In a Facebook post, Thompson said Wakim started doing comedy in Bloomington in 2017, around the same time he started working at the Comedy Attic. He worked at the comedy club until 2020, when he moved to New York.

“In that time, I have never seen anyone who worked harder, who was more resilient, or who was willing to not only do the smart thing but do things right to get where they wanted to go,” Thompson wrote in his Facebook post.

He continued, “Not only was he the funniest person in town and was behind the door for almost every show, but he also did all the graphics for the club, designed our website, did the graphics and checked the poster for the club, and drove most of the comedians to and from the airport.”