Lamech N. Oruta

Lamech Nyakundi Oruta was born at Kisii General Hospital in Kisii town, Kenya, on the 3rd of January 1952 to Mama Eunice Kerubo Oruta and the late Jameson Oroni Oruta. He was the firstborn in Mr. and Mrs. Oruta’s family. Lamech spent his early childhood in Kisii town and when it was time to start school, he was enrolled at St. Mary’s Nyabururu boarding school in 1964. He completed primary school and was enrolled at Kamagambo Secondary School, where he graduated in 1971. Thereafter, he travelled to Ethiopia and enrolled himself as a college student at Ethiopia Adventist College in Kuyera. After one semester, he transferred to Middle East College in Beirut, Lebanon in 1973, where he pursued a degree in biology. Unfortunately, the college closed down in 1976 due to civil war. That was when Lamech was forced to flee to Sweden where he worked for about two years. In 1978, he traveled to the United States and enrolled at Andrews University. He finally graduated in 1981 with a BSc in Agriculture and a minor in Biology. He then did graduate studies in Counseling, a specialty that he used as a social worker in Chicago from 1986 to 1993. From there, he settled in South Bend, Indiana, and started his own business as a social entrepreneur. While he provided for his own financial needs, he fed and cared for the homeless and met the needs of friends and strangers on a daily basis. That was his call and passion. He remained a faithful Seventh-day Adventist Christian until his last day.

Lamech enjoyed good health for most of his life until he checked himself into St. Joseph Regional Medical Center on the 28th of February, 2023. He was immediately admitted, after the doctors saw his condition and ran tests. They found that he had late-stage liver cancer. They tried various treatments without success. His brother Larry and friends who visited him at his bedside say that he was as calm and friendly in his last days, just as he always was. After 3 short weeks at the hospital, Lamech bid farewell to this earthly life on 14th of March 2023.

Lamech was preceded in death by his father, Jameson Oroni Oruta, brothers Andre Obinchu Oruta and Tom Ogega Oruta and his sister, Daphine Kwamboka Oruta. He is survived by his loving mother, Eunice Kerubo Oruta, his brother George Kombo Oruta, Lawrence Mauti Oruta, and Everlyn Moraa Oruta. He was a cousin to Esther Kaburi, Elizabeth Nyabochwa Nyamwaro, Pamela Masese, William Ogaga, Simon Nyakundi, Robert Ogati, Kennedy Onderi, Kennedy Nyaboga and others. He was an uncle to Wendy Moraa, Dr. Tiddy Mauti, Manuel Onderi Mauti, Karen Nyaboke Mauti, Simon Ongati Kombo, Diana Kombo, Jamal, Simon Onderi, Micah Ogega, and Nick Obinchu among others, and a grandfather to several grandnieces and grandnephews. Lamech leaves behind many other members of his larger family, friends, co-workers and neighbors who are too many to list here. He will be dearly missed.

Fare thee well our brother. We love you. Rest in Peace.

Services for Mr. Oruta will be held on Friday March 24, 2023 at 10 A.M in the chapel of Alford's Mortuary, 1222 Napier Street, South Bend, Indiana 46601. Friends may visit with the family an hour prior. Burial will follow at Mount Pleasant Cemetery. Arrangements have been entrusted with Alford's Mortuary Inc. 

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