Omer Mohammed Ahmadi

Omer Mohammed Ahmadi aka Maroof was born on May 14th, 1984 in Elgin, Illinois. He was the son of Asif and Shamsi Ahmadi, and the youngest sibling among five brothers and three sisters.

During his childhood Maroof enjoyed playing with his siblings outside with nature, notably fashioning a Tarzan swing from a tree in the backyard and roaming the neighbor block with his three wheeler.

Upon his teenage years he managed through the tragic sudden loss of our mother and oldest sister through his love for music and taught himself electric guitar with an inclination towards the metal genre, particularly Black Sabbath and Randy Rhoads. He would later form a band with his friends and played locally outside of Atlanta, Georgia.

When he was not playing, he worked odd jobs such as a waiter, in a hardware store, or host for the popular live music venue Eddie's Attic in Decatur. He lived the unpredictable and chaotic life of a creative artist. He would depart for Alaska in 2019 to rediscover himself and escape that life. When he came back to Georgia, Maroof discovered God had blessed him with a child, Louisa. Around the same time, he had an awakening and discovered Christ. Fatherhood and his conversion and devotion to his Christian faith freed him from the tormenting pain he kept inside from the loss of our mother and sister.

He will be deeply missed by his brothers and sister, his daughter Louisa, his extended family, and the many friends and people whose lives he touched along the way. Omer's story was uniquely his own, and those who really knew and loved him will carry his memory forward—with gratitude for the time they shared with him and for the moments, music, laughter, and memories he leaves behind.