Students Mourn Death of Abdullahi Mire ’26E

Abdullahi Mire ’26E, former co-president of the Charles Drew Pre-Health Society, Amherst College Emergency Medical Services (ACEMS) member, and a prominent figure in the Muslim Student Association (MSA), died in late November. His funeral was held in Springfield on Nov. 26. A memorial for Mire will be held on Dec. 10 at the Multicultural Resource Center from 2 to 4 p.m.

Mire pursued an unconventional track at Amherst, according to Zakaria Shenwari ’26E, taking semesters on and off since the fall of 2018, when he first entered the college. During his time on campus, Mire made many meaningful contributions to the communities that he cherished, from joining Dar al-Islam in Residence Hall A for morning prayers to lugging his speaker around to play music while working for commencement.

“No words, no matter how many, can do Abdullahi justice. I will always remember the sincerity of his faith and the strength he drew from it,” Ahmad Ziada ’26 said. “He lived with outstanding humility and gentleness that shaped the way he treated everyone around him. He was eloquent and genuine in his conversations, choosing his words carefully and with intention.”

Mire worked as a residence counselor on the First-Year Quad in his second year, as a research assistant in Julian H. Gibbs 1946 Professor of Chemistry David Hansen’s lab from 2020 to 2022, and as an information technology (IT) specialist during his time at Amherst. Despite majoring in biochemistry, Mire had many passions that spanned both natural sciences and the humanities — to Ziada, he was an “eloquent and witty” poet who could talk about “anything from religion to biochemistry to politics.”

“His mind was always running. Yet, beneath that vibrant energy was a deeply kind and thoughtful person,” said Amado Rosendo ’27, who first knew Mire through their shared biology course, “Being Human in STEM.” 

“I remember him coming up to me after I presented a short story, just to say he enjoyed listening to my voice and the flow of my piece. That was Abdullahi: fiercely himself, but always paying attention, always lifting up the people around him,” he said.

Outside the classroom, Mire was known for his outstanding skills in the FIFA video game series — being probably “the best player” who “always taught [his friends] with patience and a smile,” according to Rosendo and Ziada — and his extensive collection of perfumes, which he eagerly shared with friends. 

“He had a huge passion for fragrances … and at some point, he had a big collection, and shared some of his fragrances with me because he learned that I had this passion [for] collecting [them],” Shenwari said. “I still have some of the [perfumes]. Whenever I use them, I would be reminded about him … and that reminder will make me pray for him.”

What left an even more lasting impression on Mire’s friends was his “unapologetically candid” personality. Shenwari recalls that Mire would join “any event that is communal” with the MSA — from Friday prayers to driving to the mosque together — and had an “ability to befriend anyone” from the communities he was part of.

“He always had a way of getting you riled up, and then saying, ‘Hah, I rage baited you,’” Rosendo said. “He was a very unserious person, in the best way, which I think anyone would have loved to be around.”

Mire certainly left an impact that reached beyond this campus, with recent graduates reaching out to The Student to share their memories of time spent with him.

“Abdullahi was a dear friend whom I met only in my last year of college. He was one of the kindest people, always bringing good energy,” Ali Sbeih ’25 said. “Abdullahi was a genuine person whom you could talk to at any time. He would never complain, and you could feel at ease in his presence. I’m grateful I got to know him.”

Shenwari said he and a few of Mire’s close friends have been praying for him since learning of his death. 

“He had a way of filling a space with music, with ideas, and with his big, thoughtful laughter — the silence he leaves behind is profound,” Rosendo said. “I’ll miss him dearly, and I’ll always remember the brilliant, free spirit who once shook the Keefe and dorm walls with his playlist.”

Perhaps the best way to sum up Mire’s lasting legacy is found in his own poem, “Powerful Personal Poetry,” published on the “Being Human in STEM” initiative’s website.

“There is indeed no purpose to be found in an exhaustive search for purpose. you just go out there and do what you need to do on a daily basis. walk the walk. Don’t just talk the talk and think the think,” Mire wrote. “Keep moving forward.”