Samir Soni Bhala

Samir Soni Bhala, aged 36, passed peacefully and joyously to his next adventure,
October 5, 2025, in his beloved Chicago, overlooking blue skies and a bluer Lake
Michigan on a perfect fall day. He ended his two-year battle against leukemia,
sarcoma, and brain tumors with characteristic optimism; his last words were, "It's
a beautiful day." Samir was fearlessly one-of-a-kind – in voicing his views, turning
strangers into friends, and living his extraordinary life to the fullest.
Samir was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in January 1989, and raised in the
western suburbs of Chicago. At the age of three, he was diagnosed with
xeroderma pigmentosum (XP), a rare and incurable genetic allergy to sunlight's
ultraviolet rays. The Bhala family moved to Naperville, where School District 203
committed to fully accommodating Samir's disability and giving him a normal life.
In 1999, The Chicago Tribune profiled Samir and this exemplary school support.
A 2007 graduate of Naperville Central High School, Samir enthusiastically swam,
competed for the Speech Team, drafted bills in Youth & Government and Model
UN, joined the Naperville City Council Plan Commission as a student member, and
was commended by the National Merit Scholarship Competition. Upon
graduation, doctors discovered a massive aneurysm in Samir's brain; the life-
saving surgery was followed by a series of small strokes and major vision loss.
Over a year of rehabilitation, Samir relearned how to study, walk, then run.
At Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota, Samir had the time of his life. He
DJ'd college-wide parties, hosted a radio show (classic rock and political debate),
tutored math, and participated in student government. He graduated in 2012,
magna cum laude, with a political science degree and concentration in statistics.
At Carleton, Samir's political campaign volunteer work began. He was never more
in his element than making cold calls for candidates he believed in – at the local,
state, and national level – and he devoted untold hours to the fight for a more
just America.
While working at Nokia and Bell Labs Consulting, Samir studied for his MBA at
North Central College, graduating in 2016. Later, at United Airlines and Aldi,
Samir continued growing as a financial analyst. During his working years, Samir became Carleton College's most dedicated booster as President of the Carleton Chicago Club. Dressed in a full suit or Carleton swag, he never stopped closing.
Samir dodged death at least three times (at birth, from XP, and his aneurysm),
and relearned to walk twice, most recently during chemotherapy last year. He
was used to defying the odds, no matter the genetic cards dealt. Unbowed, Samir
lived with gusto – a social calendar full of karaoke and ballroom dance, political
debate and campaigns, and every restaurant in the city. He loved Chicago, from
its sports teams (White Sox) to deep dish pizza (Giordano's), and spent hours
walking its streets at night. He built a loyal and eclectic network of hundreds of
friends, whose love and care for him have astonished us in these last hard years.
Samir lived for these friendships.
Samir is survived by his parents, Anil and Kanchan Bhala; his older sister Richa
Bhala, brother-in-law Gustavo Ardila, and their children Kavia and Ishan Ardila; his
grandmothers Satya Soni and Rekha Bhala; and a whole community of friends and
family who helped raise him.
We will celebrate his life with Beatles and a Hindu puja on October 11 in the
morning (McCauley-Sullivan Funeral Home & Crematorium, Bolingbrook),
followed by Punjabi lunch; and bhajan and song (Chinmaya Mission Abhyudaya,
Willowbrook) on October 11 in the evening, with Giordano's deep dish. On
October 10, join us for karaoke and scotch in Chicago (Konak Pizza & Grill). In lieu
of flowers, we welcome donations to Carleton College; please note "in memory of
Samir Bhala, Class of 2012."