Obituary of Nana Offei-Addo

Nana Kwaku Offei-Addo, a Research Associate at Generation Bio, passed away after a long illness. He passed away at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston on Thursday morning, June 21, 2018; he was 27 years old. Kwaku was born on Wednesday, May 29th, 1991 in Accra, Ghana. At the age of 3, his family emigrated to the United States, living in both Sunderland and Arlington, MA until settling in North Billerica in 2003. The intersection of education with biblical thought was a very important part of the lives of Kwaku and his siblings. With this in mind, his mother homeschooled him until he was sixteen, engendering in him a strong Christian worldview. Nurtured by her teaching, he excelled in his studies, demonstrating a quick mind and a thirst for knowledge. His ardent search for knowledge and strong Biblical foundation prompted him to join the Royal Rangers, a program organized by the Assemblies of God Church. The Royal Rangers program is an activity-based, small group church ministry for young men. Activities are designed to encourage boys and young men in their walk with God. He earned the Gold Medal of Achievement (the equivalent of the Eagle Scout for Boy Scouts) as well as an additional distinction of a Saber for his pioneering knowledge, service to others, hard work, and leadership qualities. His excellent academic record allowed him to apply to and be accepted at the Pomfret School in Pomfret, CT, a private boarding school. It was a wonderful opportunity and experience for him. He excelled in academics and formed life-long friendships. He played soccer, wrestled, and was co-captain of the crew team. While at Pomfret he was in various leadership roles as a dorm prefect and a member of the Disciplinary Committee, all while taking a rigorous course load. All his experiences cemented his legacy as an exceptionally well-rounded student and secured his matriculation into Princeton University. In 2013, while at Princeton, he became ill. He did not want his illness to prevent him from pursuing his studies and living a normal life. He was so vibrantly full of life, that many of his classmates never even knew he was sick; such was his intense work ethic and interactions with others. However, the nature of his illness was such that he was hospitalized frequently and it took him two extra years to complete his degree. Triumphantly, he graduated in 2016 with his Bachelor of Science Degree in Molecular Biology. Concurrently with his studies, he was very active in the Princeton Christian Fellowship. It was a way to deepen and share his faith with his fellow students. He acted as a Prayer Leader and participated in retreats, worship services and prayer groups. When home in North Billerica, Kwaku was an active member of the Mount Hope Christian Center in Burlington. After graduating from Princeton, Kwaku began working as a research technician first at Dana Farber for a year and a half, and subsequently as a research associate at Generation Bio in Cambridge. He thoroughly enjoyed research, engaging with its rigorous process and improving his understanding of genetics. The company was only two years old, but he was excited that his research might someday help create medicines for people with genetic diseases so that they could live normal and productive lives. Little known to most, Kwaku was also passionate about art and writing. He enjoyed creating digital art, essays, and poems; he even had his own blog, www.onwordsthouart.wordpress.com. Kwaku didn’t want his life to be defined by his illness, but rather by his mindset of quiet, determined strength, incredible sense of humor, passionate defense of his interests through debate, love of athletics, academic pursuits, love of art, writing, the classics, and his faith, amongst other things. It gives his family great comfort to know that he has eternal life because of his faith in his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, to whom he had entrusted his life. Nana Kwaku is survived by his parents Samuel and Rosina Offei-Addo, as well as, his three younger siblings, Kwasi, Timothy and Abigail. Visiting hours will be held at the Edward V. Sullivan Funeral Home, 43 Winn St., Burlington, MA (Ext. 34 off Rt. 128/95 Woburn side) on Wednesday, June 27 from 4-8 p.m. Funeral Services will be held at Mt. Hope Christian Center, 3 McGinnis Drive, Burlington, MA on Thursday, June 28 at 10 a.m. Burial to follow in Fox Hill Cemetery, Billerica, MA. In lieu of flowers, memorials in Kwaku’s name may be made to Princeton Christian Fellowship, 24 Moore Street, Princeton, NJ 08542 http://pcfprinceton.org/give/ For directions see: www.mounthope.org.