Omar Essam Radwan

Omar was born on August 7, 1979, in Blacksburg, Virginia, to Wendy (née Shaffer) and Essam Radwan. He moved to Chandler, Arizona in 1984 and then to Oviedo, Florida, in 1990.

A very precocious child, he enjoyed learning and was very active and creative. He played soccer and excelled as a goalie and was a very proud Boy Scout. As a gifted student in elementary school, he learned how to build cameras which sparked a life-long interest in photography. As a high school student, he developed a passion for hip-hop music and art. He also developed an early interest in technology which he shared with his brother Adam. They both built, delivered, and set up computers for local school systems in Omar's first job after high school.

Omar began his college career at the University of Central Florida in 1998. He immersed himself in UCF's social life and joined the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity. He saved for years to buy turntables and hosted parties as a DJ throughout his college years. While pursuing a Bachelor's degree in hospitality management, Omar maintained his interest in technology and taught himself coding and web design. After his graduation in 2003, he pursued a professional career that reflected his diverse interests. He was a restaurant manager, a licensed international mortgage broker, a management consultant, and a business development manager. He eventually found his calling in information technology project management.

His curiosity led him to various hobbies. He enjoyed riding bicycles, motorcycles, and dirt bikes, racing go-karts, building aquaponics systems, gardening, primitive camping, experimenting with cooking (especially competing with Adam as to who could roast the best duck), creating physical and digital art, collaborating with musicians and photographers around the world, and collecting vinyl records, Matchbox cars, Legos, and anything related to The Simpsons.

Omar loved traveling. On one of his trips, he met his wife Ghada in Egypt in 2006. They were married in Giza, Egypt, in 2008 and lived in Abu Dhabi, UAE, until 2010 when they moved back to Oviedo, Florida, and had their son, Zane, in 2014. Omar returned to his alma mater in 2016 as an Information Technology Project Manager. He loved serving UCF and giving back to its community and often described his family as a UCF one, with each member being part of UCF through education, employment, or volunteer roles.

Omar is survived by his wife Ghada Baz, son Zane Baz Radwan, mother Wendy Shaffer Radwan, father Ahmed Essam Radwan, brother Adam Karim Radwan, grandfather Frederic Rugee Shaffer, mother-in-law Fawzia Aboul Fetouh Elzanaty, sisters-in-law Heba, Nuha, and Muna Baz, uncles Stuart Shaffer and Alaa Radwan, aunts Laila and Nagwa Radwan, and cousins Sarah Thompson, Terry Shaffer, Stephanie Shaffer, Ashraf Radwan, Ayman Radwan, Amira Radwan, Abir Osman, Amr Osman, Karim Nour, Tamer Nour, and Inji Elbanawy.

In Omar’s memory, a scholarship was established in his name at the University of Central Florida. The scholarship supports students pursuing education in fields related to Omar’s many interests. Click here to learn more and contribute.

Explore some of Omar’s artwork and adventure:

• Listen to music performed by artists from around the world and curated by Omar on KDip.

• Check out Omar’s bike riding challenge in Abu Dhabi, UAE, to raise money for Charity Water:

o Goal achieved!

o An interview with Omar and a map of his route

• Download and install fonts designed by Omar himself