Tributes from Grand Children

Andy, our Charlotte and our ohhh geeeezzzz!, was our magnet. The one who attracted us all in different ways. Your personality type meant that you valued genuine connection with others and invested deeply in your relationships with us. We know this to be true because you loved us individually and cared enough to make the effort with every conversation we had, every family meet up and with every phone call. No one was ever left out with you.

Tributes from SEL

Dear Amuna Family, I was blessed to meet your son Andrew when he entered our rotation engineer program. He struck me with his bright smile and charm. In the past week, I have come to know this remarkable young man even more through the words and stories of others. I feel honored that he was part of our SEL family. My heart goes out to you and pray for you to find peace and comfort during this difficult time.

Tributes from Cousins

Having to write this tribute has been the hardest thing to do. For some of us, it feels like a part of us is left when we heard the news. Having to think about the experiences we shared and the reality that you are gone has been too painful. One thing we have all agreed on is that there are no words, at least not enough words to describe Andy, his love for us and his great achievements. We would need books for those tasks.  To try our best to express who Andy was to us, meant to us, and how his absence has and will affect us, we have broken our tribute into themes

Tribute from Bernard Anaba

“Therefore, you too have grief now; but I will see you again, and your heart will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you” – John 16:22.

Sometimes we must find joy even in pain, and so we say it’s well, Andy! In your short life, you defined happiness. I will always remember in my thoughts that; you were such a warm personality. On the occasions that we met, and it was usually after a long period of not seeing ourselves, and you were much younger and we will exchange a few pleasantries and I remember what you never forget to say, “how is Baba Thomas?” and I often will smile happily knowing what that meant, family. It was often a short and cordial greeting but it meant more to me because it tells me you remember family and what more can we expect from a child?

Tribute from Andy’s Professor

Andrew joined the Master of Science in Electrical Engineering program at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte (UNC Charlotte) in January 2019. Typically, new graduate students take some time, maybe a semester, to get adjusted and to understand how “things work” at the new University – not Andrew! Given his incredible spirit of initiative and enthusiasm, he joined the Power Delivery Innovation Group right away to become more involved and get a head-start on research. I still remember his bright smile and his discernible eagerness to learn at his first research group meeting! Extremely successful – top of the class – in all his graduate courses, he also soon became one of the most loved by faculty, students, and colleagues alike.