Passing of student Joseph Nyangweso draws reaction, support from hundreds

Nyangweso was a pre-medicine and business management for health professionals major who enrolled at La Sierra in the fall of 2020 after graduating from Auburn Adventist Academy in Washington. His involvements around campus included cancer cell research and the university’s Pre-Medical Society. He dreamed of becoming an orthopedic trauma surgeon .  

Since the announcement of Nyangweso’ death in a campus statement and university social media posts, hundreds have responded with many expressing words of sorrow, support, and hope. As of Aug. 11, 227 people had reacted on Facebook and 947 on Instagram. The previous day’s campus memorial service attracted many of Nyangweso’s teachers and friends and others from the surrounding community who wished to express their sorrow, their memories and inspirations, and to offer support for his family.

At the beginning of the service, Kevin Critchell, Nyangweso’s uncle, read a biography about his nephew that included references to Nyangweso’s outgoing personality. He noted Nyangweso’s love of putting on performances for his family during his childhood with a cutout cardboard guitar. “Joseph was well known and loved by many, and those that knew him well knew that he was a people person and loved to entertain,” Critchell said. “He always succeeded in making everyone smile and laugh and just feel good about life.”

Campus Chaplain Jason Decena invited service attendees to share their memories and thoughts. A lined formed near a microphone as campus and community members stood to recall with both tears and humor their dear friend, student, and co-worker.

La Sierra University President Joy Fehr was among the first speakers and recalled with sadness the loss of the campus’s student while expressing hope in the resurrection at Christ’s return. “I want you to know how deeply, deeply sorry we are. Our hearts join you in pain,” she said, addressing Nyangweso’s family. “Joseph was a shining light on our campus and we miss him terribly. He meant the world to us. We look forward to standing with you on that great day, the day when we will be reunited with Joseph again.”

“I had the privilege of teaching Joseph chemistry,” said Jennifer Helbley, associate chemistry professor. She noted that Nyangweso was among the students for whom she looked forward to writing a letter of recommendation for their graduate school applications. “Joseph's letter would have been long. He was a delight in class. He was so good at working with others and balancing his life. … and I looked forward to the day he could be a doctor. [Now] I look forward to the day to see him in heaven because it will be even happier seeing him there.”

Many of Nyangweso’s fellow students and friends spoke of the significant impact he had made on their lives.

“The day that I met Joseph something changed,” said one who noted Nyangweso’s positive influence on her own self-belief. “He had this need to live life to the fullest and an unmatched passion for the things and the people that he loved. He kept things interesting and proving me wrong and always had me on the edge of my seat. I saw how much work he put into his dreams. I saw how much he cared about the people around him. He just knew how to get the best out of everybody around him.”

“I met Joseph during [our] COVID year, since 2020,” said another friend. “And I knew he was special when he went out of his way to make sure we became friends when we came back [to campus] in person. He [encouraged] all of us that you need to take risks to better [ourselves] and to be the best that we could be and that's something I'll forever be thankful for.”

Eric Anderson, professor of management and economics at the Zapara School of Business recalled how Nyangweso was a fully engaged in his classes, articulate, full of good questions and always willing to look at different perspectives. He talked frequently with Nyangweso about career tracks and noted that his student was interested in a medical career so that he could make a positive impact. “He didn't want to be a doctor for his ego,” Anderson said. “He didn't want to be a doctor for the title for the money, he wanted to help people,” and also for his parents who had done so much for him. “He wanted to make you proud,” Anderson said to Nyangweso’s family. “He’s a great guy and I miss him a lot.”

“We actually met out in the world,” said another friend whom Nyangweso met while snowboarding. The two realized shared interests and ended up snowboarding more than 30 times together during the pandemic, beginning a beautiful friendship, said the friend. “We started [snowboarding] as beginners and we learned how to improve. Anyone who knows Joseph [knows] anything he does for long enough he’ll  become the best at. It's sad that we've lost somebody that works so hard, that would have become an amazing doctor…”

A co-worker and friend from the 24 Hour Fitness gym where Nyangweso worked also talked about the strong friendship he formed with Nyangweso and the enthusiastic encouragement Nyangweso gave to his plans and dreams.

“When I reflect on my relationship with Joseph, I'm able to stand here today with a smile on my face because I got everything out of it,” he said. “We stand here with smiles because that’s what he brought into our lives.

“I understand what his relationship was to us, to you, and I speak from the absolute bottom of my heart by saying he valued it with the utmost sincerity and respect,” he said, addressing Nyangweso’s family. “He held your guys’ integrity and moral values dearly to his heart. … we all have a responsibility to Joseph to continue to chase our dreams to continue to live life to the fullest. And also inflict hope on those around us.”

Nyangweso’s father, Shadrack Nyangweso concluded the remembrances portion of the service by providing insights into his son’s life, beginning with his name – Joseph was named after Shadrack’s father, the late Joseph Nyangweso of Kenya, to carry on his work.

Shadrack described his close relationship and friendship with his son, and the frequent phone calls Joseph would make to him to talk about his plans for reaching his goals, including a recent conversation in which Joseph was already planning his classes for the coming fall quarter. He also talked about the responsibility Joseph felt for his family’s wellbeing, and the connection Joseph had with God.

“I felt he held me accountable,” Shadrack said. “This is the funny part about Joseph.” He noted how Joseph would check on his whereabouts when Joseph was home on visits and how Joseph encouraged him to join 24 Hour Fitness for workouts, then enrolled his father and paid for his membership.

“Joseph is very optimistic in everything,” he continued. “And he has this unselfishness,” he noted, describing a recent phone call in which Joseph expressed concern over his family’s plans for handling his brother’s college education and Joseph’s intervention when a friend of his wanted to take their own life.

“So that was the unselfishness of the Joseph that we raised,” Shadrack said. “We’ve lost Joseph, but I think we can all carry his legacy forward, his optimism, his love that he has for his family, friends. He was a friend of everybody, he will not let somebody down.”

He expressed gratitude for the extensive outpouring of support he and his family have received from numerous individuals, many of whom they did not know. “That’s the lesson we’re going to [carry forward] for Joseph,” said Shadrack, “to love everybody and be there for everyone.”

“So I think we got a pretty good glimpse of who Joseph was through the sharing,” said Chaplain Jason Decena. “An amazing young man.” He recalled a first interaction he had with Nyangweso during Nyangweso’s first year, when most of campus was closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Nyangweso was among the few students around campus at the time and helped to create a recorded Friday night worship service. Nyangweso struck up a wide-ranging conversation with Decena afterward. “It was the first time we met, but it was amazing. We talked really late,” Decena said.

“In these moments, I really don’t have words,” Decena said. “I couldn’t believe the news when I heard it. I’m still in a state of shock and disbelief. …The God who Joseph loved and who loves Joseph, I was getting a glimpse of God again through the stories about Joseph. Joseph loved deeply and I know that it’s because Joseph was first loved by God, by parents, by family. He was deeply loved on campus. I guarantee the lives he has touched on campus vastly outnumber the folks who are in this space.”

He noted that Joseph’s name means ‘God will give’ and recalled the story of Joseph from the Bible who was a dreamer and whose brothers sold him into slavery, only to be confronted years later with Joseph’s rise to success as a ruler from whom they were forced to seek assistance, and forgiveness. “Whenever I hear the name Joseph I think about these words,” Decena said. “What was intended for evil, God [uses for good]. …God can use it for good as we treat other people, not as strangers but as friends who haven’t met yet. As we take risks and do things we wouldn’t normally do if not for a friend pushing us, God can use it for good.

“My prayer for you family, friends, community, is that we would be reminded in a world that’s so broken when it seems there is no hope, there is, because God has placed you in this space. God placed Joseph in our spaces. God placed Joseph with us and showed us how creative and loving and hopeful and optimistic God is. We can do the same.

At Auburn Adventist Academy, Nyangweso played on the school’s varsity soccer team for four years, took Advanced Placement calculus, was involved in student government, student ministries, and concert band. Toward achieving his dreams, last summer he participated in an internship, via the Zapara School of Business, at Adventist Health in Marysville, California. He served as a trauma surgery intern, and worked in healthcare management and orthopedic and thoracic surgery areas.

While a student, Nyangweso worked at as a sales specialist at 24 Hour Fitness in Riverside. He was also well known for his passion for soccer and enjoyed cheering for the Seattle Sounders. 

Joseph is survived by his parents, Shadrack and Tracie Nyangweso; a brother, Jacob; grandparents George and Sharon Critchell and Uncle Kevin Critchell of Wenatchee, Washington along with other relatives in Washington; and many aunts, uncles and cousins in Kenya. His paternal grandparents, the late Joseph and Anne Nyangweso, were natives of Kenya. 

A service will be held on August 25 at 11 a.m. at Auburn Adventist Academy Church, 5010 Auburn Way S., Auburn, Washington A burial service will be held at 2 p.m. at Mountain View Cemetery, 2020 Mountain View Dr., Auburn, Washington.