Remembering Jonathan Bahm ’21 from the Fowler School of Engineering Community

The Cyber Smart Panthers team includes, from left, Tristan Chilvers, Kristina Nguyen, Jonathan Burns, Kiara Cardona, Jonathan Bahm and Rae Ross.

We are deeply saddened by the passing of Jonathan Bahm, a valued member of the Fowler School of Engineering community. As we grieve the loss of Jonathan, we hope to keep his memory alive by gathering and sharing thoughts and memories from our Fowler School of Engineering community. If you would like to share your own memories of Jonathan on this page, please complete this form: Remembering Jonathan. We will continue to add your thoughts and memories. Thank you.

Please feel free to reach out to the Fowler School of Engineering staff with any questions or concerns (engineering@chapman.edu)

“I happened to have the good fortune of getting to know Jonathan a bit in my database systems course in fall 2020. In the middle of the pandemic, with all of us tired of Zoom and struggling to stay motivated, I learned that I could count on Jonathan to show up to every class with his camera on, give me a smile and a wave when I greeted the class, and humor me by at least pretending to laugh at my bad jokes. He had a reputation in the School of Engineering for being a capable computer scientist, but I’ll remember him as someone who made the effort to show me kindness when I needed it most. My thoughts are with his family, friends, and everyone whose lives were made better by having him be a part of it.”

Dr. Erik Linstead
Associate Dean, Fowler School of Engineering

“What more can I say that we have not already heard about Jonathan. He’s was an extremely bright, respectful and sweet young man who had a tremendous future ahead of him. I am honored to have had him as a student. My thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends.”

Rene German

“I coached Jonathan grade school basketball in his hometown, Pittsburgh. He was the most polite and nicest kid on the team. I am devastated by the news of Jonathan. He had his life taken from him and did not deserve this. My thoughts and prayers go out to Jonathan’s parents, family and friends.”

Joe Perotti

“He was always a little on the quiet side, always kind, but he worked hard to get things done. He’d be serious and determined to get his code to work, and when it all came together he’d just light up, bouncing around the room with excitement. To see him overcome a technical challenge was a reward in itself. To see someone that was usually quiet get so happy just made everyone’s days better, every time. He worked so hard, accomplished so much, was such a pleasure to work with, and deserved so much more.”

Nicholas Mirchandani

“I got to know Jonathan after becoming friends from interning together at a game studio. From the first day I met him, he was always the most positive person in the room and was always so excited to learn more. He was extremely passionate about what he was doing, worked hard to make things creative, and was very kind to everyone around him without expecting anything from others. Through going online from COVID, I remember staying in touch with Jon and playing online games together when we weren’t working or in classes. His humor and childhood stories always made me laugh, and he was a truly genuine person. He will be very much missed. My thoughts go out to his family and friends.”

Mica Marietta

“Jonathan and I met and became friends in our fenestra group freshman year. He was always a sweet and positive person that would always put a smile on your face, even when we were hours deep on a coding assignment filled with errors. While our years at Chapman were short, I will never forget the friendship we had and the memories we made. I will miss him greatly and my heart goes out to his family.”

Raha Pirzadeh

“Jonathan was a kind, passionate and joyful person. I had the privilege of working closely with Jon in many classes while he was a game development pathway student here at Chapman and was always involved in extra curriculars within the program. Whether he was building (too many) games on the side, participating in showcases, or lending a hand to anyone who needed it, his commitment to his fellow students and passion for his work made him a joy in the classroom and friend to those he encountered.

Jonathan’s future was so bright. He had just wrapped up an internship and was excited to take that experience with him into industry and beyond. He had recently shared an interest in coming back and guest speaking for students, and had future ambitions of teaching. He will be deeply missed by myself and so many others. My condolences to all those who are dealing with this tragedy.”

Derek Prate

“My name is Adam Lumish and I had the great honor and privilege to teach Jonathan in 9th grade and help tutor him for the ACT/SAT exams….you will never meet a kinder, more receptive student and young man — thus the tragic news of his passing is devastating. Jonathan was a gift to everyone he came in contact with across both coasts of our nation. My heart goes out to his friends, classmates and professors at Chapman and especially his beautiful family: David & Amy his parents and Bryan & Evan his younger brothers….God Bless you all from Pittsburgh!”

Adam Lumish

“Jonathan was the most wonderful person I ever got the chance to know. He was kind and caring and wanted nothing more than to make other people happy. He loved his family and friends with all his heart, and he touched so many lives. He loved video games, his passion for making games was an obsession that nothing could stop him from pursuing. He was just getting started. I know he would have changed the world.”

Mary Kate Crittenden