Just before Thanksgiving break, the community around Van Meter Elementary School learned of the death of one of their educators.
Omar Azzam Qawasmi, a teacher’s aide at the elementary school, died on Nov. 21, 2025 after a solo car accident. He was buried at Oak Hill Memorial Park in San Jose on Dec. 11, 2025.
Qawasmi was born in San Jose on Jan. 9, 1992, to Susan Navarrete Qawasmi and Azzam Qawasmi, according to his obituary on the Dignity Memorial website. He graduated from Evergreen High School in San Jose in 2010 and earned a bachelor’s degree in recreation, parks and tourism administration from San Francisco State in 2015. He was the director of the Van Meter Clubhouse before moving on to a para-educator role and pursuing his teaching credential. He also directed summer camps as Los Gatos-Saratoga Recreation site supervisor.
Several parents of students at Van Meter Elementary School expressed their grief over his death on his obituary page.
Michelle Huntley posted that her 7-year-old daughter, a student at the school, said Qawasmi was “nice to everyone…always kind and said ‘hello’ to everyone. He knew everyone.”
Another mother of a Van Meter student recalled that, when her son was not being treated well by other students at school, Qawasmi would guard him and “not let other kids hurt (him).”
“Van Meter Elementary will not be the same without Omar’s smiling, happy, warm and always friendly face around. He brightened everyone’s mood and genuinely cared about people,” Emily Baratzadeh said in a memorial post. “He treated kids as though they were family members, and I will truly miss seeing him around. He made a huge impact during his short time.”
Friends and family remembered Qawasmi as “a young man with dreams and ambitions which he worked hard to achieve,” often working two jobs to do so. According to his LinkedIn page, Qawasmi was consistently working and volunteering in his community. He held cashier and sales associate roles at different stores. He also had a long history of volunteering, from Key Club at Evergreen High School to a holiday toy drive at San Jose State University and chaperoning kids’ activities at Pacific Coast Fog Fest. He interned with the Pomeroy Recreation and Rehabilitation Center and Santa Clara County Parks. His career in recreation continued through roles in the San Francisco Recreation & Parks Department and Belmont Village Senior Living.
Qawasmi was also one of the first employees at Fox Tale Fermentation Project in downtown San Jose. Brewpub owners Wendy and Felipe Bravo said he was “supportive, kind and always willing to help.” The Bravos recalled that he would be genuinely happy when he came to work every day.
“He cared deeply about what we were building, about his friends and family, and even about our customers,” the Bravos said in an email to this news organization. “He took a real interest in the lives of others and always wanted to know that the people he loved were doing well.”
Qawasmi had moved from San Francisco back to San Jose around the time his mother passed away in 2018. His community remembered that he he cared for her in her final days, saying, “It was undoubtedly the saddest time of his life.”
Qawasmi is survived by his father, his partner Burgandy Barboza, and many friends and relatives.
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