Bumedian Chin Duru - Obituary

umedian Chinyere Duru usually went by his middle name Chinyere or the shortened version Chin.  He made his transition to an angel in heaven at the young age of 46 (Born: June 23, 1975 in Denver, CO; Died: January 3, 2022 in Fort Washington, MD).  As is detailed below, Chin was a loving and faithful family man who loved to create things and to socialize.  Chin touched so many people in such a special way and his kindness and love will be missed by many.    Loved His Family Chin’s family and friends were very important to him.   Chin’s immediate family includes his father Chief/Dr. Titus Duru and his mother Lolo Rachel Duru. He also had 6 siblings (two brothers and four sisters), one sister-in-law, one brother-in-law and a host of other relatives including aunties and uncles, nieces and nephews.   Chin spent many of his formative years growing up in Nigeria.  He loved to tell stories of his time back home where he had the opportunity to learn from the elders in his family and his village. He would talk about the many stories he heard, the lessons he learned and the amazing things he saw while growing up there.  It was during this time, growing up in Nigeria, that he developed his love of cooking which led him to his lifelong desire to become a chef and own a catering company. Chin remained in close communication with his classmates from Nigeria, and was instrumental in organizing an on-going social connection which allowed them to organize scholarships and fundraising activities for less fortunate individuals home in Nigeria.  Family meant the world to Chin, and he enjoyed every moment he was able to talk to them on the phone and see them in person.  He was blessed to enjoy a very special relationship with his Auntie Veronica and her children Aghogho, Kayoma, Adjekono, and Victor Imene.  During the latter years of Chin’s life he enjoyed conversations with many members of Imene family multiple times a day.   He also went out of his way to make special connections with as many of his aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, cousins, extended family and adopted family members as possible.    One blessing surrounding his passing is the fact that he had the opportunity to talk with so many of the people he loved shortly before he was called home. Loved His Wife Chin was a loving husband and partner.  He loved to tell people that he and Kadira met on-line and that she was a tough cookie to catch.  He would say he had to go back to the drawing board to catch her and in the midst of his pursuit he wrote her poetry.  If you asked Kadira she would say the poem was terrible but he would quickly respond and say if my poetry was so bad look who is here by my side all these years later.  Chin was never shy to tell people all the things he loved and admired about his wife. His wife would want him to know how much she loved and admired his huge heart, his sense of humor, his positive outlook on life and his unbreakable faith and spirit.   Some of their favorite memories include playing games. Chin’s favorite game was Yahtzee, and it was nothing for him to roll three or four Yahtzees in one game. Chin loved traveling. Some of their favorite trips include visiting California, Bermuda and New York. He also loved going to the drive-in movie theater and spending the day fishing. Chin was an amazing companion who was always up for just about anything. In addition to being missed by his wife, Chin will also be missed by his beloved cat Dan and has been reunited up in heaven with his kitty Lucy. Loved People  Chin saw every person he met as a friend. He loved to meet new people and made it a point to make a personal connection with just about anyone he met.   Those who knew Chin know that he had a huge heart and an even bigger sense of humor.  He had a way of making any stranger a friend in a matter of seconds. One of Chin’s unique skills was the ability to greet people in an infinite number of languages. When he met someone from another country or who spoke a language other than English, he made it a point to greet them in their native language.  Then he would follow up and ask how to say a colloquial phrase in their language.  He would be so excited the next time he met someone that spoke that language to greet them in the native language and share a quick word or phrase from home. This is just one of the many ways Chin had of charming just about anyone he met.    Loved Life  Chin was an avid fisherman and enjoyed the thrill of being out on the water and waiting to see what he could catch.  He loved the thrill of dropping his line in the water and not knowing what was going to come up out of the water, even if sometimes it was only just a stick.  He loved to tell stories of his many fishing adventures and each time he told a story his fish would grow just a bit more in size.    Chin loved food and his culinary skills were unparalleled.  Many would call to ask him to cook a delicious dish and any time he catered the line would be around the corner to get a taste of his food.  He loved to mix things together, things no one else would ever imagine could go together. Somehow his mixtures always worked and he would have managed to create a new dish that would be sure to delight your palate. He truly enjoyed working at a number of steakhouses and restaurants where built strong relationships with many of his co-workers that he maintained for years after they had stopped working together.  Chin was an entrepreneur at heart and was proud of the businesses he started, Big Man Catering and KC Consulting.  As a caterer he serviced many events including parties, reunions and weddings. Through his catering company he developed a proprietary line of flavored olive oils and seasonings that were sure to add that special punch to any dish.  He launched his consulting business in 2021.  His consulting business ventures included assisting restaurants and other business to help increase their bottom line and using his incredible networking skills to connect people in the computer, diamond and personal protective equipment industries.  Chin was always on the hunt for the next big business venture and frequently sought after new ways that he could expand his business and networking opportunities.    Chin was a warrior who fought through numerous health challenges including over a dozen surgeries in 2021. In the final year of his life he lost his right leg resulting in an above the knee amputation. Despite the many surgeries and other challenges Chin maintained a positive outlook on life and fought to live each day to the fullest. One of his proudest moments in 2021 was receiving his prosthetic leg and working to be strong enough to take his first steps in over 10 months. Loved God Chin was a man of unwavering faith who was blessed with the gift of prayer and prophecy.  He reached and prayed for many.  During his life Chin used his special relationship with the Lord and his faith to spread the gospel and bring many believers into the kingdom of heaven.  He was bold in his belief and in the power of prayer.  Shortly before his passing, Chin posted a beautiful prayer on Facebook and via Messenger. He posted:   "When you know that God is with you, you’ll see God do amazing things. He can protect you, guide you, and make things happen that you could never make happen. Don’t go around feeling weak, intimidated, and afraid of what you’re up against. Just as with Elisha, you are so powerful and full of favor that even when the enemy does his best to defeat you, his best will never be enough. You cannot be defeated because you have the favor of God." Today’s Prayer: "Father, thank You that no matter what trouble I face, I can stay in peace knowing that You are with me, and You can turn every situation around and put an end to it. I declare that You are greater than any force that comes against me. In Jesus’ Name, Amen!" This post has so many important lessons and reminders for us to keep in mind as we go through our daily lives. Please keep these words in mind as we navigate these difficult times. There is no doubt that Chin is in heaven surrounded by his friends and family who passed before him, playing games, telling fishing tales, and talking and laughing with everyone around him. Chin is resting now with his Lord and Savior. His joy, warmth, and laughter will be missed by many. As a man of great faith, Chin would want us to celebrate his passing with great food, lots of laughter and reminiscing the love and light that he brought into this world. Acknowledgement To ensure the safety of all, the family has decided to hold a small, intimate celebration of life with his immediate family.  Aligned with the life Chin lived, later in the year, we will celebrate Chin’s life with an abundance of good food, laughter and time to share fond memories and stories. The family would like to express our extreme gratitude to the multitude of friends who have surrounded us with such a huge amount of love and support during this difficult period of loss and bereavement. The gestures of sympathy and acts of kindness are truly appreciated. May God continue to bless each of you.