Yohannes Woldemariam

Yohannes Woldemariam, 93, the beloved patriarch of our family, entered the arms of his Savior on April 4, 2024, at his home in Winston-Salem, NC, of complications from cardiovascular disease. He was surrounded in death by his loving family and friends. Born on January 17, 1931, he lived a life marked by compassion, integrity, love and dedication to his family and to his profession.

From his early years, Yohannes exhibited a remarkable ability in mathematics and a passion for learning. Yohannes pursued his education with diligence, traveling to England on an Ethiopian government scholarship to study engineering and mathematics at Loughborough University (Diploma, 1955), and eventually earning a Ph.D. in Civil Engineering on a Fulbright Scholarship at Oklahoma State University in 1971, which laid the foundation for a long and successful career, which included a decade of teaching at Addis Ababa University, where he was Associate Dean of Faculty. 

Professionally, Yohannes was known for his exceptional work ethic and unwavering commitment to excellence. Yohannes was a lead Engineer at several companies throughout his career and made significant contributions to projects in Ethiopia as the Director of Public Works, as well as to the Bay Area’s bridge, building and road infrastructure during his career with the Alameda County Public Works Agency. His skills and professionalism inspired those around Yohannes and left a lasting impact on his colleagues and peers.

Beyond his professional accomplishments, Yohannes helped start and served on the Board of Hope Enterprises, a ministry to the youth of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Hope Enterprises is now an international organization, with headquarters in Brazil. In his free time, Yohannes pursued his passions, which included learning all manners of software languages and keeping up to date with technology. Very recently, he completed a civil engineering app called CivilPack, a 6-app suite of Civil Engineering tools, that is now on Google Play and the Apple App Store. The culmination of 75 years of civil engineering knowledge and 25 years of programming knowledge, it is a legacy that will remain for many years. 

Yohannes was a devoted husband (64 years of marriage), a loving father, a grandfather of four, and friend to all who knew him, including his extended family and church communities. He is survived by his loving wife, Gidei Z. Woldemariam, his children Daniel, Lily, Alex, and Fassil, and grandchildren Wintai, Nicholas, Zachary, and Gabriella, as well as his sister Laura and brother Mosses. Left also to mourn are his daughters-in-law: Kelli (Fassil), Karen (Alex), and Tracy (Daniel), all of whom loved him like their own father. He will be deeply missed by all who came in contact with him. Yohannes cherished the many holidays and moments spent with family and friends, especially this past year, creating memories that will be treasured forever. His kindness, generosity, and sense of humor endeared Yohannes to all who had the privilege of knowing him.

Yohannes approached life with a strong love of family and friends. He leaves behind a legacy of love, kindness, and resilience. His memory will be cherished by his beloved family, as well as the countless lives Yohannes touched throughout his lifetime. He will be missed. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to Hope Unlimited For Children, the legacy of the ministry that Yohannes helped establish (https://hopeunlimited.org/planned-giving/).