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Heard that Cal superfan and Berkeley Citation winner, Nad Permaul, passed away today
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Last: 5 days ago by Bearacious
SBGold said:
https://www.dailycal.org/news/campus/bleeds-blue-gold-nadesan-permaul-awarded-berkeley-citation/article_d9ed4988-78df-4c9a-bb8d-82719ea86ee9.html
RIP
Go Bears Forever
I am so happy to read that Nad Permaul has been recognized for what he has done in going above and beyond.
I met him when he was a crazy Blue and Gold Freshman working his tail off for the Brick Muller society.
Since then our paths crossed frequently. With each twist and turn I have been impressed with his upward trajectory at Cal. His love for Cal, for Cal's rich history, for the Cal students (individually and as a group) far exceeds anyone else i have known at Cal in the 60+ years since i entered Cal as a student in 1963.
The University has recognized many prominent Cal alums and faculty. All of them deserve the the recognition that they have received. But for so many of them, the recognition is often tied to the great financial success that they have had and have shared with the University. Nad stands with those educators who have spent their lives not building a great monetary fortune but in building up a great treasure in the hearts of everyone at Cal who has had the privilege of knowing him.
He embodies the advice from Benjamin Ide Wheeler to all Cal students regarding Cal. [I paraphrase here from the best of my memory] "Cheer for her, it will do your lungs good. Love her it will do your heart good."
I think I knew him when I was at Cal. I was a student from 1971 to 1973 and lived by campus for another 4 years. I don't remember if we had a class together or just played basketball, but I remember someone named Nad.
Perhaps you remember Nad from his contributions to the GoBears newsletter, which was the earliest online Cal sports content, in the early 1990s.
RIP Nad.
RIP Nad.
Cal88 said:
Perhaps you remember Nad from his contributions to the GoBears newsletter, which was the earliest online Cal sports content, in the early 1990s.
RIP Nad.
Very possible. I also vaguely remember reading about him in the alumni magazine, I believe. Or perhaps another publication. At any rate, I remembered the name. I don't know anyone else named Nad.
Thank you to the OP for posting this. I graduated in '76 but had never even heard his name until now which only adds to my cumulative regrets regarding people, experiences, and traditions I somehow found a way to miss out on in my time there. His story and legacy contribute to my ever-strengthening love and devotion to Cal and everything it represents to the country and the world, and my humble thankfulness to have even a small connection to it.
Larno said:
I think I knew him when I was at Cal. I was a student from 1971 to 1973 and lived by campus for another 4 years. I don't remember if we had a class together or just played basketball, but I remember someone named Nad.
Yes, he was an avid basketball player in the past. He was a sturdy Golden Bear in every way. He never missed a Cal home football or basketball game. I always thought he would have been a great chancellor.
Cal88 said:
Perhaps you remember Nad from his contributions to the GoBears newsletter, which was the earliest online Cal sports content, in the early 1990s.
RIP Nad.
I do remember those days while I was in law school. I remember Nad posting there and being so excited that people would actually get on a computer to log in to chat about Cal sports.
Go Bears Forever
I knew Nad when I was an undergrad. Where are you hearing that he passed away? Linked article is about him winning the Berkeley Citation. If true, sad news indeed.
Yes, the passing of Nad Permaul is a gut-punch to his family, friends and the Cal community. I'm proud to say I've known Nad for almost 5 decades. He has represented the very best of Cal and will be so sorely missed. RIP, Nad. https://t.co/7fOFESwD7x
— Steve Kroner (@SteveKronerSF) July 28, 2025
Nad is one of the last links to my time as a Cal student. Nad, who I think was a doctoral student at the time, was the TA for my very first class, Political Science 1 with Sandy Muir, Fall Quarter 1978. I got an A, with Nad writing, "it's a pleasure to award this fine grade," on the grade card I left with him. In those days, you got $100, I think, for making the dean's list your first quarter. I ran across Nad many times after that, in the ASUC, or at reunion's or other alumni functions. A great man, who served the University in about every capacity it was possible to serve, and we would talk about that class, and how Muir's approach really gave you tools to think about the world. Nad will be missed by me and many others.
Big C said:
I knew Nad when I was an undergrad. Where are you hearing that he passed away? Linked article is about him winning the Berkeley Citation. If true, sad news indeed.
Heard from a friend of a friend that posted on FB. A gut punch indeed.
Go Bears Forever
Cal88 said:
Perhaps you remember Nad from his contributions to the GoBears newsletter, which was the earliest online Cal sports content, in the early 1990s.
RIP Nad.
I remember taking my daughter to the birthday party of one of her elementary school classmates (on the Peninsula), I was probably decked out in my usual Cal gear... I was introduced to the uncle of the birthday child's fatther, and when I heard his name was Nad Permaul, I immediately recognized him from the GoBears mailing list. We definitely bonded over our fervor for Cal Athletics. What a tremendous loss for his family, loved ones, and the entire Cal community.
Edited to add:
I thought this quote from the DailyCal article on his receiving the Berkeley Citation was just fantastic:
Quote:
"Nobody, I mean nobody, loves and embodies the spirit of Cal more than Nad," wrote Jeff Kichaven, a student from Permaul's 1974 rhetoric class, in one letter. "The only one who even comes close is Oski."
I remember Nad from the very early days of Cal athletic fan social media. He was a frequent contributor to the early email version of our social media fandom. I talked with him a few times regarding things related to Cal Band, mostly. He was one of the truly great guys. His love for Cal was legendary. So sorry to hear of his passing.
SBGold said:
https://www.dailycal.org/news/campus/bleeds-blue-gold-nadesan-permaul-awarded-berkeley-citation/article_d9ed4988-78df-4c9a-bb8d-82719ea86ee9.html
RIP
Go Bears Forever
I was at Cal from '74-'85 (A.B., M.A., Ph.D) and I never remember NOT knowing Nad. On a huge campus, that's crazy--I was not a Poli Sci guy and never took a class there. Pickup B-Ball in the old Harmon Gym at whatever times (the Al Attles warriors used to take over the middle court sometimes), and seeing him in the Bear's Lair (before its heyday), and then one day i realized he was a grad student. He was just this person everyone talked to, loved, and knew. When I left, I eventually learned he never did (an unfulfilled goal for many of us) and was totally himself in doing it. There wasn't anyone like him.
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