Dr. Elias Alexander Mapis

Dr. Elias Mapis, age 69, died February 12th, 2021 after a long battle with the CoronaVirus. He was preceded in death by his Mother Gachomo, and his brothers Jonah and Abraham. Some of you may know him as Dr. Mapis, Professor, Eli, Dara, and more recently Papa, a simple indication of how he meant so much to a lot of people. His family knows him as a kind, caring, hard-working, son, brother, husband, father, and grandfather who is always the first to call and wish you a happy birthday, visit you if you are ill or help if you are in need. A man with a great sense of humor, always the life of the party, with a distinct signature laughs you could hear from a mile away. Since his early years in Kyarang, Barkin Ladi and Jos Plateau State in Nigeria, the family has always been front and center. As the firstborn, he was forced to grow up at a young age after his mother passed when he was 20. Since then, he has tried to be there for his dad, siblings, the extended family than his wife and kids. Since becoming a grandpa, he always found a reason to visit and spend time with his grandkids. He enjoyed the long family dinners, holiday and birthday celebrations, calling and visiting family and friends both here and in Nigeria. He is willing to travel to every remote village when he knows he has any extension of his family, especially if it gives him the opportunity to speak any of the languages that he loves so much, such as the Berom dialect. He also enjoyed watching the news, his favorites were Channel 6, CNN and 60Minutes, and he loved watching college football most especially Ohio State Buckeyes. Life in the United States has not always been rosy for Papa, when he decided to relocate his family to the United States it took over 15 years to get the immigration status needed to legally bring all of his family. That was a long and challenging time for the family, and a true test for his marriage, his patience, and resilience. The fact that he was still married to Mom speaks volumes about their love for each other, and his dedication to his family. Dr. Mapis believed in a lifetime of learning. His education started when he followed his cousin, Albert to school even though he wasn’t tall enough. He told us how back then, you have to be tall enough to touch your opposite ear with your arm over your head in order to enroll in Gigiring Primary School. Even though he was too young to start school, he continued to attend class with his cousin every day until the teacher realized he was one of his best students. The teacher advocated for him and got him officially registered. He went on to get his bachelor's degree from Slippery Rock University, 2 Master Degrees from The Ohio State University, and a Ph.D. from Walden University. And he instilled the same passion for learning in his children, with all of them having graduated from Accredited Universities. He got his first job when he wrote a letter to the governor of Plateau State, Joseph Gomwalk, to expose corruption in the state’s hiring process. The governor was so impressed, he sent a car to pick him up from the village (kyarang) and the rest is history. He worked for the State House of Assembly for over 12 years until he got a scholarship to study in the United States. While studying in the United States he worked as a librarian at Slippery Rock University, later as a consultant at a Juvenile Detention Center, and then as a Taxi Driver when he moved to Ohio State from Pennsylvania. He had a near-death experience when he was shot multiple times by a couple of juvenile passengers who did not want to pay after the ride. That was a life-changing experience that led him to quit driving the taxi and start “Central Point Liquor Agency” where he dedicated the past 25 years of his life. He is survived by his wife Mary, who has been by his side for 42 years, Daughter Gachomo, Sons Mangai, Mapack and Jakak, Father Da Mapis, Brothers Daniel, Sisters Rifkatu and Mary; His grandchildren Malan, Desta and Isidore, and many in-laws, cousins, nieces, and nephews, and more extended family members to mention names.