession was. For all the medical folks reading this, one of my colleagues nailed it for me: Geophysicists are the doctors of earth science. They explored, analyzed, evaluated, and made decisions that impacted the survival and security of humankind. You see, his patient was the earth. First do no harm – for him that meant preservation of finite resources and minimizing damage to our environment. Second, safely unlock resources for global progress and a better quality of life for EVERYONE. This is a hard field of study that requires extensive understanding of multiple disciplines - mathematics, physics, chemistry, and biology. There are only a few that pursue this field and do it well. The good geophysicists know that the nuances of data interpretation are critical to minimizing harm while unlocking precious resources critical to human survival. He explored all continents and many basins, both offshore and onshore. He explored the Permian, Eagle Ford, Bakken, Marcellus, Alaska Prudhoe Bay, Gulf of Mexico to name a few and unlocked many secrets that they held. He spent his personal time exploring the heavens with his telescope and offering insights into the vast unknown. He brought into sharper scientific focus the mysticism of the world and heavens to his circle. Yes, you can be both a mystic and a scientist. He instilled in his son Andrew a reverence for the heavens at a young age while talking about the man in the Moon, Orion’s belt, Mars the red planet, Saturn’s rings, and “Jutiper”( as Andrew called it). He was a good son, a good brother, a good husband, a good father, and a good friend. He always gave everything and kept on giving even in times when it was tough for him to do so. A man of few words, he expressed himself through deeds. People who say the least are often the ones that have the most to say. As many have said, he was a man of great intellect. He was humble, kind, and always helpful to all, undeserved or not. He and I had very different approaches to life, but intersected on the importance of love, humor, mutual respect, caring of each other, and always seeing the bright side. This is what helped us navigate choppy seas and live fulfilling lives. He made an often difficult world a place of happiness, contentment, luxury, and fulfillment. Despite what he went through, he always projected these things to Andrew and me. Stargazer, the world is indebted to you for the discoveries you made, and the love and knowledge you shared. Andrew and I miss your guidance terribly. But, you have taught us well – we will continue to explore, find ways to share your love and knowledge, and inspire the next generation of explorers. Rest now, Stargazer. Love, Sutapa