Mrs Akowua,Head Mistress of St Monica's(1986-1999)
I sadly announce the death of Mrs. Akowua ,Headmistress of St Monica's Sec School,who recently passed away after suffering from a cancerous disease.During her term of office Mrs. Akowua did a lot for the school to help make it one of the best girls schools in the Ashanti region and for that matter Ghana.She was a motherly figure to most of the girls and gave us her shoulders to cry on.Although Mrs.Akowua was very strict and made life very complicated for us the students,such is the qualities of a good headmistress and we now value all that she did .
Madam we shall always remember you!
May your soul rest in peace.
Dr Joseph Kingsley Baffour Senkyire
Final Funeral Rites for the late
Dr Joseph Kingsley Baffour Senkyire
(Ex. Senior Lecturer of University of Science and Technology (UST) kumasi
and former Ghana's ambassador to United States of America in the 3rd republic)On Saturday August 21 1999
At The new ABC Auditorium
6728 Commercial Drive Springfield Virginia
From 10pm to 5pm
DIRECTIONS
From Washington DC: Take 395 south to Edsall road west exits. Make a left turn at the 2nd light, drive about 1/2 a mile and make a right turn on Industrial road then make a right turn on Commercial Drive. The building will be on the left.
From Maryland: Take 495 south to 395 north. Take Edsall road west exit, then follow the rest of the Washington DC direction above.
From NY, NJ, Baltimore: Take 95 south to 495 south to 395 north. Take Edsall road west exit. Then follow the rest of Washington DC direction above.
From Richmond ,VA: Take 395 north to Edsall road west exit. Then follow the rest of the DC directions above.
HIS BIOGRAPHYJoseph Kingsley Baffour Senkyire affectionately to his intimate and childhood friends and associates as kwaku Agyei,was born on March 19,1928,the second child of Nana Afua Birago of blessed and revered memory, and late queen mother of Duayaw Nkwanta Traditional area and Opanin Kwame Adiyea of Adugyama.
The late DR Baffour Senkyire was educated at the Bechem Catholic Boys School from where he went to ST Augustines College, at Cape Coast in 1943.After obtaining the Cambridge School Certificate in 1948,Baffour worked as a teacher at the Government School at Asem (KUMASI)before joining the civil service.He worked at the Information Service Department (now Ghana Broadcasting Corporation)from 1954 to 1956.
He won a Government Scholarship in 1956 for further studies and proceeded to Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana, U.S.A where he read for his BSc and MSc degrees in Agriculture from 1956 to 1962.
On his return to Ghana in 1962,he was appointed to the teaching staff of the University OF Science and Technology as a Lecturer in Animal Husbandry and promoted to Senior Lecturer in 1977. In 1965,Dr Baffour became a member of ill-fated CPP single party parliament which was dissolved by the coup d'etat of 1966. In 1979,his Excellency the late president Hilla Liman appointed Dr Baffour as Ghana's Ambassador to United States .He lost his position in December 1982 when the Republic of Ghana was overthrown.
During the period of uncertainty which followed the coup, his alma mater decided to assist with his rehabilitation and offered him a two year contract appointment as visiting Professor in the Department of Agriculture. Economics, where he had studied a decade earlier for his Ph .D DEGREE.
Dr Baffour returned to Ghana in 1986 and took up his post in the faculty of Agric in the University Of Science and Technology. He retired in 1988.To keep himself occupied,he began what he hoped would be A complete funeral undertaker's business with his stocking of imported caskets and provision of well appointed hearse for the funeral cottage.
Dr baffour was taken ill suddenly and admitted at Bomso Clinic in Kumasi on Friday ,February 5th 199 where he died, four days later on Monday 8 th February 1999.
He left behind a widow, Mrs. Charlotte Baffour Senkyire, five children, three grandchildren, namely Emmanuel Baffour Senkyire(alias Kwabena Poku),Joseph Baffour Senkyire (alias Kwadow Agyekum),Mable Baffour Senkyire(alias Nana Afia Birago)Charles Baffour Senkyire(alias Yaw Addo),Patricia Baffour Senkyire(alias Akua Afriyie),Alicia Sena Aba,Seldom Aba and Gyan Baffour Quartey.
PAAPA DE YIE!
KWAKU PASSES AWAY
Our son Kwaku Ofori was born on December 17, 1997 after 22 weeks of pregnancy, a mere 590grammes. After he was born he was kept at the unit for premature children in the hospital in which he was born. His condition was very critical at birth and it kept my wife and I in a situation of anxiety. Notwithstanding the problems the boy was facing he made gradual progress. He had grown to 4250grammes at the beginning of August 1998. However he still had a problem with breathing so that even though he was out of the incubator he was still on oxygen support. My wife Betty was asked by the doctors to come and live-in at the hospital so that she could provide maternal care for Kwaku. Prior to that period she went there everyday to breastfeed the baby. This was a very tiresome business except for the timely assistance of Mrs Carolyn Berry who volunteered to drive Betty to and from the hospital everyday. The Berrys left Prague in June 1998 at which time Betty went to live in the hospital. She had made the hospital her home because it was the home of her son Kwaku. On the August 2, 1998 the doctors asked Betty to come home because Kwaku did not need her. The following day at 17.00 hours I was at the hospital to see my boy. His condition was not good but I tried to comfort myself with the thought that he had been through such situations before and that he will regain his strength. However it wish was not to be granted. Our dear Kwaku passed out at exactly 23.58 hours on August 3, 1998. In the night I could not sleep because I sensed that something terrible had happened. In the morning, quiet unusually the telephone ranged, confirming my fears and announcing the death of our daring boy. Oh what a sour story, but it was the reality. We are still shocked but we have to learn to live with our loss. As for Kwaku he will remain a daring in our hearts and our minds. The body of our late son was burried at the Olsany cemetry in Prague on August 10, 1998 at a quiet and heart-moving ceremony attended by members of the International Baptist Theological Seminary in Prague, the Czech Republic; the Ghanaian community, members of the International Baptist Church of Prague, and others from other African countries, notably Nigeria, South Africa and Zambia.
Kwesi O Ofori.
Jon K Opoku,Elliott House 1970-75(Adisco)
TRIBUTES
Adisadel Old Boys Friends, Santaclausians and Countrymen,
Those of us from the musical fraternity at Adisadel in the early 1970s will always remember Jon's exciting
afternoon sessions on the old piano in the Canterbury Hall. He could turn his hands to any genre of music; be it Jazz, Euro-Classical, Highlife.He played several different instruments although the
keyboard was his forte.Several pop groups in the school sought his services as organist and harmonica player.I certainly enjoyed sharing my passion for music with him. In his adulthood as a composer and music producer he achieved so much for Ghanaian and African music music in his sadly short life.
May he rest in peace
G. Nii-Okai Addy ( Knight House, 1973).
In the 1980s, when much of Ghanaian music was dominated by western pop, the producer Jon K, who has died of a heart attack in London aged 43, pushed the boundaries of the indigenous hi-life form to embrace the technological flair of soul and funk. He produced Ben Brako's Baya, one of the fastest selling and most popular hi-life albums.
Born Jonathan Opoku in Accra, the son of a university lecturer, Jon K was educated at the elite Adisadel College, in preparation for a career in law. Instead, he nurtured his musical talents, as a pianist and bass guitarist, in a string of student groups.
The band leader Eddie Quansah then took Jon K under his wing as pianist and arranger. He toured Britain in the late 1970s, but his band failed to emulate the Afro-rock success of Osibisa, and returned home. Jon K left to record his influential first album, Adowa, with Dave Yowell, the Kenyan-born British producer.Together they created hi-tec hi-life - fusing traditional rhythms and soul music. This was facilitated by Jon K's mastery of studio technology and his quest for a new sound.
The Adowa album paved the way for the phenomenal success of Baya. In 1989, Jon K released Asaboni,which consolidated his reputation as one of the most exciting hi-life producers. It also established his north London Sultan studios as a laboratory for Ghanaian music.
In London, Jon K played with the music and poetry outfit, African Dawn, and Boombaya. He toured his own band, Tuntum, and, following his work on Ouaga, a Channel 4 documentary on African cinema,began experimenting with film soundtracks.He returned to Ghana in the early 1990s to set up a television production company. Back in London this year, he completed his most ambitious project, a collaboration with the singer, Nana Yaa. A teetotaller and vegetarian, Jon K lived for his music. He is survived by his wife and daughter.
Jon K (Jonathan Opoku), music producer, born December 20, 1955; died July 19, 1999
by Kwesi Owusu
The first senior to interrogate me as a freshly arrived form one rat was John Kay. He arrived on campus early with the rest of us form one class.He asked me to follow him and in panic I did so, thinking he was gonna bully me. Instead I followed him to the Canterbury hall where he sat at the piano. Without any clue as to the kind of punishment this senior was going to have me suffer, I trembled with fear in anticipation of what was his next move will be. Throughout our meeting his demeanor was non-threatning. That even scared me more. What came next was a surprise. This senior asked me if I can sing.I said yes. He asked me to sing any song I know. Before I could finish a songline the piano was humming beautifully, melody and chords of a harmonius hitherto was unknown to me. He played to all the James Brown, Barry White etc songs I sang. After ten songs he asked me "What's your name and Where are you from?". My fear turned into elation as this friendly senior asked me to play. Though I knew a few three chord songs and a hymn I declined with the excuse that I am not a good player. After fumbling on a song he took the high octave beyond the middle "C" to accompany me. And boy, to this day wonder and smile at this music genius John Kay was such a gentle soul and his love of music is a great testament his personality. I was so impressed I told the encounter to my fellowmate and Tadi friend Fifi Erskine about this senior whose playing sounds like that of an entire orchestra!. We both went back to Canterbury hall tofind him playing his heart out. John was not a big guy and but his shorts fingers straddled octaves and run the keys in a fiery style as if they each had legs. He moved to Ebiradze House (Now LeMaire). Many a siesta afternoons became a listening pleasure as I could hear him play from the top floor of Elliot House. I am proud of his later accomplishments.
He musically opened my ears and influenced the way I play. To this day, when I play the same songs he composed and people ask me who sang that. The reply is always a friend from high school by the name of JOHN KAY. May he rest in peace. I am beginning to despise the net as a messenger of bad news. Minus two Elliottites this year is enough!. John K. Opoku, rest in peace, for I will continue playing those instrumentals you composed.....panaana, panaana, pam,pam...paaaaaaa.......that's signature John Kay!
E. Kwame Tawiah, (Elliot-'73-80)
Mrs Comfort Joyce Afua Nyarko Buamah
(Left us on 19th June 1997)
2 Years have passed,
2 Christmases,
2 Easters,
2 of your Birthdays,?
and 2 Mother’s days, And we still can’t believe you are physically gone forever;
We still haven’t accepted it and never would!
Mama, not a day goes by that we don’t shed tears, all because we miss you so much!
It’s hard to believe that a source of great strength such as you should no longer be with us! These two years have been void without you Mama, when there was no one to smile with us and
share our joys when we were happy, when there was no one to congratulate us on our successes and to encourage us to explore our dreams; when there was no one to advice us when we needed it... when there was no one to share our sorrows and problems!!!
It’s hard to believe that a person sweet and loving as you, who gave unselfishly without expectation both to strangers, family and friends; who tried to make life easy for everyone you came into contact with, should depart this earth so soon!!!
If we had our way, we would spend the rest of our days wondering why “Mama Left”...,
However, we look up in the sky and a little poem rings in our minds that goes..
My Sweet Shining Star.
What are you doing up in the sky?
Was it not just two years ago that you were with us?
Sweet Star,
Sometimes, we feel your presence so closely
and yet you’re high up in the sky..so unreachable!
We wish we could just touch you
and lay our heads on your comfortable bosom..
the only place where we find solace!
Shining Star, ever so gentle, sweet and caring..
We know you watch over us day and night.
Memories of you lingers on...
We miss you so much!
Mama, we are consoled by the fact that you were a saved Christian and you lived a good life; and your Good Works continue to follow you!!
OUR SWEET MAMA, YOU WERE, IS , AND EVER WILL BE THE GREATEST MUM, AND OUR SWEET, BRIGHT AND SHINING STAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
From your kids Charles, Dominic, Malcolm, Phillip, Francis, Gloria and Anita (I love you mama!)
Miss Dora Sarkodie(28th Aug 1947-15th Mar1999)
She left behind a mother, a sister,4 daughters and 8 grandchildren, nephew and nieces.
She was a very hard working single mother who had love and wisdom for all.She had been ill for a while and couldn’t fight any longer when the deadly meningitis attacked her,She will be fondly rememberd by all who knew her.May her soul rest in peace.
Nana Kankam
Alice Opongwaa Osei
We regret to announce the sudden death of our beloved mother,who sadly left us at the Ridge Hospital Accra Ghana, on October 24, 1998. Auntie Alice, was the mother of Nana Owusu, alias (Akonoba,LoveNana or Zoro) of Houston and a popular member of the Ghana Forum Chat Room. She left behind 7 children and 13 grandchildren.Nana Owusu(aka Akonoba)
Mr Gorden Anane
Who sadly passed away in Dec 1998,in a terrible accident on the Accra-Kumasi road.He left behind a wife and 2 kids.Mr Anane was a very good teacher,who did all things possible to help his students at St Monicas Sec Sch.
Issac Kusi Sarfo (27)
It's with great sorrow to announce the sudden death of this old student of Prempeh college who passed away in Feb 1999,and was popularly known as "FUSIJAMUS".He later became a student at the Columbia University,then tech in Ghana.We shall miss him dearly.
