Brad Gasser

Bradley Anthony Gasser, born June 12, 1985, in Lima, Ohio, passed to perfect peace Wednesday, July 24, 2024, in Bujumbura, Burundi, East Africa, among the students, staff, and community he had grown to love and serve. He is survived by his parents Sonny (Robert) and Janice (Langhals) Gasser of Findlay; his beloved brothers Andrew (Jennifer Bockrath) of Katy, Texas, and Ryan (Taylor Garlock) of Findlay, his treasured nieces Lydia, Charlotte, and Evelyn Gasser, and his dear grandmother Dorothy Gasser as well as aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends from the US to Africa. He was preceded in death by his grandparents Robert Gasser and Anthony and Marie Langhals.

After graduating from Ottoville High School as valedictorian, he graduated Magna Cum Laude from Bowling Green State University in 2009 with majors in both philosophy and psychology. He graduated from the University of Southern California with a PhD in neuroscience in 2016 where he worked at the USC Brain Project. He co-founded the USC Young Researchers Program for disadvantaged youth as well as the USC Distinguished Guest Speakers Lecture Series. While there he developed life long friends, a passion for rock climbing and the national parks.

Brad joined the United States Peace Corps in Cameroon from 2016-2017 where he taught mathematics and computer science at Government High School, Mbingo. He found his home and family-away-from-home at Tujenge Africa Foundation, Bujumbura, Burundi, in 2018 where he developed the curriculum as STEM and Humanities instructor and was the financial aid facilitator. He lived and worked at Tujenge and immersed himself in the community whom he loved and who loved him. He embraced the Burundi value UBUNTU- "humanity to others."

"A good teacher is like a candle-it consumes itself to light the way for others" and Brad was that candle for so many. Tujenge's graduates are attending universities all over the world and across the United States and will, in their own ways, change the world for the better, which was Brad's challenge to them. In this way his candle will always burn.

His students have held a heartfelt memorial service at Tujenge and his service stateside will be a private family one with Fr. John Stites officiating at Hanneman Funeral Home, 201 Osborn Avenue, Findlay, Friday, August 2nd at 3:30 p.m. The family asks that in lieu of anything else, donations be made by selecting the Brad Gasser Memorial Scholarship Fund at www.gofundme.com which supports Tujenge's students' school fees and living expenses. A description of the scholarship and its mission can be found there. Or send donations directly to the family who will facilitate the transfer of the donation to the scholarship fund.

Brad taught us all that "the best way to find yourself, is to lose yourself in the service of others." His life and his memory are our blessings.

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