Makonnen Alemayehu, (94), of Southborough, MA, passed away on September 29, 2025. Born in Axum, Ethiopia, he was the son of the late Tatus Gebre-Amlak and Alemayehu Tessema. He was the husband of 48 years to the late Workezebo Haile Melecot, who passed away in 2012.
Makonnen was a strong, kind, loving, and supportive father. His knowledge and guidance was the foundation of his family. He instilled upon his children the importance of giving back and appreciating the opportunities bestowed upon them. He left a memoir for his children from which his own words are presented here in context and in quotes.
Makonnen lived and worked primarily in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. He moved to the USA in 1992, after retiring from the United Nations, and settled at his home in Southborough, MA. He especially loved time spent with family and friends, gardening, working/fixing/building things around the house, traveling, and reading/listening to world news on the internet. Early on in his retirement, he volunteered as a math assistant at an elementary school in Framingham. He also taught his then six-year-old grandson Caleb Ge’ez (Ethiopian alphabet). In 2016, in honor of his mother, Makonnen established and fully funded the construction of Tatus Primary School in Axum, Ethiopia.
A memorable and unique moment in Makonnen’s life was when he was about 11 years old and was given the opportunity by the guardian monk of the Arc of the Covenant to live with him at the Chapel of Tablet adjacent to the Church of Our Lady Mary of Zion in Axum, Ethiopia. In his own words, “During about one year of my stay there I went through a rewarding experience. I had access to all the three main buildings. The first building was divided into two rooms, the much larger back room was the seat of the Arc accessible only to the guardian. The front room was accessible to other people, particularly to me and another boy, who, like me, was living there. The other buildings housed the church’s property: gowns, crosses, crowns, umbrellas, drums, books, etc. I used to display samples of these for tourists. I served as a librarian responsible for lending books to readers.” For entertainment during his secondary school years, Makonnen enjoyed going to the cinema on Sundays with his friends, where they would see two to three films. “We would sit in the theatre the whole day without lunch… [then] we would discuss the films we watched all the way back to [boarding] school on foot”. As a young adult, he enjoyed adventure and traveling and took pleasure in photography and developing pictures in his darkroom.
Makonnen was a hardworking, intelligent man of high moral integrity who lived an active life. He attended the University College of Addis Ababa (UCAA) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from 1953-1955. From 1955-1958, he attended Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) in Troy, NY, where he earned his BS in Chemical Engineering. In 1957, Makonnen shared the Ricketts Prize for laboratory research with another senior student. Makonnen graduated as the first Ethiopian chemical engineer. He was a member and Alumni Secretary of Alpha Phi Omega, Epsilon Zeta Chapter.
After graduating from college, he returned to Ethiopia and worked at Wonji Sugar Mill 1958-1959 and Ministry of Commerce and Industry from 1959-1961. He also worked at Shell Ethiopia Limited in Addis Ababa for six months as a Technical Advisor. In 1961 Makonnen joined the United Nations, where he worked for 30 years in various capacities and in different countries. In 1977, he obtained a Master of Sciences in Management Degree from the Arthur D. Little School of Management in Cambridge, MA. Makonnen held professional memberships at the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, the American Chemical Society, and Association of Ethiopian Engineers and Architects, where he was Chief Editor of Zedie, the Association’s magazine.
His 30-year tenure at the United Nations started in 1961 at United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) in Ethiopia as Project Officer in the Industry and Natural Resources Division. In 1987, he was Chief of the Industrial Operations Section. From 1984-1986, Makonnen was posted at the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) in Freetown, Sierra Leone, where he was the Senior Industrial Development Field Advisor covering Ghana, Liberia, and Sierra Leone. He advised the governments and the United Nations Development Programs (UNDP), the financing arm of the UN, in these countries, in matters related to industry. And 1990-1992, he was the Chief Technical Advisor (CTA) at the Director level at Preferential Trade Area (PTA) Secretariat at the UNIDO in Lusaka, Zambia. He coordinated and monitored the implementation of a project titled “Strengthening the Capacities and Capabilities of the Industry and Energy Division of the PTA Secretariat,” and prepared an integrated sub-regional industrial development program. During his tenure with UNECA, he had the opportunity to carry out missions to most African countries. Outside of Africa, his visits included Austria, United Kingdom, France, Russia, Ukraine, Saudi Arabia, Iran, and India.
Makonnen authored a book titled, “Industrializing Africa, Development Options and Challenges for the 21st Century”. It was written to promote industrial development in Africa. It was intended to draw the attention of and provide information to potential investors as well as to governments, consulting firms, R&D institutions, universities, and individuals interested in African affairs.
To quote Makonnen, “During my whole life, even when I was relatively young, I tried to be guided by principle. To me, moral principles, especially as they relate to work ethics and dealing with people, should be upheld and practiced at all times. In other words, no exception in making the right statements and taking the right decisions and actions, no matter whether they will adversely affect the practitioner or not. Despite this, I am accommodative when it comes to interacting and cooperating with people.”
Makonnen is survived by four children: Aida Holland (Christopher Holland), Sophia Makonnen, Bazin Makonnen (Azalech Agdew), and Agabos Makonnen. He also leaves behind three grandchildren, Caleb Holland, Mikael Makonnen, and Phillipos Makonnen, as well as many cousins, nieces, and nephews. He is predeceased by his brother, Abay Alemayehu, who passed away in 2021.
A funeral Service will be held on Friday, October 3rd at 11:00 a.m. at St. Mark’s Coptic Church, 145 Oak St. Natick. Burial will follow in Rural Cemetery,11 Cordaville Rd. Southborough. Arrangements are under the care of the Chesmore Funeral Home of Hopkinton.
(Photo and Obituary via Chesmore Funeral Home)
