Beloved Oberlin College professor remembered after tragedy

The Oberlin community is mourning one of its own after a renowned photographer and beloved Oberlin College professor was killed earlier this week: Pipo Nguyen-Duy.

Bright blue skies and fall foliage stood in stark contrast to the feeling on campus Friday.

"The fact that you can be talking to someone one day and the very next day they're just completely gone, it's crazy," said student Colby Chase.

Fellow student Evan Lee added, "It's a hard time. It takes time for every one of us to digest that."

On Wednesday, police said Nguyen-Duy and his wife, Tran Thi Phong, were found fatally shot at their home on S Pleasant St.

Daniel Jones, 31, was arrested and charged for the deaths of his father and stepmother.

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The loss has rocked the close-knit college community.

"He was more than a professor. And I think that's really unique here. He was like family," said student Liam Donahue, who has been in Nguyen-Duys photography program for the past 2 years.

Nguyen-Duy came to the U.S. from Vietnam in the mid-70s as a political refugee and had been teaching at the college since 1998. He was also an award-winning photographer and Guggenheim Fellow. Some of his work is now on display at the Allen Memorial Art Museum on campus.

The college described him as a cherished colleague and a vibrant presence in the classroom and throughout campus.

"My work is so different than when I got here, and it's in a beautiful way, because of how he pushed me," Donahue said. "There's no way to talk about him that doesn't reduce him down to less than he was because he was beyond anyone I had ever met before."

Other students remember Nguyen-Duy's ping-pong talents.

"He sometimes would play around with us. I played several games with him and was beaten by him every time," Lee said.

In a video shared to the college's social media last year, Nguyen-Duy himself shared other facts about himself.

"I can't live without my camera, I can't live without my motorcycle and I cannot live without my Vietnamese food," Nguyen-Duy said.

Donahue said hell remember his professor's creativity, humor, compassion and impact on the students who knew him.

"I'm never going to forget the influence that he's had on my life so far, my life as an artist and my life in general," he said.

The college is finalizing plans to memorialize Nguyen-Duy and is offering support to anyone affected by the tragedy.

You can read more about Nguyen-Duy and read memories shared by colleagues and students by CLICKING HERE.

Catherine Ross is the Lorain County reporter at News 5 Cleveland. Follow her on X @CatherineRossTV, on Facebook CatherineRossTV or email her at [email protected].