Photo // Palmer Funeral Homes
Senior Charles Niorch “Nio” Pereira died on Sept. 12
By: Evelyn Kowalski
Staff-Writer
24-year-old Charles Niorch Pereira, known by friends as Nio, died on Sept. 12 in an automobile accident. An international student, Charles was a senior at IU South Bend studying integrated new media, where he pursued his studies with passion and determination to reach his goals and dreams.
Charles was known for having a passion for cars and spending hours working or talking about his favorite car models. He was a man of faith that lived his life with compassion and purpose.
“Nio embodied optimism and a can-do spirit, sporting a winsome smile that was open, engaging and disarming,” Constance Peterson-Miller, director of admissions and international student services, said.
She reflected on his relationship with her office and the students and staff connected to it.
“We in Admissions and International Student Services remember him fondly from the first days of his studies – after just a week of classes, he wrote that he was enjoying himself immensely, learning new things and getting to know his classmates,” she said. “Early on he documented ‘a day in the life’ of our office as a class project, and he returned often with a greeting or an update. At his memorial service, the same word was uttered again and again, and it describes Nio well: Kindness.”
Charles’ obituary tells us that he left behind an impact of inspiration on his family and friends and brought joy and comfort to those who he was close to. He was kind, generous and a light for his family to continue his legacy to extend his knowledge and memory, to be kind to others and help those who need it.
His funeral service was on Sept. 20 at Christian Center Church, where family, friends, classmates and faculty joined to remember him. He is survived by his parents, siblings and friends.