Distinguished Ethiopian scholar Prof. Teshome H. Gabriel has passed away. Prof. Teshome’s invaluable advise and encouragement were of great value in launching Ethiopian Review. His passing away is another great loss to Ethiopia, and the whole world. It is sad to see that scholars of his generation and caliber are passing away without getting a chance to serve their country.
His colleagues at UCLA sent out the following news release today:
LOS ANGELES, CA (UCLA) — It is with great sadness we announce that our colleague Teshome H. Gabriel passed away yesterday evening, Monday, June 14, 2010. Professor Gabriel passed away peacefully in his sleep at his home in Los Angeles.
Teshome Gabriel, professor at UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television, has written extensively on memory and the cinema, theories of Third Cinema, on the aesthetics of nomadic thought in cinema and on weaving and the digital in developing countries. He has numerous publications including “Otherness and the Media: The Ethnography of the Imagined and the Imaged” and his “Third Cinema in the Third World: The Aesthetic of Liberation.” He is the founding director of several journals, including Emergencies and Ethiopian Fine Arts Journal.
His passing away will be deeply felt at UCLA his home for over 25 years and by his long-time colleagues at the African Studies Center. Our heartfelt condolences to his wife, Maaza, and his children.
Details on funeral arrangements and memorials are pending and will be announced shortly.
For those who want to express their condolences in person the family is accepting visitation this week.
5727 Willis Ave
Van Nuys, CA 91411
UCLA African Studies Center
18 thoughts on “Prof. Teshome H. Gabriel passed away”
Dear Elias,
Thank you so much for the news. It is amazing how we Ethiopians have become so disconnected with one another. It is time that we have some kind of social network to learn, network, motivate one another. How can we change our nation to democracy if we ourselves are disconnected? I don’t know this guy yet, I am glad I learned about him through ER.
GOD bless you!
One by one, death is claiming our distinguished professors abroad and perhaps at home too. Ethiopia has been waiting to see her educated children come home with their vast wealth of knowledge, pass their experiences in life to the young Ethiopians and leave a lasting memory in the hearts of all of us Ethiopians. An educated person, like Professor Teshome H. Gabriel, is a great lose for our country that has done no commitment so far at this time to halting the brain drain.
However, death is our last gift on this earth: to live means to die, and to die means to come back after death: “Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.” (1st Thessalonians 4:13-14)
Therefore, we should not be discouraged, distracted, or saddened too much when death confronts us: “For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” (2nd Corinthians 4:17-18) Hence, “Those who walk uprightly enter into peace; they find rest as they lie in death.” (Isaiah 57:1-2)
May the Almighty God give rest to the soul of Professor Teshome H. Gabriel, and may he also comfort Mrs. Maaza, her children, and the whole family!
what a wonderful man. a great guy who was very kind. this is heartbreaking news.
R.I.P
May his soul rest in peace.
rip
May He Rest In Peace!!! My condolences to his family and our country! That country knows how to sow seeds that will grow to be nourishing fruits to the world. This professor was one of those dear children of Ethiopia.
Also, it has this habit of sowing bad seeds that grow to be miscreants such as that human-blood-feasting Mengistu and the modern-day ‘Jason from Friday the 13th’ ruffian from Adwa.
If you were ever blessed to meet Teshome as I did on several occasions, you will be surprised to find a person of humility a person who is so down to earth. Unlike a lot of learned people it was very common to see Teahome having a hearty discussion on various issues not excluding current affairs with people of varying level of education. Teshome, a full professor of film and theater arts at one of the finest film school at prestigious University in the country, was such a character. He will surely missed by all.
It is sad to have great minds depart early. However, we shall treasure the times we had them for. My condolence to the family and friends of Prof. Teshome.
RIP
R.I.P prof Teshome.
My condolences to his family and friends; Rest in peace.
Dear Meaza,
Our heart broke into pieces earlier this week when we learned of the sudden, unexpected death of your dear husband,(Dr. Teshome) and we cannot imagine the depth of your sorrow.
We Love You
God Bless You
Gezahegn and Family
It was joy to hear him talk and laugh.
I will miss him.
R.I.P
Let God makes him to Rest In Peace!!!!!!
May your soul rest in peace my brother, and my condolences to all member of your family and friends.
Unfortunately, I will not be able to attend the service tomorrow. I will be on a plane. Teshome was a great mentor for me and my wife at UCLA in the 80’s. He was such a warm and open man. Thank you for the time we shared in and out of the classroom.
i love teshome… he was an awesome influence on me…