Goodbye, Grandma Grandma, saying goodbye is hard, but we are grateful for the life you lived and the family you built. Your laughter, your strength, and your constant prayers shaped our father, and through him they have shaped us. Whether we sat at your side or know you through the memories others hold, we are all part of what you planted. You trusted God in every season, and your faith has become our inheritance. We will honor you by living with the same love, courage, and joy. Your work on earth is done. Rest well, Grandma. You will always be our blessing. Dubem, Ifeatu, Kosy and Chisom Nwizu

TRIBUTE TO MY DEAR MOTHER IN-LAW OYIBOKWESILI BigMummy, how do I begin to thank you? You welcomed me into your family and gave me a place in your heart. Your faith was the foundation of your home. Every morning and every night, you lifted your children and grandchildren up in prayer, and we are standing today because of those prayers. You were strong when life was hard, yet you never lost your sense of humor. Your laughter could fill a room and make any burden feel lighter. Truly, “Her children arise and call her blessed” (Proverbs 31:28). The son you raised, my late husband, carried your values with him, and I will keep them alive in our home. BigMummy, your work on earth is complete, and your reward awaits you. Ka chi foo. Jeenu nke oma. Ka Chineke nara mkpuru obi gi na ndukwa, Amen. 🙏 Rest in peace, BigMummy. You will be dearly missed. Ijeoma Osy Nwizu (Ojiunodiya)

Oyibokwesili Nne m oma, Mamaloma ,Ngalakwesili. Don't Dirty! Yes, Chukwu nonyelu gi, just like your name says. Your entire life is a testimony to God's goodness and faithfulness. I thank you! You were hardworking, a fashionista extraordinaire, exceptionally neat (you always looked good, and your home and surroundings were spotless), smart and physically strong. Your daily Rosary was a constant throughout all my adult years, right up until 7/25/2026 I remember how all the matrons and nurses were always happy to teach my friends and me the instruments and procedures in whatever specialty I rotated through. Once they found out I was your daughter, they never failed to remind me of how you worked in the hospital and the impact you made on everyone around you. Your reputation preceded you. You were respected, admired, and remembered. I experienced that love and respect through the people whose lives you touched. What a legacy you left behind! I am forever grateful and proud to be your daughter. Your Nnenne, Your Pearl, Your Ona

TRIBUTE TO A SISTER FROM ANOTHER MOTHER Oh no, Senior'm! Does it mean I am not going to see you again? This feels incredible and unreal! the news of your demise hit me like a thunderbolt and came as a great shock.  So this is how our long journey ends, a journey that dates back to the 1950s during our childhood at Holy Rosary School (HRS) Aba Ngwa. You were in the senior classes while I was in the junior ones. Incidentally, our fathers were friends, and I loved and cherished you so much that our schoolmates assumed we were biologically related. Truly, you were my mentor and my heroine.  I fondly remember the "Empire Day" celebrations, similar to how we celebrate Independence Day today, when all the schools in Aba (such as Government School, St. Michael’s Anglican School, Princess Day School, Holy Rosary Girls' School, and Christ the King Boys' School) would gather at the stadium for sports competitions. You were one of our school's star representatives, winning several events for HRS. While you, Susanna Ugbogulu, Christy Nwankwo, and others competed, we younger ones (the otimkpus) were right there cheering you on. Whenever you won an event, my classmates shared in my joy and congratulated me on your behalf.  Our lives continued to share remarkable coincidences as the years went on. Back in the 1960s, we both delivered our children at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Umuahia. Then, after the Nigerian Civil War, our paths merged once more in 1970 when we met as trained nurses at UNTH, working side-by-side until our respective retirements. True to the elder sister you had always been to me, you defended me against bullies and corrected me whenever I went wrong.  Finally, in yet another twist of fate, your daughter, Ona and my daughter, Chinasa, became friends, bringing us together once again in the U.S.A., where both of our families now reside.  Here, our deep bond continued until the cruel hands of death parted us on October 28th, 2026, the Feast of St. Jude Thaddeus. St. Jude Thaddeus, pray for us! May God grant us the solace to bear your absence, in Jesus' name, I pray.  Oh death, where is thy sting? Senior'm, as I fondly called you, rest in perfect peace in the bosom of our Lord. Farewell. I love you, but God our Creator loves you more. He wants you home, and I cannot question Him.  Chigolum Virgy Nnadi