Ajay K. Batra

Oakham - Ajay Kumar Batra died tragically in a house fire in Oakham, Massachusetts on January 21, 2026. He was the beloved son of Carol (Welch) Batra. Ajay is survived by his father Narendra, his uncle Colin Welch and wife Lynda, cousins Laura and Paul Welch and Vivek Batra, and his best friends, Brian Hall and David Meyers. He will be missed by his extended family and friends.

Ajay was born on November 19, 1970, in Windsor, Ontario. When he was six months old, he moved to the United States with his parents, where he lived for the remainder of his life.

Ajay graduated from Clarence High School in Clarence NY. His friends describe him as one of the smartest in his class, with the mind of an engineer and the soul of an artist. He was actively involved in soccer, the swim team, and the chess club. He was an avid skateboarder and skier and loved spending the winter with his tight group of friends and visiting ski resorts, both locally and all over the northeast.

Ajay achieved the highest SAT score in his high school and that achievement, combined with a great GPA, helped gain him entry into Columbia University where, in 1993, he graduated with a degree in Electrical Engineering with a minor in Music Engineering. After graduating, he remained in the Akron area where his passion for music led to him becoming the DJ at the Continental Night Club, where he could spin his favorite tunes. He later purchased a Picasso’s Pizza franchise and ran that business for several years.

In 2012, serious medical issues resulted in several brain surgeries and a multi-week coma that left Ajay with a traumatic brain injury, from which he never fully recovered. He moved to Oakham Massachusetts to be near his father and lived there until his death.

Ajay is best remembered by those who loved him for his kindness, unwavering loyalty, and his exuberance for life and trying new things.

Ajay’s ashes will be inurned next to his maternal grandparents in Canada, which gives his mother great comfort. A celebration of life will be held in the spring. In lieu of flowers, donations to the Massachusetts Association for Mental Health would be appreciated by his family.  Arrangements are under the care of Miles Funeral Home, 1158 Main Street, Holden.  www.milesfuneralhome.com