Michael Vinay Bhatia

Michael Vinay Bhatia MEDWAY Michael Vinay Bhatia, 31, died Wednesday, May 7, 2008, in Khost, Afghanistan, where he was serving as a social scientist in consultation with the U.S. Defense Department. Michael was born in Upland, Calif., on August 23, 1976, to Manik D. and Linda L. (Dolback) Bhatia of Medway. He graduated from Medway High School in 1995 and attended Brown University, where he graduated Magna cum Laude and honors with a B.A. in International Relations in 1999. Michael was the recipient of many awards and grants, including a Scoville Peace and Disarmament Fellowship and a Marshall Scholarship to study at the University of Oxford. At Oxford, Michael earned his M.Sc. in International Relations Research in 2002, and was working on his doctoral dissertation The Mujahideen: A Study of Combatant Motives in Afghanistan, 1978 2004. Recently, he was a Visiting Fellow at the Watson Institute for International Studies at Brown University and a lecturer at Carleton University in Ottawa. Michael dedicated his life to humanitarian work and conflict resolution in war-torn countries. His research and humanitarian work brought him to the Sahrawi refugee camps in Western Algeria, East Timor, Kosovo and Afghanistan. He was a published author and contributor to a number of international relations publications. In addition to his parents, he is survived by his sister, Tricia Lynn Bhatia of Medway, and many aunts, uncles and cousins. Relatives and friends are invited to attend his funeral Mass on Friday, May 16, at 10 a.m. at St. Josephs Church, 151 Village St. in Medway. Calling hours will be held on Thursday, May 15, from 4 to 8 p.m. at the Ginley-Crowley Funeral Home, 3 Barber St. in Medway. Burial will take place at the family plot at the Valley View Cemetery in Ticonderoga, N.Y. In lieu of flowers, donations in Michaels memory may be made to the Michael V. Bhatia Memorial Fund c/o Rockland Trust Company, 288 Union St., Rockland, MA 02370. For directions or to sign our online guest registry, please visit www.ginleyfuneralhomes.com.