Vincent Christopher Okoye Sr.

Vincent Christopher Nwoye Okoye, Sr. passed away in his home after a long illness on May 13, 2021. He was 82 years of age. Born on May 8, 1939 to Ugonwaenyi Okoye and Regina Eligwalu Okoye (née Obi) in Enugo Village Ojoto, Anambra State, Nigeria, he was one of 4 children.

He was husband to Veronica Okoye (née Ebuzoeme) to whom he was married for 48 years; father to 6 children: Vincent Jr (husband of Magdalena), Rosemary, Francesca (wife of Paul), Anthony (husband of Karen), Mercy (wife of Justin) and Maximus; grand-father to 11 grandchildren: Olivia, Shaun-Trent, Anthony Jr, Maya, Grant, Victoria, Cadence, Kohana, Jonas, Ava and Maeven; brother to Gladys Okafor (née Ajuluchukwu) late, Elizabeth Ezeude (née Okoye), Victoria Oraemesi (née Okoye) and a half-brother Aghaobi Okoye late; and uncle to countless nieces, nephews and extended family in Nigeria and the United States. Vincent was a member of St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church in Abingdon, Maryland and was a Fourth Degree member of the St. Matthews International Council #11787 and Archbishop Francis P. Keough ASM #385 Knights of Columbus.

A research scientist with over 30 years in malarial research, Vincent received his Intermediate and Advanced Science Laboratory Technology Training from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria and his Master of Health Science in Tropical Public Health from The Johns Hopkins University School of Hygiene and Public Health. As a research associate, he conducted bench research into the biochemical and immunological aspects of malaria. He was an expert in the continuous in vitro culture of malaria parasites and the separation and purification of the various stages of the parasite, Plasmodium falciparum malaria which resulted in him being a co-recipient of a MacArthur Foundation grant.

Vincent’s expertise in malarial research led to careers at the University of Ibadan Department of Hematology (Nigeria), The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine (Baltimore, Maryland), Walter Reed Army Institute of Research Department of Hematology, Division of Medicine (Silver Spring, Maryland), Howard University Department of Microbiology, College of Medicine (Washington DC) and Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE), Kimbrough Army Community Hospital (Fort Meade, Maryland). He authored and co-authored a dozen scientific journal articles which contributed to the scientific understanding of how to control and eliminate malaria, a public health disease of which over 3 billion of the world’s population continue to be at risk of contracting.

Relatives and friends are invited to gather and celebrate his life and undeniable legacy at the Schimunek Funeral Home, 610 W MacPhail Rd, Bel Air, MD 21014, on Saturday, May 29, 2021 from 11am-3pm with services starting at 2pm. Private interment will be held in his home country of Nigeria.