In Memorium: Uche Anyanwu

Chinyere Ogbonna · February 21, 2012 at 4:17 pm

What a sad loss! The world has lost a great scientist!!!Uche dear you passed on when the family and the entire world needed him most. You has been a wonderful person to me and to all that came in contact with him. Sadly, we did not see you for a long time due to distance, painful enough! We were all looking forward to seeing you soon. Unfortunately, death snatched you away from us. The entire family, mommy and Ngozi the baby of the house in particular and all of us will miss you a great deal. We thank God you knew him before your demise, May your gentle soul rest in perfect peac until we meet againg.

Ebere · February 21, 2012 at 4:44 pm

A beautiful soul and such a wonderful human being. His soul rests in perfect peace. Uche, we love you dearly and miss you!

Kathy Tobiassen · February 21, 2012 at 5:51 pm

Such sad news…

Richmond Ampiah-Bonney · February 21, 2012 at 6:10 pm

This is very sad. And I daresay – unfair!
You were such a kind person, Uche, and a deep source of encouragement. I always remember your smile. I am so sorry to hear that you have crossed the great river.
God be with you, and keep you in the palm of His hand.

Jeremy Kintigh · February 21, 2012 at 6:57 pm

I was deeply saddened when I learned of Uche’s passing. He was a mentor to me in college and I’ll always remember his enthusiasm, thoughtfulness and willingness to help. My deepest sympathies and condolences to his family and friends in this time, he will be greatly missed by all.

Jay and Lora Field · February 21, 2012 at 7:36 pm

Uche was a genuinely kind person. He had an easy smile that was disarming yet mischievous; and always contagious. Lora and I feel blessed to have had the opportunity to be colleagues with Uche in grad school and will remember him fondly. Our thoughts and prayers go out to all his family and friends. It is truly sad and unfair to lose someone so kind; so young.

Wendell Griffith · February 21, 2012 at 7:52 pm

My dear friend Uche will always be in my heart and never ever forgotten! Some of the best times in my life that I can remember included him and his beautiful wife. I am exceedingly grateful to have been blessed with his great friendship in life and in the knowledge that we’ll see each other again in glory! I’ll miss him more than mere words can say!

Uzo Uche · February 21, 2012 at 8:03 pm

I never took a picture with my friend because by the time I thought about it, his cancer had changed his physique. Thank you for this picture.

A great Philosopher! We agreed. We disagreed! We agreed to disagree! I learnt a lot about what life means because of you my friend! I am happy that our paths crossed. Thank you for the lessons.

Derek Van Allen · February 22, 2012 at 10:29 am

Uche was truly a wonderful person. His passing has affected me greatly. He was a great scientist and lab-mate. I’ll always remember the first group meetings held in DV’s office – Uche was the perfect person to start the group. I am blessed to have known him. My deepsest condolences go to all of his family and friends.

Yatemani Gujadhur · February 22, 2012 at 11:23 am

We join all of you to extend our deepest sympathy to Uche’s good lady and parents for this irreplaceable loss.
Please pass our condolences from our family in Mauritius.
May God bless his Soul and May he rest in peace.

Alyson Fox · February 22, 2012 at 1:21 pm

I am grateful for the chance to know this thoughtful, caring, brilliant, hilarious, gentle, and loving husband of a man. The chill of New England winters had nothing on the warmth of his spirit and smile. May you rest in peace Uche, and much love to dear Uche who will continue to carry his spirit and memory…

Ijeoma Perry · February 22, 2012 at 2:17 pm

I’m beyond floored by this news. I can’t begin to express how deeply you will be missed. . . Uche. May you be welcomed into the arms of God as the beautiful and kind spirit that you are. I am glad to have known you for as long as I have .. . My deepest condolences to Uche and family. You are an exceptional woman and I pray that God continues to strengthen you as you bear this heartbreak.

Ije

Craig Bates · February 22, 2012 at 2:54 pm

I am thankful that I was able to have known Uche and consider myself fortunate to have spent time with him in graduate school. I always found him to be approachable, willing to offer advice, bright and fun to be around. This premature loss of Uche will have a lasting effect on me. My deepest sympathies to his family and friends; Uche will be sorely missed.

Joseph Eke · February 22, 2012 at 5:38 pm

There are not enough words to express my sadness when i heard this news. He will be deeply remembered for how good a man he was. May his soul rest in peace…

Rattan G · February 22, 2012 at 10:11 pm

Of all the countless people i have met at UMASS and (to say it boldy) in the US. Uche was made of something else. Synthesized using a different spirit route, a different catalytic alloy. I have been stunned many times, by his ability to be true to his own ideals. Explanation: In the lab i would cut rush headlong to score publications, success etc, but our man was always ‘the true researcher’, the one who would not mind to understand first, and enjoy the fruits later. Unlike 99.99% of us out there, Uche to me had an inherent in-born idealistic nature, a constant natural ability to lean towards what is true. I have never witnessed a single day during our time being together for years, when Uche would be bitter or consciously bring someone else down. What I have been constantly trying to grasp with is that the man Uche seems to have been born with a sense of righteousness, an inviolable character, that I can now safely (now that I am far away on the west coast) claim to have admired during the days working together on the 15th floor, LGRT, at Amherst. Many try to be righteous in our day and age, many try to show a sense of hollow leadership and character, but very few are actually born with it. Very few have it thrust upon them. Uche has the ‘dharma’ in him. I know that somehow nature will be kind to him, as he is inherently a good man. Will miss my philosopher friend dearly !

Olive Munene · February 23, 2012 at 12:32 am

I am so so sad….I can’t believe Uche is gone so soon.I will always remember his warm smile and his big heart. I am blessed to have been his friend at Umass….May his soul rest in peace….To his dear wife Uche,and to his family, May God be the strengthen you and give you peace during this time. Holding you up in prayer

Collins jacobs · February 23, 2012 at 11:19 am

Very sad!may heavenly father take his soul and comfort his family,uche was a gentle man,obi be strong,God is in ctrl

Noah Tremblay · February 23, 2012 at 11:32 am

Wow, what a shock! The world lost a truly awesome person.

When I was a lowly undergrad, I joined the DV group and got to know Uche. Even though the rules of Lab Hierarchy dictate that he didn’t have to, Uche treated me with a lot of respect. He was admirably self sustaining, confident, fun, funny, and humble.

Some memories:
Me and my buddies played basketball with him every so often and even though he had a foot on me and was in way better shape, he put everyone’s enjoyment of the game over boosting his own ego (not many people in that position would do that!). And, even though he’d always be on the winning team, his words were always considerate and encouraging without a hint of genuine braggadocio.

When I made the group website in the summer of 2003, I made pages for everybody in the group. The pages were sort of sarcastically artistic in their own right but they were for-the-most-part professional. In jest, I made Uche’s page with a big blown-up version of this prank we pulled on him: someone (I forget if it was me or someone else, if not me then it was probably Derek) had printed and cut out a picture of Uche’s head and taped it over the head a pro basketball player magazine cutout that Uche had displayed on his lab door in tribute to his favorite game. Also his page spontaneously played “Who let the dogs out!”, which added immensely to the comical value of the prank. Uche was a good sport about it, he thought it was pretty funny. He asked me to take it down, though, because he was putting the website on a job application. So, I changed it back to a normal looking page and then showed it to him so that his mind could be at ease. But when I showed him I told him to click anywhere on the screen and when he did, the old page came up and, again, “Who let the dogs out!.” I’ll never forget that summer, joking around with Uche and the rest of the lab. Uche was a great friend.

To his family:
I’m so sorry for your loss. May you find the strength to subdue your sadness with remembrance of your happy moments with him.

agikwa juliet · February 23, 2012 at 3:04 pm

Great loss indeed.He who loves him more have spoken & desire him more.May his awesome soul rest with the Lord IJN Amen

Sally Lock · February 24, 2012 at 7:35 am

He was a tall gentle genius in the chemistry lab and a warrior on the basketball court. From our Umass days, to his wedding, to out visit to NYC he was a shining tower of strength, kindness and friendship. Us Crampton Girls will look out for Uchemoa, who is his female mirror reflection. Your sprit will surrounded us and with that our tears will turn to fun memories and we’ll embrace the times we had together and remember with smiles.

Kene Umeasiegbu · February 24, 2012 at 8:59 am

In the 17 years I knew him, Uche always showed the fullness of the human spirit: humour, generosity, curiosity, silliness, humility, sensitivity, resilience, faith, reason, intelligence, individuality, community and love. I thought I had seen all the qualities he possessed…till his diagnosis with thymoma. Then I saw 2 more: courage and grace!

What have I not learnt from you, Tintaino?! Perhaps the latest is the one I wish I didn’t: that is just how so much I miss you.

Nwanne m, oke enyi m, rest in peace. All your pain is now gone. Your immortarlity starts right here in our hearts.

FELIX O. ONUKWUGHA · February 24, 2012 at 10:29 am

What a good life cut too short. May your soul rest in heaven and God comfort your wife and family.

B.C. Nwugwo · February 24, 2012 at 5:39 pm

Uche,
For me and my family, your sudden passing will go down in history as the greatest shock of 2012. If I had known that you had cancer, perhaps it would have been a little bearable, but I didn’t know. It was just on Feb 17th that I sent you a request in LinkedIn to be part of my network, and little did I know that you were lying in a hospital bed suffering. I mentioned your passing to the kids and they have been asking me so many questions about what happened and why, most of which I had no answer for them. I sincerely wish your gentle soul a peaceful rest in the Lord. Our prayers and thoughts go out to your wife, Uche, your parents and siblings. May God grant them the fortitude to bear your untimely loss, Amen!

Bright Uche Ihediohanma · February 24, 2012 at 11:24 pm

Uche,
The sudden prospect that you will no longer occupy with us on this side of eternity is so shocking as it is wrenching. More so,
when we were not even aware that you had been diagnosed with cancer and had been battling all these while. From the day we got introduced, I knew you were such a great human being- fun, unassuming, ready to help, humble yet accomplished. Oh, it”s too soon to go. Well, God who brought you this way certainly knows well beyond our carnal limitation why it must be this way and we must submit to His will. To Uche your beloved wife, parents, siblings we can only pray that God will comfort and ease your broken heart with such grace that only He can give. Uche may your gentle soul find eternal rest with God.

Sharif · February 25, 2012 at 12:31 am

Uche was a wonderful human being. You were true renaissance man- a sophist of learning. You may have had a phd in chemistry but it may have well been in life. You made me forget that I am a lawyer with every conversation we shared and in those moments you made me remember my love for thinking. Thank you Uche. I will miss you very much.

Mrs. Ngozi Nwugwo · February 25, 2012 at 11:39 am

Uchechukwu, what a big loss! You lived a short, but fulfilling life. God knows why He allowed this to happen and we can not question Him. You were greatly loved by your wife, family, and people around you, but I believe God loves you most. I have faith that the good Lord will console and protect Ucheoma, your wife, and your entire family and grant them the strength to bear this great loss. May your humble and gentle soul rest in peace. Amen!

Angela Duruaku · February 25, 2012 at 12:05 pm

Uche your death was sudden. I remember when I heard the news of your death I simply could not believe it. Recently I had wondered why I have not seen you in a while, not knowing you were lying sick in a hospital bed. You lived an amazing life though it was rather short. I tender my deepest sympathy to Ucheoma your wife and your entire family. May your soul rest in perfect peace amen.

Emeka Onwezi · February 25, 2012 at 10:22 pm

Uche, I still cannot believe that you are gone. I remember the last time I saw you was about two years ago at a soccer match in Maryland. My sympathy to your family and your wife Uche. May God give them the fortitude to bear this great loss and we will not forget you. Rest in peace.

ijeoma onukwugha · February 25, 2012 at 11:32 pm

May the Good Lord give your wife and family the strenght to bear this untimely loss . we love you but God loves you best. He has Given and he has taken. who are we to question God . May your Gentle soul rest in perfect peace.

ijeoma onukwugha

Alexander C. Onukwugha · February 26, 2012 at 3:04 pm

Uche,

The news of your death is indeed unexpected and shocking because we are unaware of your ill health. To your lovely wife Uche, I urge you to bear the loss with bigheart and fortitude. And to all Uche’s family and relatives, inlaws, friends and co workers, I sincerely express my sympathy. A sympathy so deeply felt yet so hard to convey.

Evelyn · February 26, 2012 at 7:46 pm

May God comfort everyone that loved Uche.

Chioma Ihediohanma · February 28, 2012 at 12:09 pm

Uche,
The Lord gave a great gift in you.You lived a life fully accomplished yet in a short period of time.My wish is that you had lived longer to impact the world around you.Your absence will be greatly felt in this life.But of greater worth is your presence in the bosom of the Lord.May you rest in peace in the Lord.I am confident that the Lord will take care of Ucheoma,your parents and siblings.ADIEU.