Tributes from friends and family are pouring in for long-time Bahrain resident Abraham Koshy, who died after suffering an unexpected heart attack.
The 59-year-old Indian expatriate had lived and worked in Bahrain as a civil engineer for 33 years.
Mr Koshy died on August 16, and after being repatriated, his funeral was held in his hometown of Kottayam, Kerala, on August 20.
“It was a touching funeral attended by a great many of his friends and family, including people in India, current Bahrain residents who flew to India for the funeral, and previous residents who have since returned to India,” his daughter Hannah told the GDN.
Mr Koshy had arrived in Bahrain in 1993 and throughout his career, worked on residential, commercial, industrial, infrastructure and religious projects that have come to define the cityscape of modern-day Bahrain.
Some of his recent projects included the utilities for the Bahrain Metro project, the Rashid Al Zayani Mosque, Oasis Mall Juffair and Al Lawzi Township.
His final position was as chief project manager at Egis in Manama.
His wife, Elizabeth John, moved to Bahrain after they got married in 1996 and continues to work in the kingdom as a senior electrical engineer.
Their three children, Hannah, Ivan and Ryan, were born in India and grew up in the kingdom.
Hannah and Ryan are based in India, while Ivan works as an engineer in Bahrain, which they consider to be their ‘home away from home’.
“He was a big believer in imagination and fostered that in us,” Ms Hannah added.
“There are many favourite memories but some have to be when he read to me as a child, or when Christmases were gala children’s parties where he’d be Santa, or even the time he drove me to school when I missed the bus before an important exam, and he played my favourite music to help calm my nerves.”
Mr Koshy was also a founding member of the Kerala Engineers Forum in Bahrain (KEEN4). Outside of work, he was an active member of the Mar Thoma Parish and loved reading, travelling and good food, often frequenting the baklawa and kebab shops in the kingdom.
“My memories of Abraham Koshy stretch from our college days to the time we spent in Bahrain,” said a close friend, Pradip Unni.
“He was one of my closest friends. A person I could call at any time, even in times of trouble.
“He always came to help. Abraham was always cheerful, having a nice hearty laugh and was a great conversationalist. I will miss the long chats we had.”
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