TMB Outside the Office – COVID-19’s Impact on the TMB Community
This article is not about COVID-19. It is about a man. A family man who doted on his son that many refer to as his mirror image. A man who self-studied and decided to convert to Islam as a young adult and spent the rest of his life living, teaching and preaching about the Holy Quran. A man who now has a scholarship in his name along with a Memorial at Clark State College, where he worked for 27 years as a Computer Technician.
This man’s name is Wali Shamsid-Deen (Arthur Muhammad). Mr. Shamsid-Deen passed away in early July after contracting COVID-19. He is the brother of one of our own, TMB employee Maxine Smith. Maxine works on the IWS BFM contract supporting IWS 5.0 as a Contracts Analyst. She always has a smile on her face and a kind word for friends, co-workers and strangers. She had to unexpectedly travel to Ohio in July to help bury her brother and celebrate his life.
When I spoke with Maxine, she described her brother as the comedian of the family. He loved to laugh and wasn’t satisfied unless everyone around him was laughing along with him. He was a talented singer who answered every question asked of him with a song. He was an avid reader with a voracious appetite for books – who even read the dictionary for enjoyment! He was referred to as a genius by all who knew him and NEVER met a stranger.
Wali Shamsid-Deen (Arthur Muhammad) graduated from Ohio Institute in Columbus, Ohio with honors as a Computer Field Engineer. He was also a Deans list student at Central State University. When he wasn’t spending time with family and friends or working, he liked to dabble in real estate, and owned several houses near his home in Springfield, Ohio. He was very active in his local community. He served as a Student Minister of his faith for many years where he once opened and presided over a Mosque. He was a member of the local Peace Keepers and the Urban League, where he often worked with local religious and community leaders.
He took COVID-19 very seriously. He wore masks, gloves and always observed social distancing. He purchased his own temperature gun and ensured that everyone with whom he interacted checked their temperature. Earlier this year, he walked into the hospital and never walked out. So, although this article is primarily about the man, his life’s story cannot be told without a recognition that it was cut short by this unseen virus. If a person who took such great care to protect himself and those around him from COVID-19 could be infected, we should all take notice. We should also be mindful of how our actions and choices can have tragic repercussions for those around us. Mr. Shamsid-Deen caught it from someone and there is a tragic lesson to be learned about actions and their consequences.
Maxine – please know that TMB is thinking of you and keeping you in our thoughts and prayers during this difficult time.
