IN LOVING MEMORY OF
Josué Njock
Libii
October 14, 1949 – October 2, 2025
Obituary
Josué Njock Libii
(October 14, 1949-October 2, 2025)
Fort Wayne, IN—Josué Njock Libii passed away on October 2, 2025, after an illness, with his wife and steadfast caregiver, Louise, by his side until the end.
Josué grew up in rural Cameroon, West Africa, where he excelled as a young student. In 1969, he received a prestigious scholarship to attend college in the United States, where he studied engineering at the University of Michigan. He remained a proud and avid Wolverines football fan throughout his life. (Go Blue!)
Josué met his wife, Louise, while in graduate school at the U of M, and they remained happily married for the next forty-six years. Together they built a warm and loving home, raised two wonderful children, and nurtured a large and vibrant community of extended family and friends. Through their relationship, they modeled intelligence, imagination, deep caring, and lasting commitment.
When Josué graduated with a PhD in Mechanical Engineering, his love of academia led him toward teaching. He returned to Cameroon with his family and taught at the University of Yaoundé for several years. His next career shift brought him back to the U.S. as a professor at Purdue Fort Wayne, where he taught fluid mechanics for the remainder of his career.
During his 35-year tenure at PFW, Josué was beloved by his students and found deep joy in teaching. He won and managed several significant National Science Foundation grants over the years, served as interim chair of the engineering department, served on the regional accreditation panel, participated in numerous professional committees, and founded a summer Math and Science Camp for middle school students, which he personally oversaw for nine years. He retired from PFW as Professor Emeritus, in recognition of his lifetime of dedicated service to the university.
Josué's children were his pride and joy. People he met couldn't be in conversation with him for long without learning that his son's first feature film premiered at Sundance Film Festival last year, or that his daughter is the author of numerous award-winning and bestselling books for children and teens. He was a warm and devoted father who dedicated his life to making sure his family had access to opportunities he couldn't have imagined growing up. He instilled in his children self-confidence, ambition, and a strong work ethic, all the while giving them a firm foundation from which to enter the world.
Josué was an avid sports fan, a self-proclaimed "news junkie" and a charming conversationalist. He loved asking questions of people he met, to learn about their lives and to understand more about the world. His memorable smile preceded him into every interaction. He was a Presbyterian elder, active for many years at First Presbyterian Church in Fort Wayne. He proudly embraced being a third-generation Presbyterian elder, after his father and grandfather before him, and a meaningful moment of his life was witnessing his daughter continue the family tradition into a fourth generation. He was a weekly churchgoer, a deep lover of Christian hymns and music, and his steadfast faith sustained him day by day.
Josué is survived by his devoted wife, Louise Magoon; his daughter, Kekla Magoon; his son, Kobi Libii, daughter-in-law Elizabeth Hanly, and two grandsons; as well as his siblings Alice, Henri, Rose, and Eliezer; and numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, Pierre Libii and Martha (Njock) Libii; his American host parents, Clare and Sandy (Rutledge) Lake; and his siblings Phillip, Joel, and Martha Libii.
Service is 4:00 pm, Wednesday, October 8, 2025 at Fairhaven Funeral Home and Cremation Services, 6557 N. Clinton St., with calling beginning at 1:00 pm until the time of service. A private burial will take place at Concordia Cemetery Gardens, Fort Wayne, IN. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to one of the following organizations:
The Madina Village School, located in West Africa and founded by a Fort Wayne resident:
P.O. Box 15869
Fort Wayne, IN 46885
https://madinavillageschool.org
National Society of Black Engineers, founded by Purdue students in 1971, which provides scholarships and more:
205 Dangerfield Rd
Alexandria, VA 22314
https://nsbe.org
Fort Wayne, IN—Josué Njock Libii passed away on October 2, 2025, after an illness, with his wife and steadfast caregiver, Louise, by his side until the end.
Josué grew up in rural Cameroon, West Africa, where he excelled as a young student. In 1969, he received a prestigious scholarship to attend college in the United States, where he studied engineering at the University of Michigan. He remained a proud and avid Wolverines football fan throughout his life. (Go Blue!)
Josué met his wife, Louise, while in graduate school at the U of M, and they remained happily married for the next forty-six years. Together they built a warm and loving home, raised two wonderful children, and nurtured a large and vibrant community of extended family and friends. Through their relationship, they modeled intelligence, imagination, deep caring, and lasting commitment.
When Josué graduated with a PhD in Mechanical Engineering, his love of academia led him toward teaching. He returned to Cameroon with his family and taught at the University of Yaoundé for several years. His next career shift brought him back to the U.S. as a professor at Purdue Fort Wayne, where he taught fluid mechanics for the remainder of his career.
During his 35-year tenure at PFW, Josué was beloved by his students and found deep joy in teaching. He won and managed several significant National Science Foundation grants over the years, served as interim chair of the engineering department, served on the regional accreditation panel, participated in numerous professional committees, and founded a summer Math and Science Camp for middle school students, which he personally oversaw for nine years. He retired from PFW as Professor Emeritus, in recognition of his lifetime of dedicated service to the university.
Josué's children were his pride and joy. People he met couldn't be in conversation with him for long without learning that his son's first feature film premiered at Sundance Film Festival last year, or that his daughter is the author of numerous award-winning and bestselling books for children and teens. He was a warm and devoted father who dedicated his life to making sure his family had access to opportunities he couldn't have imagined growing up. He instilled in his children self-confidence, ambition, and a strong work ethic, all the while giving them a firm foundation from which to enter the world.
Josué was an avid sports fan, a self-proclaimed "news junkie" and a charming conversationalist. He loved asking questions of people he met, to learn about their lives and to understand more about the world. His memorable smile preceded him into every interaction. He was a Presbyterian elder, active for many years at First Presbyterian Church in Fort Wayne. He proudly embraced being a third-generation Presbyterian elder, after his father and grandfather before him, and a meaningful moment of his life was witnessing his daughter continue the family tradition into a fourth generation. He was a weekly churchgoer, a deep lover of Christian hymns and music, and his steadfast faith sustained him day by day.
Josué is survived by his devoted wife, Louise Magoon; his daughter, Kekla Magoon; his son, Kobi Libii, daughter-in-law Elizabeth Hanly, and two grandsons; as well as his siblings Alice, Henri, Rose, and Eliezer; and numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, Pierre Libii and Martha (Njock) Libii; his American host parents, Clare and Sandy (Rutledge) Lake; and his siblings Phillip, Joel, and Martha Libii.
Service is 4:00 pm, Wednesday, October 8, 2025 at Fairhaven Funeral Home and Cremation Services, 6557 N. Clinton St., with calling beginning at 1:00 pm until the time of service. A private burial will take place at Concordia Cemetery Gardens, Fort Wayne, IN. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to one of the following organizations:
The Madina Village School, located in West Africa and founded by a Fort Wayne resident:
P.O. Box 15869
Fort Wayne, IN 46885
https://madinavillageschool.org
National Society of Black Engineers, founded by Purdue students in 1971, which provides scholarships and more:
205 Dangerfield Rd
Alexandria, VA 22314
https://nsbe.org
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Josué Njock Libii, please visit our flower store.
Services
Visitation
October
8
FairHaven Funeral Home and Cremation Services
1:00 - 4:00 pm
Service
October
8
FairHaven Funeral Home and Cremation Services
Starts at 4:00 pm
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