Tesfai Haile Ahferom

1931 - 2009

Tesfai Haile Ahferom 1931 - 2009 Tesfai Haile Ahferom, 77, died Monday, July 6, 2009 at home in Bakersfield. Tesfai was born in Asmara, Eritrea, on August 15, 1931. He later made his way to Egypt, where, because of his willingness to work hard, he was hired by an oil company, and afterwards transferred to Libya. He later obtained a Bachelor's degree in Geology, and the company later sent him to London for further studies, where he received a Master's degree in Micropaleontology, and he returned to Libya to continue working in the company's geological laboratory. Tesfai came to the United States in 1987 to begin a new life with his family. In 1998, he suffered a stroke and became partially paralyzed. In early 2009, he was diagnosed with cancer of the pancreas. He passed away in his sleep a few months later. Tesfai was a loving husband and a devoted father who tried very hard to build a strong Eritrean community wherever he lived. Tesfai is survived by his wife Fana, his son Yonas, his son Burhan and his wife Abigail, and his daughter Hana. A memorial and remembrance of Tesfai will be held on Saturday, July 11, 2009 at 12:00 p.m. at St. Demiana Coptic Orthodox Church (located at 9200 White Lane in Bakersfield). Funeral and burial will follow a few days later in Tesfai's hometown of Asmara.