By Beth Lederer

Yohannes “John” Tewolde has died. He was a beloved store merchant at Richmond Market. 

Tewolde became an American citizen eight months ago. He worked hard to provide for his family, to send his daughter to college and to achieve the American dream. He was a committed employee working seven days a week. 

On the evening of Aug.24, Tewolde tried to prevent a shoplifter from leaving the store with a few beers. Tewolde with a baseball bat in hand met the shoplifter at the front entrance of the Richmond Market. Tewolde wanted to have the beers returned or paid for. The shoplifter tackled Tewolde to the floor and then brutally struck him with the baseball bat that fell out of Tewolde’s hand upon falling. The shoplifter initially came into the store to steal a few waters and returned moments later to steal two beers.

 Tewolde, 60, was a recent heart surgery survivor. He passed away on Aug. 29, five days after being put in a coma, brain dead and in intensive care. His passing was devastating – the community was praying for a different outcome.

It turned from a robbery into a senseless murder. Maybe if Tewolde wasn’t such a great employee, so vigilant trying to protect the Richmond market, things could’ve turned out differently.

A heartbroken community and his family gathered for an emotional vigil on Aug. 31 to mourn Tewolde’s passing and to celebrate his beautiful life. A huge crowd showed up in front of the Richmond Market with an outpouring of love, leaving poignant notes on the window, bouquets of flowers, sharing stories about Tewolde’s decency and kindness, and singing songs.

Tributes poured in from one neighbor after another with stories shared about what Tewolde’s presence meant to the Outer Richmond. He was so kind, he showed he genuinely cared for customers who walked through the door. Neighbors showed how grateful they were for his kindness, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic when people were feeling alone and depressed.  

His warm smile and wave brought comfort to many residents of the neighborhood, and they gathered together to mourn him and reciprocated by showing how they appreciated his acts of human kindness. The neighbors knew him simply as “John” and for his beloved cat “Nancy.”

So many people’s stories are never told. They become another statistic of crime plaguing big cities. In the news, you hear about mass killings and homicides daily, though for a lot of people you never know their unique stories, who they were, and it is the family and friends who are left to grieve alone. It was so beautiful that the community came together for Tewolde and honored him and showed that his life mattered. His compassionate and caring personality brought solace to so many neighbors and they honored him back. 

Everyone processes grief differently. For the residents of the Outer Richmond, which has always been a relatively safe neighborhood, holding a large vigil for a crime victim is out of the ordinary. The neighborhood is not used to homicides. But, over the last few years and especially since the pandemic, there has been an increase in property crime. Garage, car and store break-ins – if you follow online forum Nextdoor – seem to be happening almost on a daily basis.

For a sleepy neighborhood where residents have always felt relatively safe, these crimes are weighing heavily on them. There is a lot of anger displayed on Nextdoor in response to all the problems that are plaguing San Francisco right now, and specifically in the Outer Richmond.

Raw emotions ran deep for many in the crowd. For many of these reasons, people showed up at the vigil, even if they didn’t personally know Tewolde. They wanted to show their support for the decent human being that he was. Tewolde truly cared about his customers, smiling, asking them questions, listening to their stories, and that was so beautiful to see in a world that is becoming more and more heartless. 

A lot of times, neighbors do not get to know their neighbors due to busy lifestyles and the disconnection because of social media. However, this incident was put on Nextdoor right after it happened and having it online really brought the community together to honor Tewolde. A GoFundMe page was also set up for Tewolde to help his family with expenses. 

So many people’s stories are never told. So many people die in vain, never appreciated for all they do. The vigil made it possible to spread the word about Tewolde’s kindness. His heart will live on through these shared stories. Even though his death was senseless and there are so many questions: “Why did this happen to such a kind-hearted person?” Tewolde was a hero, he was a warrior, and his connection to his customers was powerful.

Tewolde was known by his family as a loving father who worked seven days a week to take care of them. His daughter found out by the pouring of support at the vigil why her father loved to come to work each day and loved the neighborhood so much.

The community proudly sang “Amazing Grace,” “This Little Light of Mine” and “Lean on Me.” The singing was so beautiful and powerful. These memories of the vigil will last forever for those who attended and the love for Tewolde among the neighbors during the singing was heartfelt. Tewolde built this connection with the community he served, and the community will really miss him. The pain is deep; he didn’t deserve to leave our earth in this devastating manner. 

The singing was healing and helped relieve some of the pain. When a whole community is collectively touched by a neighbor’s passing, it shows what a kind, compassionate and decent soul he was.  Let’s pray that his legacy is ingrained in the community’s memory forever. 

Beth Lederer is a longtime resident of the Outer Richmond who attended the vigil. She is a freelance journalist and was touched by Tewolde’s story as she too was a longtime employee of a local store, Fabrix, and understands the sense of community Tewolde brought to the neighborhood with his presence at Richmond Market.