Helen Banjo

With a very very heavy heart but with gratitude to God Almighty for a life well spent in the Lord, I announce the sudden passing away of my mother, Mrs. Helen Banjo in Seattle. She was 89 years old.

She was a descent of the highly respected and influential KUKOYIS in Ijebu Ode, Ogun State.She was the daughter of late Pa Richardson Kukoyi, a popular High Chief in Ijebu Ode. She was highly educated.

She got married to Mr. Cornelius Adeoye Banjo, a one time Personnel Manager of the household name company-Lever Brothers in Apapa.He also worked briefly with Cadbury's Nigeria Limited.They both had eight (8) lovely children: namely Adenike, Adesola, Adewale, Adetokunbo, Oluseyi, Olufunke, Folasade and Adebola.

Her career spanned through all levels of cadre to Headmistress and Head of many Schools.I remember one memorable incident during her active days in service, she traveled to Australia for a Teachers' training workshop and that saw her gone for over one year.My daddy's sister came to stay with us and looked after us. We missed mum then but we were happy since our aunty was able to fill that gap. That memory of our aunty still lingers on as she was very nice to us, helped us to do many things like making our hair for us and and assuring us that our mum will be back soon, despite all of these care and love shown by our aunty, we still missed that special and unique love that only a mother can give her children.

My mum was a good mother.She brought us up in the fear of the Lord.She traveled to America (Seattle, Washington) immediately after my father's burial in October 1992.She came home briefly to bury her own senior sister, Mrs. Olabisi Obileye (nee Kukoyi) and went back.

She got her American green card only this year. During her stay in America, she traveled to Edmonton, Canada to stay with my senior sister, Dr. Adenike Yesufu.

Blessed are those who die in the Lord. On the last day of her life, my mother went for her regular exercise and then attended Bible study. She then tinkered with her email, spent the evening at home quite relaxed, had her bath, went to bed just after midnight and she passed away in her sleep in the morning of 22nd October 2009 in my sister's (Olufunke) house in Seattle. .

She was privileged to be a great-grand mummy.

There is a time to be born and a time to die.

She was here in Edmonton with us for about a year. She just returned to Seattle. We thank God for that interaction.

She will be laid to rest in Lagos, Nigeria. Arrangements for memorial services in Edmonton and Seattle will be announced later. Thank you for your prayers, your kind thoughts and your words of comfort. She was indeed a Mother in Israel (Judges 5:7). Sweet is the remembrance of the righteous. Amen.

Peace!!!