Uganda bomb victim remembered for altruism

Nate Henn is remembered by friends and colleagues alike as a passionate individual whose selfless personality enriched both his work and his personal relationships.

Henn, a former university student, who worked for the nonprofit group Invisible Children, was killed July 11 in a terrorist attack in Kampala, Uganda, the organization said in a statement.    Henn, 25, who studied psychology and played club rugby at the university, was watching the FIFA World Cup finals in a rugby field when he was hit with shrapnel from the explosions. The blast killed more than 70 people.

For more than a year, Henn had worked for Invisible Children, a San Diego-based organization focused on preventing the use of child soldiers, raising money for children in Uganda and encouraging others to volunteer. As part of the Roadie internship program, Henn visited churches and campuses, advocating for the children, and raised thousands of dollars.    Henn had traveled to Uganda to meet the children for whom he had been advocating and fundraising, and they named him "Oteka," meaning "the strong one."

Bryan Tingle, Henn's friend and former teammate, said Henn's visit to Uganda was the final thing he wanted to do as part of his service to Invisible Children, and the two met up the night before he left for Africa.    

"He wanted to see where the kids lived that he had gotten to know well over the previous year and a half," Tingle said. "He didn't fear what could happen as he knew where he would be when and if he died."    

Jeff Thompson, a 2008 graduate of the university, said his teammate always tried to help others.        

"I got to talk to him before he went over there," Thompson said. "He was so excited to help people he didn't even know."    

Not only did Henn raise funds for the Ugandan children, Thompson said he had to raise enough money to support himself for the entirety of his trip there, Thompson said. He said Henn's work with Invisible Children demonstrates the kind of person he was.    

"Most of all, he was a real good friend to everyone he met," Thompson said. "I think my biggest thing, the thing that really drew me to him, was he was really honest."    

Both Thompson and Tingle said Henn was a very faithful person and a devout Christian, and his service with Invisible Children was directly tied to his faith.    

"His friends loved him and strangers easily took to him," Tingle said.

Henn worked at the front desk of the Western Family YMCA near Newark from August 2007 to December 2009. Pam Kennedy, associate executive director of the facility, said in July that the close-knit YMCA staff was trying to stay positive while dealing with Henn's death.    

"He's certainly missed," Kennedy said. "Nate was a very uplifting, fun guy to have on staff."    

In an effort to encourage others to follow in Henn's footsteps and contribute to Invisible Children's cause, his family has set up the Nate "Oteka" Henn Memorial Fund. Monetary donations will help fund the Roadie internship, a five-month internship with Invisible Children in which participants tour the country, without pay, spreading awareness about the organization's cause.

"We hope people will feel compelled to join his legacy and support others to live this life of service," the Henn family said in a statement.

Alexandra Duszak contributed to this article.