Ivan D. Dimitrov '10
Ivan D. Dimitrov '10, a passionate, goal-oriented international student from Sofia, Bulgaria, died on Apr. 21 due to fatal injuries from a motorcycle accident. Dimitrov sustained the injuries in a crash at Storrow Drive in Boston and passed away at the Brigham and Women's Hospital. He was 20.
"He had a very lively spirit," said Dimitar Gatev, a sophomore from Newbury College and a close friend of Dimitrov. "He was a positive person — full of energy and ideas for fun and joy."
Iliya T. Tsekov '08 described his friend as "cheerful and happy," always joking around and in high spirits. When Dimitrov moved into Senior House last September, he immediately embraced the close Bulgarian international community.
According to Ivan Z. Dimitrov '09 (no relation to the decedent), a Bulgarian suite mate and high school friend, Dimitrov was very proud of his Bulgarian nationality. As the MIT News Office reported, the two long-time friends both avidly followed Bulgaria's professional soccer team CSKA Sofia as members of the CSKA fan club.
Dimitrov enjoyed his native country's music and planned to travel to New York City on Saturday night to attend a concert by a Bulgarian folk music star Milko Kalaydzheiv, according to the MIT News Office,
Tsekov, who was one of Dimitrov's suite mates, wrote in an e-mail to The Tech that it was Dimitrov's idea to cover their suite with all sorts of Bulgarian-related decorations, such as flags, barricades, and plastic swords. "He was funny, giving everyone nicknames," Tsekov said.
In addition to his humorous and active personality, Dimitrov was an intelligent young man. "He was very open-minded and had a very accurate understanding of his classes," Dimitar N. Simeonov '10 said. "He was a smart guy, very good person, and very good friend."
Simeonov attended the international students' orientation last August with Dimitrov. Living next door to Dimitrov in Senior House, Simeonov and Dimitrov became good friends and flew back home together on several occasions.
According to Tsekov, Dimitrov was a very accomplished high school student, winning second place at two International Math Olympiads in Greece and Mexico. With his passion for mathematics and the goal of a management major from MIT, Dimitrov had a long-term goal of making enough money to invest in Bulgaria's competitive math teams.
"He wanted to finish his education here as fast as he [could] so that he [could] return to Bulgaria, become a manager in some company, or make his own," Tsekov said. "He didn't want a lot of money — only enough to enjoy his life and help the Bulgarian math teams."
Dimitrov is survived by his father, Dimiter Dimitrov, his mother, Neli, and younger brother, Dani. A student-arranged memorial service for Dimitrov will be held this Saturday, and the funeral will take place in Sofia.