Ayotunde Adebayo Okeowo tribute program

Daddy In His Younger years

Daddy & His Methodist Boy’s High School Old Boys

Daddy Through The Years

Daddy Through The Years

Mummy & Daddy

Mummy & Daddy

Mummy & Daddy

Mummy & Daddy

Mummy & Daddy

Mummy & Daddy

Daddy & Us

Daddy & Us

Daddy & Us

Daddy & Us

Daddy’s 60th Birthday

Daddy’s 60th Birthday

Daddy & His Sister

Daddy & Uncle Ish - His Oldest Friend

Daddy & His Family

Daddy & His Family

Daddy Rejoicing at Temi’s Wedding

Daddy Rejoicing at Temi’s Wedding

Daddy with Family & Friends

Daddy with Family & Friends

Daddy and His “Association of Friends” members

Daddy in his Village (Eruwon)

Life Reflection

Ayotunde Adebayo Okeowo was born to Samson and Lucian Abosede Okeowo in Lagos, Nigeria on March 30th, 1945.

He is survived by his elder sister, Dr. Mayowa Okeowo Fagbemi, his wife, Florence Adebukola Okeowo, their four children: Temilayo Ogona, and Eniola, Abimbola, and Toluwalope Okeowo, and numerous cousins, nieces and nephews and a son-in law. Ayo is preceded in death by his brother, Adeyemi Gasper Okeowo.

A lifelong mischievous, adventurous and fun-loving spirit, Ayo was often the originator of family jokes, and pranks amongst his friends as a young boy (especially with his best friends of 50+ years, Dr. Ishola Adamson and Mr. Yinka Odukoya) and up until his untimely passing. Ayo attended Methodist Boys High School and graduated in 1963. In line with his adventurous spirit, Ayo chose to move to Russia in pursuit of the furtherance of his education. His time in Russia also resembled his never-ending quest for knowledge. He lived in Russia for a year before he started school to learn the Russian language. After completing his first degree, he graduated with a Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering from Leningrad Electrical Engineering Institute (currently known as Saint Petersburg State University) in 1973. At the time of his passing, Ayo was still fluent in Russian and took the opportunity to speak it to every person who passed by and even remotely appeared to be Russian.

Upon his return to Nigeria, Ayo met Florence/Buki at a party thrown by Mr. Odukoya. They married, and Ayo was a loving and providing husband and father. Ayo and Florence moved to various countries in hopes of pursuing their careers.

They were also in search of a place to raise and provide their future children with the best possible learning and cultural opportunities. Ayo frequently took Florence on domestic and international get-away trips; the couple recently celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary with a trip to New Orleans, LA; and the entire family celebrated his 70th birthday, also recently, in the Hamptons.

Ayo and Florence left Lagos for Ayo to begin a second Master’s degree at the University of Waterloo in Canada. They then moved to New York, NY, where he completed his Master’s degree in Computer Science at New York University and later began PhD studies. Upon his graduation from NYU in 1978 as ABD, the family moved to Montclair, NJ, where they have resided for the past 31 years.

Ayo practiced as an independent software consultant for over 30 years. His clients included Equitable Bank, Citibank, AT&T, NYNEX, NYSE, Salomon Brothers, Dow Jones, Chase, ADP, Bear Stearns, Goldman Sachs, Pfizer, and TDWaterhouse. On September 11, 2001, Ayo had just come out of the World Trade Center when he saw the terrorist plane hit the building. This shocking experience was a moment of clarity about Ayo’s life priorities. He decided to retire from consulting and began a profession in real estate property management. He owned and managed several buildings in New Jersey and New York, which he maintained until his passing.

Life Reflection

The Okeowo family had the most amazing time growing up together in Montclair. Ayo successfully passed his mischievous and fun-loving spirit to his family, causing the ‘Okeowo Girls’ to often be the originator of pranks against their parents, each other, and their own friends. Laughter and love filled their home day and night. He also passed on his erudite disposition and philosophy. He took it upon himself to ensure that college would be covered for all of his children, and consistently encouraged them to pursue graduate degrees (“…knowledge is something that can never be taken away from you…”). Ayo was a founding member of the Association of Friends, an organization of local professional Nigerians who had emigrated to the US, and served on the board from 1994 – 2005 (as Assistant Social Secretary, Social Secretary, and finally as President).

Ayo’s daughters were blessed, each in having a very close bond with their father. In their minds, they were each “Daddy’s girls”, and he was a legend: the coolest, most dependable guy ever. He always encouraged them, often times convinced them, that they were capable of doing things they originally did not think were possible, and even still tried to be the problem-solver for his children when any life situation needed to be addressed. He also somehow found a way to reinforce the importance of academic success while also highlighting the importance of letting loose, having a good time, and exploring all that life has to offer (“…you can have as much fun as you want, but just make sure you don’t bring home bad grades…”). One could say that Ayo treated each of his four daughters as if they were his only child. His love and commitment to each of them had no bounds.

Throughout his life, Ayo’s hobbies included photography, table tennis, finding ways to outsmart someone/ thing, traveling, cooking his “secret recipes”, eating, and enjoying culture, such as theater and arts.

Ayo suddenly passed on the morning of Friday, July 24th, 2015. It was a shock to many. While we all wish we could have had the opportunity to say goodbye, we are comforted by knowing he did not suffer during his death. He will be missed by many.

Tributes

Tribute To My Husband My dearest loving and caring Ayotunde: your departure came to me as a shock. You have left this earthly life; I love you, my dear, but God the Almighty loves you more. This is a time to celebrate you and give God the glory. You are no longer with us physically, but your memory lives on and on and on and on, and on and on and on.

You were a loving, caring dad and husband. I am glad God gave us the opportunity to travel around the globe; you enjoyed life. You were a father who was always there for your daughters, caring and involved in every pursuit in their lives. You were a family man to the core. You were a one in a million father and your daughters and I know they would not have traded you for another. You made sure your daughters attended quality schools, from nursery school to graduate degrees. You focused on the destiny of your daughters and ensured that they were well educated.

You were a benefactor and mentor to numerous people, showing generosity to all who came your way. People have used the following phrases/terms to describe you: “the man I looked up to”, “mentor”, “big brother”, and “teacher.”

I pray that God grants you eternal rest. Sleep on, my dear. Until we meet again, Rest in Peace.

My dear, may your soul rest in perfect peace, until we meet again.

Sun re o. I love you, miss you immensely. Ayo mi, Orun re re O.

Buki Your wife,

Tributes

You taught me how to swim. That is indeed my oldest memory. Whether it was taking me to my weekly YMCA swim classes as an infant or riding me on your back as you swam in the middle of the ocean. I was indeed afraid. But you taught me to be brave…. You taught me how to ride my first bike. You taught me how to defend myself. Like a lion with great fierceness- all the while hiding an almost globe sized heart in our chests….. You taught me how to do my multiplications. You made it fun! You taught me to be proud of my names, all that they meant and all/where it originates…. You taught me how to smile. I remember you complaining that you didn’t have enough photos of me smiling in order for our family portrait to be painted….

You taught me how to love…. You taught me how to think logically and solve problems without effort…. You pushed me to wear heals. You encouraged me to wear dresses….. You taught me how to drive…a manual shift, at that. What a painful experience! You taught me to be courageous. You taught me to aspire for greater and bigger. You taught me to be humble.

You taught me to be responsible…. You told me how to be a wife. You taught me how to give and not expect anything in return…. You opened my eyes to culture and the seas. You taught me to be adventurous. You taught me to try anything once and have an opinion that I could articulate then after…. You taught me how to laugh. You taught me how to fix things. Many things! Anything! You taught me to not be afraid. You taught me to be brave. And now I must use it. We are in fact human and silly as it sounds; I never, ever thought that you would not be here any longer to TEACH me… You were my teacher, my personal guru, and my second head. You were my confidant. My first true love. My EVERYTHING. I will miss you beyond comprehension.

Sun Re O my dear Daddy. My heart yearns for when I can see you again.

Temilayo

Tributes As I write this, I realize that in my head I had convinced myself that you would never leave. I realize that you were like superman to me. You always had an answer to every single situation (even if I didn’t ask for it or agree with it)… there was no situation that was impossible for you. When I was younger (and till this day) I looked up to you with so much admiration. When you would get up to go to work dressed in your suits, and would come back and put down your briefcase, I’d envision myself growing up and doing the same thing. Then you would put your swim trunks on, get in the pool, and do laps back and forth while I tried to catch a ride on your back.

When you got out of the pool, and I didn’t think you were looking, I’d try to copy your swimming strokes.

Through your parenting skills and how you led by example, I learned that your minimum standard of quality was excellence. You never gave up and it was apparent you expected us to do likewise. I loved watching suspense movies with you because for hours, or days afterwards, you would bug me about how the movie was either amazing because it stumped you, or it was horrible, because you figured it out and you could have written it better. You were never shy of a challenge. Over the past few years I would wonder if I should push you harder to rest more, considering you were still managing your real estate while your peers were resting in retirement. But then I’d remember you say that sitting at home, “being inactive” was boring to you and that you fully enjoyed getting out and working hard for your family.

You and mommy tried four times for a son. I always found it amusing that though we were girls and you thought it important to equip us to handle stereotypical male tasks. You took pride in showing us how to like fix things around the house, how to negotiate like a true ‘omo Ijebu’, and how to pinpoint car issues so that we didn’t get ripped off at the car mechanic. At the same time, you made sure we would be perfectly domestically savvy. You would print out a list of every possible grocery item you could think of, give us a blank check, drop us off at the grocery store, and tell us you’d be back in an hour. You had a calendar that recorded which of us was meant to cook Sunday dinner. You got hip to my game for each time it was my turn to cook and I always made stir-fry broccoli and beef or chicken (I loved your wit…but as your child, and in true Ayo Okeowo form, it was always fun to try to find ways to challenge you).

When I was in college and grad school, I used to get frustrated because you didn’t seem to understand the concept of a class or life circumstances being ‘hard’ or ‘stressful’… “if you put in the effort, you will always figure it out, so what’s hard about that??”. In dealing with my own condo issues, you would laugh at me when I called complaining about this leak, or that unreliable tenant, because you knew these issues would be expected.

There’s so much to say about how much I love you, miss you, and wish you were still here. I would give anything to hear one of your corny jokes, or for you to poke me to wake me up from sleeping just so we could hang out.

In thinking of how best to pay you tribute, I thought the only way was to try to let people have an image of you from my eyes and heart. I hope that from these short examples of being your daughter, people can see that I’ve always been, and still am enamored by you. I’m so fortunate to have these memories. Lord willing, they will stay with me forever. Rest in peace, Daddy.

Eniola

Tributes

Daddy I still feel like I’m having a bad dream and just need to be woken up. How can this happen? I know that nothing can happen to any of God’s followers without God’s permission, so I pray daily for God to help me understand why He allowed this this to happen.

At times I go to your room to smell your clothes to remind myself of the happiness I always felt when in your presence. I think back to the days I would climb into bed with you and Mommy to watch a movie or TV. This happened as recent as 5 months ago and I appreciate you two not kicking me out of the bed and instead making room for me to lye in the middle.

I’m aware that a lot of women are not fortunate enough to have the same relationship with their fathers as I had with you and I am so thankful to God for that. Thank you for being so committed to my sisters and I. You always made the extra effort to teach us things the hard way, so we could operate individually or be able to function in different environments. Whenever I needed to make a major decision you were the first person I called. Whenever I need reassurance I went straight to you. You always had my back and reminded me that regardless of how things turned out I could still return to you to reevaluate things.

While I am so sad that you are gone (physically), I am so happy about the things we were able to do as a family in 2015. We drew really close as a family as we planned your 70th birthday weekend, your eldest daughters wedding and then the celebration of you and mommy’s 40th wedding anniversary. My sisters and I were just at the beginning of trying to spoil you to make up for all you did for us as we grew up, but I know your spirit will be with us as we spoil mommy alone.

Abi

I love you so much Daddy. Can’t wait to see you again.

Tributes

Daddy, I will always appreciate all the love and support you have given me over the years. When I needed you, you were always there with a remedy, and for that I can’t even imagine how to pay you back. My only goal is to make you proud and to bring out that smile and hearty laugh I always loved to hear. You worked so hard to get us as close to stress-free and fulfilled lives we all have now and I am so very thankful. I really admired your work ethic, curiosity about any and everything and confident knowledge that you and the rest of us could do what we put our minds to. You are my hero and if anyone asks, THE coolest man on the planet.

You had a way to make each of us feel special and we all proudly bragged about our “Daddy’s Girl” title on a regular basis. You taught us so much about both you and ourselves, and you made sure that we were all equipped to take on the world as strong, independent women. Your ability to raise such women is admired by so many. It’s funny how many people would say ‘Wow! 4 girls! How did your dad do it?!” and I would always smile and say, “He loves it, wouldn’t have it any other way!” It truly takes a strong man to help raise a close knit, loving, and strong family, and you made it look so easy.

I will never forget our daily car rides to school or the train station, when we would watch TV and you would bash every reality TV show I watched. How you would wear the college apparel for the daughter you were hanging out with that day. Nights when you would cook something and REFUSE to share the contents and it was all a secret. Your forced photo-shoots and runway shows cause you KNEW you looked good that day (shooot). Your dancing/singing that you seemed to think we enjoyed, not really sure why. And of course, we can’t forget your winks! Your playful and mischievous antics always brought a smile onto everyone’s face. Your impact was so much greater than we all could imagine and it’s evident by how many people have reached out and shared their personal relationships with us. Your love and compassion for everyone around you is immeasurable.

Again, if anyone asks, you are the coolest man on the planet.

Love, Your little girl,

Tolu

Tributes

My dear brother Ayotunde Adebayo, I do not need to say anything about you, because, the events following your death says it all. Since you passed, the house has been filled with friends and family. We have had food and supplies on a daily basis; more than we can all eat. Flowers have been delivered and placed all over the house. We have had support, both spiritually and financially.

I believe the Lord sent you on an errand and it was time to report back. Go in peace and may the Light of the Lord shine and light your way.

Sister Mayowa

Sun re o. Omo Elerunwon sodimeso

I first met Mr Ayotunde Okeowo when I came to Montclair and was introduced to him by his daughter whom I had taken more than a shine to. He was very welcoming, soft-spoken and slightly intimidating as he was an imposing figure. However, what I will never forget about our first encounter was the warmth he radiated.

Eventually he became my Father-in-Law. Though, he was much more than a Father-in-Law. He was like a father to me. Not only did he accept me into his household, he gave me his eldest daughter - Temi. I felt that I had found my second family.

Mr Ayotunde Okeowo was a man of ideas. Not only had he travelled to countries on the extreme edge of the World, he had studied in them and was considered by many, me included, to be a man of intellect combined with a resourcefulness to match. He married a fine upstanding woman and gave us all, four intelligent beautiful people - his daughters.

I can think of no kinder, open-minded, intently philosophical and fiercely principled man. It was a pleasure to know him and be part of his family. Now that he is with the ultimate Father. Amongst some many of his desirable traits and qualities, we shall miss his presence, his voice, his laughter, playfulness and spirit. More so, we shall miss him as a Father, Husband, Uncle, Cousin and Friend.

We all say “good bye� to him. We shall never forget. We shall always celebrate his life. May his soul rest in Peace. Amen.

Odia

Tributes

Tribute to Ayo Okeowo, President AOFF 2002 - 2005 We, members of the Association of Friends Foundation, are at a loss to express the deep pain and sorrow, resulting from the sudden departure of our dear friend, Ayo Okeowo. He made significant contributions to the advancement of the Association. For the first 5 years of the Association, (1994 – 1999), he carried out his duties as Assistant Social Secretary with a lot of zeal, his dedication is difficult to match. When he became our Social Secretary between 1999 and 2002, the Association saw a spike in the quality and breadth of social activities that the club engaged in. This included: Christmas party for our children, graduation party for our High School graduates, elaborate preparation and execution of our Annual Picnics, and of course, his insistence that we show appreciation to our spouses by organizing a “Spouse Appreciation Gala” every year! He was critical in planning the event this year when, all of a sudden, the Lord called him into His bosom.

Between 2002 and 2005, he served as President of the Association. Under his leadership, the Association enjoyed some of the best years of its existence. He was very passionate in ensuring that we stick to our motto of not engaging in political activities. This has helped the Association to survive a lot of the challenges in the past 20 years.

Mr. Okeowo was a beautiful human being - kind to a fault. He never hesitated to invest his precious time to engage in solving problems that other people might find intractable. He was indeed, the consummate problem-solver. Many members of the Association can attest to his magnanimity and cheerfulness.

He will be sorely missed; but we are consoled by the belief that he is now at peace with the Lord.

Sun re o Ayo. With Love and affection from your friends at

AOF F

Tributes

My personal testimony on Ayo Okeowo Permit me to reflect on what kind of a person would take time off his hectic schedule to dive deep into someone else’s problem in an attempt to find a resolution to that problem? That person was Ayo. What kind of a person would donate his time, energy and resources to help alleviate someone else’s problem? That person was Ayo. What kind of a person would agonize intensely over a problem that is inherently outside his immediate domain, just to ensure that the problem gets resolved? That person was Ayo. What kind of person would negotiate a price with you as a seller, and ultimately sell at below the offered price? That person was Ayo. What kind of person would spend precious hours with you and your family to help broker peace among us? That person was Ayo. All these attributes, and more, are personified in one person my good friend – Ayo Okeowo.

I owe him so much; there is no way I can pay him back. He did not even expect a “pay back”.

He was just being himself.

I thank you Ayo, and I thank Bukky, Temi, Eniola, Abi, and Tolu for letting me into their lives, and affording me the privilege of being a beneficiary of Ayo’s loyalty and magnanimity.

I can assure you that for as long as I live, I will cherish Ayo’s impact on my life; and promise that I will do my best to be there for you, as Ayo was, for me.

Ore Soluade God bless you all,

Tributes

It is with great pain and severe shock that we received the news of the passing on to eternal glory, of our dearly beloved Classmate, friend and brother, Mr Ayotunde Okeowo, which sad event took place on Friday July 24th 2015. We pray to God to repose his Soul and grant his wife, sister, and children, the fortitude to bear the sudden loss.

Late Ayotunde was a distinguished Old Boy, and an active member of the Methodist Boys High School, Lagos Class 5963’ who left behind a legacy of Love and SUPPORT for needy Students, as well as SELF PRIDE in the affairs of his ALMA MATER. He exemplified this in his Co-Sponsorship of an on-going Scholarship Scheme at the Methodist Boys’ High School, Lagos which puts smile on the faces of needy students, some of whom have graduated, and are now privileged to pursue various advanced courses of Study I tertiary Institutions.

Late Ayotunde’s motivation and mobilization of funds for the celebration of 50 years of graduating from MBHS Lagos, in 2013 will remain fresh in our memory for a long time to come.

As a true ambassador of the Methodist Boys’ High School, Lagos in the USA. Late Ayotunde left his footprints on the sand of time. His name will no doubt be etched in gold when the history is written of the activities of Old Boys of MBHS. Now that Ayotunde has commenced the journey to where mortals go, we believe that angels are already rejoicing and waiting to welcome him home for integration with the Saints Triumphant.

Although time and distance will separate us from our departed friend, we are certain that we shall meet again at the foot our Lord, where pain and Sorrow shall no longer thrive.

We bid you good night, Ayotunde, as you take your rest in the bosom of your CREATOR.

Dr. Debo Adewusi President

MBHS 5963. Lagos

Tributes

Ayo was a friend and a very dear MBHS classmate, the 59/63 set.

We met in Form 2 at MBHS, after Ayo did “research” in Form 1.

Ayo, Debo Adewusi, Olumide Phillips & Yinka Odukoya were the mathematics & physics geniuses in our class, all the way up to Form 5. The rest of us had to work very hard to keep up. It is not a surprise that these bright & driven individuals became very successful as engineers.

Ayo was such a rascal in school that my nickname for him was “Okejogbon” or bag of trouble. I do remember his long drawn-out arguments with Mr. Peter Reeve-Newson, our advanced mathematics teacher, about some fine points of a quadratic equation problem, which only he and Adewusi understood.

And of course, there were the pranks that he and Macaulay played on either gullible teachers or equally troublesome fellow classmates Amusan, Onobanjo and others.

Ayo & I reconnected in the US after a number of years of separation. After his sojourn in the Soviet Union/Russia and in Nigeria, it was a pleasure to get to know him & his lovely wife Buki much better and to watch his beautiful daughters accomplish academically and professionally in the U.S, for which Ayo was justifiably proud. From many private dinners & interactions that we have had in the past 30plus years, I can attest to the fact that Ayo was a happy husband and an incredibly devoted father to all his four daughters. Seared in my memory is how fantastically happy he & Buki looked at their oldest daughter Temi’s lovely wedding. It was indeed “mission accomplished” for the whole Okeowo family.

Needless to say that Ayo was devoted to our alma mater MBHS. He recruited Macaulay & me to establish a scholarship program for a few deserving students, which I pledge to carry on supporting in Ayo’s name.

Ayo, Buki & Abimbola were generous hosts at their Lekki home and helped re-introduce me to the complexities of Yoruba culture. I will miss his wise counsel whenever I had to manage my own Nigerian relatives occasionally complex issues.

Our last conversation was on July 22, when I briefed him on the outcome of the most recent MBHS reunion in Los Angeles, CA., which he sponsored generously, although he couldn’t attend because of a prior commitment. Macaulay relayed the horrible news that Ayo died suddenly on July 24.

I do and will continue to miss him.

Oye Olukotun, MD Sun Re.

Tributes

“The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.” Job 1:21 We give glory to God Almighty for a life well spent by Mr. Ayotunde Adebayo Okeowo. I have always referred to him as Egbon mi (my brother). He was a gem, a loving and caring father, husband, brother, advisor, a life saver, a role model and a noble leader.

We give God the glory again for giving him to us for 70 years. A life well spent and mission accomplished.

I personally thank God that I had the opportunity to see him radiantly well the day before he left this ephemeral world. I know that we shall meet again at the feet of Jesus Christ, never again to part in Jesus name, Amen.

Egbon mi, God used you to train, nurture and maintain many families including your very own lovely children and wife. The Bible says in Numbers 23: 10b “Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my last end be like his!”

You always wanted what was best for everyone around you. You are such a giver and passionate about other people’s problems. You gave generously to the work of God. You were such a cheerful giver.

You always had that smile on your face and always seemed to have a new joke to tell. Your easy-going relaxed nature made you a delight to be around. You had a magnetic personality and you were always the life of the party. One of the things that I respected the most about you was that though you had a carefree attitude, you never compromised your work ethic Now that you have gone to rest, I know that all will be well with your wife, your wonderful children, your loving son-in-law and your extended family, in the name of Jesus. I pray that our good Lord will keep them in His perfect love.

My husband, Pastor Alexander A. Browne and our entire family will miss you very dearly.

Egbon mi, Sleep well!, Sleep well!!, Sleep well!!!

L/E Onatokunbo Browne

Christ Apostolic Church, 1st in the Americas, Brooklyn, NY

Oriki

Omo Elerunwon Sodi Meso Omo Agbara dobu Omo Aye lole bi oba Omo Opotu, Ogbodo laduwa Omo karikara, kara ka ma sanwo Omo ata ma t’awin OďŹ ori onigbese yi eemo kitikiti mooko ara Idowa Omo a dele teji teji Omo a kori ri woro Omo ota dudu ra dudu , ota pupa ra pupa ,ota fulani ra oyinbo Omo Obadawaki SUN REO! SUN REO!! SUN REO!!!