cover photo courtesy of Bob Dahlberg
On Sunday, May 26, M-A student and football player Omar Hussain passed away due to an unexpected heart attack. Omar, a senior, was only two weeks away from graduating high school.
Omar played defensive end for the football team throughout all four years of high school and had a profound impact on everyone involved.
He was extremely passionate about the sport, and his immense love and care for both his teammates and the game shined through in every interaction he had.
Teammate and junior Xander Eschelman said, “Omar had an energy and positivity that was infectious, so it was really cool for us as a team to reflect this same energy back to him.”
During the off-season, when a teammate came to a difficult workout without water, Omar offered to share his water with him, even though his bottle was nearly empty.
Senior Aidan Anguiano, a fellow teammate and close friend of Omar, said, “My favorite memory of Omar happened in early 2023. We had just wrapped up our junior seasons and wanted to get some lifts in at his house. That was the first time he hit 205 pounds on bench press, and after he ran around the yard ecstatically. That was the fastest I’ve ever seen him run around, and celebrating that achievement with him was one of the most beautiful moments of my life.”
Anguiano continued, “Junior year, he got stuck on JV for football and, instead of sulking, he took it as a learning curve and came back his senior year better than ever.”
Omar’s kindness and team-first mentality made him an instant favorite. During an away game against the Mountain View Spartans, the M-A bench erupted into cheers after Omar recorded his first-ever high school tackle on his first snap of the game.
Eschelman said, “When he got that tackle, the sideline exploded. It was such a cool moment because it was genuine excitement from the team that he was able to be rewarded for all the things he did to put a smile on people’s faces. I hope we were able to do the same for him in that moment.”
Omar also always loved traveling and visiting different countries. “Omar’s known among us as the traveler of the friend group. He’s traveled almost all around the world, but he’s never been more ecstatic than when he visited Japan. He told me the culture and atmosphere resonated with him so much that he had aspirations of living and studying there one day,” said Anguiano.
Anguiano said, “I’m going to miss his jokes, his laugh, his stories of his travels, and his overall presence the most.”
Omar’s legacy of constant positivity, passion, and humor will never be forgotten.
Please donate to support Omar’s funeral and memorial services here.
