Obituary of Abdul Wahid

Abdul Wahid was born on December 10, 1949, and was received into eternal life on August 31, 2024. Abdul hailed from Mankoso, a village in the Soppeng Riaja sub-district of South Sulawesi, Indonesia. He began his educational journey in Indonesia and later graduated from the Makassar Maritime Polytechnic (previously known as Sekolah Tinggi Ilmu Pelayaran Makassar), the oldest educational institution in the field of shipping or maritime in the eastern region of Indonesia. Although Abdul initially envisioned a career at sea, eventually working on few ships studying and maintaining turbines, generators, and many other machines, he soon discovered that his sea sickness would prevent him from pursuing this path. Ever tenacious and courageous, Abdul eventually emigrated to the U.S. He came to the United States just as many others have immigrated here, looking for a better life and to provide for the family he had left behind. For many years he provided for himself by taking miscellaneous jobs and working in restaurants. Eventually, he met his life partner and future wife Ada. They raised their family which included Jose Luis and Nurjannah. Abdul continued working as a cook and eventually continued his education at the College of Technology, and APEX Technical School earning a certification in Refrigeration, Air Conditioning and Major Appliances technology. Abdul was dubbed the Indonesian MacGyver by his family for being a DIY electrician/mechanic. His enduring curiosity and inventive spirit inspired him to develop devices that were ingenious, albeit occasionally perplexing! He held education and hard work in high regard, often advising his children and grandchildren to approach both with serious commitment and to always be punctual to avoid putting their jobs in jeopardy. Abdul was also extremely organized (something he passed down to his grandson Xavier), often putting things in chronological order. He was also an incredibly talented artist, a gift his grandson Tyler has also been blessed with. He chronicled his life, hoping that future generations would understand who he was and what his life was like. Abdul, a devoted Yankees and Giants fan, loved catching up on sports highlights and tuning into the news on the radio. He also enjoyed watching the nature channel and listening to both country and pop music. In addition to his love of machinery, Abdul also had a passion for cooking and baking. He worked at several establishments as a chef and baker, eventually co-owning Blossom Restaurant in Brooklyn, NY. Abdul also loved cars and would spend a great deal of time as a young man working on them. This may have been the impetus for him becoming a NYC Yellow Cab driver. He enjoyed driving that taxi, thinking nothing of crossing over four lanes to get a fare. He often regaled his family and friends with crazy stories. He had no shame in asking for gratuities and would simply say “we need to make a living.” For him, there was nothing like soaking up the nightlife that could only be found in New York City!

In this life, Abdul carried many titles, but the ones he treasured most were husband, father, and papa to his grandchildren. He was extremely devoted to his family. He stood in the gap as a father figure to Tyler and Xavier, frequently making time to take them to amusement parks, playgrounds, and aquariums. He insisted on celebrating everyone’s birthday with a huge dinner of your choosing and ice cream cake, and ALWAYS with the same birthday banner (that held up for decades!) in the background. Abdul was a man with a big heart – kind, caring, selfless, generous, and had a smile that lit up a room. He never had an unkind word for anyone and was always concerned about others. It wasn’t uncommon for him to whip up a meal – in record time – foranyone who graced his doorstep. He went above and beyond for his family.

He was light and he was love. He made sure that you felt seen and heard. To know him was to love him. Abdul leaves behind to cherish his memory his wife Ada; son Luis; daughter, Nurjannah; grandchildren Jose Jr., Marquez, Tyler, Xavier and Zya; mother-n-law Mildred, and a host of brother/ sister in laws, nieces, nephews, friends, and other love ones near and far.

Visitation at the Matthew Funeral Home, Inc., 2508 Victory Boulevard, on Monday, from 5:00 to 8:00 pm.