Our dear colleague and cherished friend Gilbert Kombe passed away unexpectedly early Friday morning, November 6th, 2009, at Sibley Hospital in Washington, D.C. This website was set up for friends and colleagues of Gilbert Kombe as a space to share condolences, tributes, and memories of Gilbert with each other and with Gilbert’s family. We invite you to contribute your thoughts and memories in any way you can. These memories will be compiled into a book and given to Gilbert’s children, so that they will always know the wide net their father cast in his professional and personal life.
To make a contribution to the Kombe Children College Fund, please send your check, payable to Kombe Children College Fund, c/o Abt Associates, 4550 Montgomery Avenue, Suite 800 North, Bethesda, MD 20814-3343.
Read a 2004 profile of Gilbert’s professional life from his company’s website.
Read the announcement of Gilbert’s death from his company’s website.
November 11, 2009 at 3:25 pm
For Gilbert, From Leah…
Like me, I am sure many people who are trying to convey their feelings about Gilbert’s passing are finding it hard to know where to begin. I think it is because Gilbert was all-encompassing in many of our lives. Do I speak about his professional integrity and excellence, his personal touch, his dedication to his family, his ability to mentor and teach, his warmth, his patience, his tireless work ethic?
I worked with Gilbert in Ethiopia on a project that was engaging the private sector to diagnose and treat TB and HIV. It was a daunting task on many levels— politically, clinically, demographically, organizationally. When I was first tasked to help develop a supervision system for the clinics, I found myself drowning in what felt like endless limitations. Then, Gilbert and I went on a few site visits—assessing the clinics, the providers and the systems under which they operated. I listened to his questions and watched him problem solve on the spot—immediately diagnosing and correcting even the most complex issues. As he mentored me through the day, I knew that his approach had to be the main drive of my work—“fix it now, people are sick and dying.”
Along the way, Gilbert was the person I’d go to first to bounce ideas off of, problem-solve and brain storm. My work was always better after it went through is brain. And I was clearly not alone. I had to get creative to find ways to get some of Gilbert’s time. Fortunately, we both shared a love of running and when I was still living in the DC area or when I’d visit my family there, we frequented the same running trail. After passing Gilbert a number of times on the Sligo Creek Trail between Takoma Park and Silver Spring, we decided that we could run and talk shop. So, on a number of occasions, Gilbert and I would run along this trail at 6:30am and talk about how to diagnose extra-pulmonary TB or improve AFB testing procedures in clinics in Amhara. However, I had to talk fast as I could only keep up with him for about 2 miles—and I’m sure he slowed his pace considerably to accommodate me.
Gilbert’s teachings went well beyond my work life—particularly most recently. On July 22, 2009 I became a mother. My new and most important job—caring for my baby– allowed me to understand people in a whole new way and I recently recalled Christmas shopping with Gilbert in Addis last year. He was in search of the perfect gifts for his children. We spent hours going in and out of antique shops off of Churchill Rd looking for a shield for his son and a necklace for his daughter. Gilbert took this job as seriously as he did his job to help combat TB. While we shopped, he would hold up an object and tell me why his son would love this or why his daughter would not like that—he knew his children and he loved them above all else.
I wondered how he handled being away from them so often for work, but now I think I can guess. I think Gilbert would tell me to give work my best, but not to give it my all. Save my all for my family, for my daughter. And giving her my all does not mean being with her every moment. It means being a loving role model. This is the beginning of my 3rd week back at work after having my daughter. I still miss being with Lillis all day everyday, but Gilbert reminded me that it is important to show our children the importance of hard work that will hopefully benefit those who are less fortunate. So, Gilbert made drop off easier today because I know that I can love my daughter through my work… in addition to hugs and kisses.
To honor Gilbert this weekend, I spent it doing things I know Gilbert loved to do: to run, to spend time with the family, to laugh easily and to be gracious to everyone who crossed my path. I think we can all honor him by just putting a little more passion and compassion behind all that we do.
I will miss you greatly, Gilbert, but you have touched my life in a way that you will live in my work and in my parenting.