Mr. John W. Corman
Mr. John "Jack" W. Corman (Political Science, 1967) passed away in November of 2023 at his home in Bangkok, Thailand. Jack was an Air Force Academy graduate and received his Masters degree in Political Science while at the East-West Center. He was a brilliant student and accomplished linguist.
Mr. Panchapakesan Subramaniyam
Mr. Panchapakesan “Mani” Subramaniyam (Population, 1992) passed away in September of 2023. Mr. Subramaniyam was the Secretary, Vice President, and founding member of the East-West Center Association Chennai Chapter. He was also the former Director of the Centre for Development Research and Training in Chennai, India, where he grew up. Mr. Subramaniyam worked as consultant to The World Bank (Public Health, Nutrition and Population Division), New Delhi and former Director of the DANIDA Health Care Project, Government of Tamilnadu. Mr. Subramaniyam became an alumnus of the East-West Center after his completion of the Methods of Multivariate Analysis Workshop in 1992. He co-wrote a translation of "India's Environment" which won the Best Book Award from the Tamil University, Thanjavur in 1986. He is remembered by his wife, Ms. Anusuya Subramaniyam, Mr. Venkat Subramaniyam and other family and the members of the EWCA Chennai Chapter.
Dr. Toufiq Siddiqi
Dr. Toufiq Siddiqi (Environment Program, 1977) passed away on June 8, 2023. He grew up in Hyderabad, undivided India and received his undergraduate degree in Math & Physics at Trinity College at Cambridge. He then received his PhD in Physics from Johann Wolfgang Goethe University in Germany. He later came to Hawaiʻi where Dr. Siddiqi joined the Environment and Policy Institute as a research scholar in 1977, leading and participating in multiple East-West Center (EWC) environmental and sustainability projects and collaborative activities over the next 18 years. In 2004 he became an EWC Adjunct Senior Fellow, where he mentored many young scholars and students, as he was a strong advocate for enhancing students’ education and understanding of South and Southeast Asia. He was a consultant to the United Nations Development Program, the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, and the US Agency for International Development. In 1989 Toufiq held the first global climate change workshop in the Asia Pacific region and in 1997, founded the organization Global Environment and Energy in the 21st Century. He was also a Lead Author for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and shared the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize with former US Vice President, Al Gore. Toufiq and his wife have been generous donors to the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa and the East-West Center. He is survived by his loving wife, Ulrike. Toufiq is remembered with deep affection and gratitude by the EWC community. A memorial service will be held on June 13, 2023 at 3:00pm at Hawaiʻi Memorial Park.
David Sanford
David Sanford (Art, 1965), 86, passed away on May 11, 2023. David began graduate school at UC Berkeley in 1960, but soon learned that the University of Hawaiʻi was opening an East-West Center and that American students accepted into that program would receive fellowships enabling them to undertake a study tour in Asia. David was among the first class of students entering that program in 1961. David has taught at UCLA, California State University Fullerton, UC San Diego, UC Berkeley, The University of Texas at Austin, Southwestern University (Georgetown, Texas), and Wheaton College (Norton, Massachusetts). He taught a variety of courses on the arts of India, China, Japan, and Southeast Asia, as well as art history surveys, introductions to the visual arts, seminars on portraiture, on problems and methods in iconography & iconology, and specialized independent study courses.
Hildegaard Verploegen
Hildegaard Verploegen (Government, 1963), 87, long-time reporter for the Honolulu Star-Bulletin, passed away peacefully on Monday, May 1, 2023, at the Northern Montana Care Center due to natural causes. Cremation has taken place, and her request was for no services of any kind. Holland & Bonine Funeral Home has been entrusted with arrangements.
Wali Naibi
A. Wali Naibi (Communication, 1971), 75, passed away on April 21, 2023 in Scottsdale, Arizona. Wali was born in Kabul, Afghanistan. Wali attended Kabul University and received a grant to study at the East-West Center. There he met Jackie, a grant recipient from Indiana and earned a Masters Degree in Political Science. Wali is survived by his wife of 54 years Jackie, daughters Nilufar, Mariam (husband Loren and family), granddaughter Hannah, and sister Zohra and family.
Joginder Singh
Joginder Singh (Communication, 1972), 97, passed away on March 19, 2023. In 1951, he joined the United States Information Agency (now the U.S. Department of State’s Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs Sections) in New Delhi, India. Joginder Singh worked for the American Library, New Delhi for 32 years – the last 10 years as the Library’s Director. Singh was named a "Library Superhero" by the Friends of the Library, Montgomery County, Maryland, USA in recognition of his support to the Montgomery County Libraries. He was married for 75 years to his wife, Late Mrs. Surjan Kaur, who passed away in 2021. He is survived by his Children, Grandchildren, Great Grandchildren, and Great-great Grandchild.
Note: The obituaries posted were sent by family and friends to the East-West Center Office of Alumni Engagement in 2023.
Mr. John W. Corman
Mr. John "Jack" W. Corman (Political Science, 1967) passed away in November of 2023 at his home in Bangkok, Thailand. Jack was an Air Force Academy graduate and received his Masters degree in Political Science while at the East-West Center. He was a brilliant student and accomplished linguist.
Mr. Panchapakesan Subramaniyam
Mr. Panchapakesan “Mani” Subramaniyam (Population, 1992) passed away in September of 2023. Mr. Subramaniyam was the Secretary, Vice President, and founding member of the East-West Center Association Chennai Chapter. He was also the former Director of the Centre for Development Research and Training in Chennai, India, where he grew up. Mr. Subramaniyam worked as consultant to The World Bank (Public Health, Nutrition and Population Division), New Delhi and former Director of the DANIDA Health Care Project, Government of Tamilnadu. Mr. Subramaniyam became an alumnus of the East-West Center after his completion of the Methods of Multivariate Analysis Workshop in 1992. He co-wrote a translation of "India's Environment" which won the Best Book Award from the Tamil University, Thanjavur in 1986. He is remembered by his wife, Ms. Anusuya Subramaniyam, Mr. Venkat Subramaniyam and other family and the members of the EWCA Chennai Chapter.
Dr. Toufiq Siddiqi
Dr. Toufiq Siddiqi (Environment Program, 1977) passed away on June 8, 2023. He grew up in Hyderabad, undivided India and received his undergraduate degree in Math & Physics at Trinity College at Cambridge. He then received his PhD in Physics from Johann Wolfgang Goethe University in Germany. He later came to Hawaiʻi where Dr. Siddiqi joined the Environment and Policy Institute as a research scholar in 1977, leading and participating in multiple East-West Center (EWC) environmental and sustainability projects and collaborative activities over the next 18 years. In 2004 he became an EWC Adjunct Senior Fellow, where he mentored many young scholars and students, as he was a strong advocate for enhancing students’ education and understanding of South and Southeast Asia. He was a consultant to the United Nations Development Program, the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, and the US Agency for International Development. In 1989 Toufiq held the first global climate change workshop in the Asia Pacific region and in 1997, founded the organization Global Environment and Energy in the 21st Century. He was also a Lead Author for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and shared the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize with former US Vice President, Al Gore. Toufiq and his wife have been generous donors to the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa and the East-West Center. He is survived by his loving wife, Ulrike. Toufiq is remembered with deep affection and gratitude by the EWC community. A memorial service will be held on June 13, 2023 at 3:00pm at Hawaiʻi Memorial Park.
David Sanford
David Sanford (Art, 1965), 86, passed away on May 11, 2023. David began graduate school at UC Berkeley in 1960, but soon learned that the University of Hawaiʻi was opening an East-West Center and that American students accepted into that program would receive fellowships enabling them to undertake a study tour in Asia. David was among the first class of students entering that program in 1961. David has taught at UCLA, California State University Fullerton, UC San Diego, UC Berkeley, The University of Texas at Austin, Southwestern University (Georgetown, Texas), and Wheaton College (Norton, Massachusetts). He taught a variety of courses on the arts of India, China, Japan, and Southeast Asia, as well as art history surveys, introductions to the visual arts, seminars on portraiture, on problems and methods in iconography & iconology, and specialized independent study courses.
Hildegaard Verploegen
Hildegaard Verploegen (Government, 1963), 87, long-time reporter for the Honolulu Star-Bulletin, passed away peacefully on Monday, May 1, 2023, at the Northern Montana Care Center due to natural causes. Cremation has taken place, and her request was for no services of any kind. Holland & Bonine Funeral Home has been entrusted with arrangements.
Wali Naibi
A. Wali Naibi (Communication, 1971), 75, passed away on April 21, 2023 in Scottsdale, Arizona. Wali was born in Kabul, Afghanistan. Wali attended Kabul University and received a grant to study at the East-West Center. There he met Jackie, a grant recipient from Indiana and earned a Masters Degree in Political Science. Wali is survived by his wife of 54 years Jackie, daughters Nilufar, Mariam (husband Loren and family), granddaughter Hannah, and sister Zohra and family.
Joginder Singh
Joginder Singh (Communication, 1972), 97, passed away on March 19, 2023. In 1951, he joined the United States Information Agency (now the U.S. Department of State’s Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs Sections) in New Delhi, India. Joginder Singh worked for the American Library, New Delhi for 32 years – the last 10 years as the Library’s Director. Singh was named a "Library Superhero" by the Friends of the Library, Montgomery County, Maryland, USA in recognition of his support to the Montgomery County Libraries. He was married for 75 years to his wife, Late Mrs. Surjan Kaur, who passed away in 2021. He is survived by his Children, Grandchildren, Great Grandchildren, and Great-great Grandchild.
Note: The obituaries posted were sent by family and friends to the East-West Center Office of Alumni Engagement in 2023.