It
is with deep sadness and grief that we inform you of the passing away of our
beloved son Omar Taraki Niode (24 years old) on Thursday 11 February 2008 in
Jakarta, Indonesia.
We
thank you, for your prayers and supports during this difficult time.
Omar
Taraki Niode was born in Washington D.C on 1 April 1984. He finished his
elementary school in Al-Azhar Kemang Jakarta Indonesia. He graduated from Ojai
Valley Middle School, California
in 1998; and from Robert Louis Stevenson High School, Pebble Beach California,
in
2002.
Omar continued his education at the University of California Davis, paid his way
through school by earning scholarships and working as a maintenance mechanic
then as a teaching assistant and graduate student assistant. He received a
BSc Degree in 2006 and an MSc Degree in 2008, both in Food Science and
Technology with a master’s thesis “Insight into Asian and Hispanic
Restaurant Manager’s Needs for Safe Food Handling.”
He
was involved in many team and club sports during his high school and university
days, including lacrosse, swimming, squash, and golf. Break dancing was the
love of his life for many years. He liked watching break dancing competition
and performed with friends in Davis, Jakarta and Barcelona.
Omar
was most proud when he embarked upon a solo one month backpacking journey
across Northern India
after his undergraduate commencement. With a $600 budget Omar visited
cities and hamlets in Delhi,
Jaipur, Agra, Jhansi, Sanchi, Khajuraho, Varanasi, Bodhgaya and Kolkata.
Omar
Taraki Niode was a fast leaner, wrote beautifully and loved leaning all kinds
of new subjects. He played classical piano and jazz with skills and enthusiasms
and amazed his friends with his magic performances.
After
a brief stint at a company in Los Angeles, Omar decided to go home to Indonesia
in November 2008 to be with his family because his grandfather just died. He
happily assisted his mother, Amanda, who
is on the campaign trail for a seat in the Indonesian Parliament through the
upcoming Indonesian Election set for 9 April 2009.
Omar
was about to return to the United States on the 14th of February
2009 for a job interview in Woodland, California. He planned to visit Davis
again to explore opportunities and applying for a PhD program. He dreamed of
playing a significant role in the field of food science and technology and make
the contributions he would like to Indonesia.
When
asked what he wished to do, Omar said, “I would like to work in food safety, if
I could make people safe I would be very happy and satisfied.”
His
friends and family feel that there would be no better way to honor and
celebrate his wonderful life than by supporting a Scholarship in his name at a
University in Gorontalo Province, Indonesia, the place of his ancestors. The
family also plans to set up a memorial library in the Province.
The
fund being set up for “Omar Taraki Niode Scholarship" is intended to be
used for an Endowed Scholarship, meaning that the earnings from investments
made with the money will sustain the scholarship well into the future.
Initial
investment will come from Omar’s hard earned savings and all donations from
colleagues, friends and families. We will have a scholarship in Omar's name
that will go on and on. Each year, his name and short biography will be
distributed amongst faculty, staff, and students at the University and the
library,
in addition to helping students with interests similar to Omar's.
Omar
is survived by his father, Mochtar Niode; his mother, Amanda Katili Niode; his
younger
brother, Terzian Ayuba Niode; his younger sister, Karida Humaira Niode; as well
as a grandmother and a number of uncles, aunties, and cousins.
Jakarta,
12 February 2009
Amanda
& Mochtar Niode
