[PullQuote1 quote=”What I will always remember about Fumi is that contagious smile of his.” author=”Roland Razburgaj” title=”Hometown Friend”]Fumitoshi Yonemura, known by his friends as “Fumi,” died early Friday morning after being struck by a vehicle on State Street. He was seen by fellow students as a quiet young man who smiled a lot.
Yonemura, 18, from Novi, Mich., was a freshman in the biotechnology program and a sprinter in his first year on the Ferris Track and Field team. He lived in Henderson Hall.
Roland Razburgaj, a hometown friend, recently shared some thoughts with the Torch about Yonemura.
“I will never forget the last day I saw him…unfortunately, I no longer have the privilege of seeing him here on earth, but I hope the day will come that I’m fortunate enough to join him in heaven and see him once more,” said Razburgaj.
Razburgaj and Mardan Sattar, another hometown friend, both attested to Yonemura’s skills as an artist. He had promised to help Sattar finish a drawing over Thanksgiving break that they were working on.
“The drawings mean a lot to both of us, and we will certainly keep them forever,” said Razburgaj.
Another characteristic that his friends remembered him for was his smile.
“What I will always remember about Fumi is that contagious smile of his. All he had to do was smile, and whatever worries you might have had would just disappear for that moment,” said Razburgaj.
Yonemura was also a track runner in high school and an accomplished student, choosing to attend Ferris over the University of Michigan for its biotechnology program. He took advanced placement classes in multiple areas and had a strong work ethic both in the classroom and out on the track.
His track friends here at Ferris, although only knowing him for a few weeks, have felt the impact of losing a teammate.
“We were just starting to get to know each other,” said track coach Steve Picucci. “He had only been training with us for about six weeks, so this came at a pretty tough time.”
“Fumi was a very surprising addition to our team, he was a very quiet kid that no one really knew much about,” said teammate Justin Price. “The surprising part came during our tryouts just a week before his death, when he shocked a lot of the older guys on the team with his speed and explosiveness.”
There have been two Facebook groups created in Yonemura’s remembrance where fellow students and friends have been leaving comments in his memory. The service for Yonemura was held on Sunday, Oct. 25 at the O’Brien-Sullivan funeral home in Novi.
“He came from a very respectable family. They are some of the nicest, most wonderful people anyone can ever meet. It was truly an honor to be a part of Fumi’s life. He will be deeply missed,” said Razburgaj.