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Alumnus dies at 30

By Colleen Honigsberg

Oct. 16, 2003 9:00 p.m.

Abdullah Towfigh, a UCLA alumnus and former Daily Bruin
advertising display employee, died Oct. 10 due to complications
with leukemia. He was 30.

Towfigh, better known as Abdi to his friends, was diagnosed with
leukemia in early September when he underwent treatment at
Cedars-Sinai in Beverly Hills, but died from an infection he
developed after emergency surgery.

Towfigh left behind a loving family, friends and a
girlfriend.

“He meant the world to me,” said Guy Levy,
Towfigh’s best friend and former roommate, who met him while
working at the paper.

The Daily Bruin played an important part in Towfigh’s
life. His older sister worked had worked there before, so Towfigh
was introduced to the paper while in high school.

He became somewhat of an honorary member at The Bruin his senior
year of high school, and worked on the paper his five years at
UCLA, Levy said.

“It opened up whole new windows for him,” said Abby
Towfigh, Abdullah’s sister.

She added that though her father had wanted Towfigh to pursue
medicine, working at the paper prompted him to explore other career
options.

After graduating from UCLA in 1996 with a degree in
physiological science, Towfigh worked for a year at Crossroads
Elementary School in Santa Monica, then went to law school at the
University of Southern California.

Towfigh’s girlfriend, Marjon Ghasemi, said they met at law
school and had been dating for a year and a half.

Upon graduation from USC, Towfigh went to work as an associate
at a law firm.

In appreciation of Towfigh, his firm ““ Paul, Hastings,
Janofsky & Walker ““ has set up a trust in his name. The
trust will be dedicated to helping children with leukemia.

Towfigh was the youngest and only male child in his family. He
was born in Ohio, then lived in Iran and the south of France before
moving to Los Angeles in 1980.

“He was the fun-loving and energetic member of the
family,” Abby said, “He enjoyed life to the
fullest.”

A memorial service will be held Saturday at 2:30 p.m. at the
Pierce Bros. Westwood Village Memorial Park.

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