Dear Daddy, it has been very difficult for me to write this tribute, as I have found myself struggling to come to terms with the fact that you have truly departed this world, & gone to be with our Lord Jesus Christ. (John 3:16, Romans 10:9-10, 2 Cor 5:8-9)
We were not preparing for a funeral. We were preparing for your discharge from hospital, and were already making the relevant arrangements. We truly believed that you would make it, because we had prayed fervently & continuously throughout your time in hospital, and you had actually recovered. In addition, you had been so active, strong, healthy & still working - before that hospital admission.
You were known to so many as a Professor of Professors, a Leader of Leaders, a foremost Historian of Edo History, an excellent academician, an accomplished author with many published works, & someone who had an exemplary work ethic. You impacted so many lives with your generosity, mentorship, heart of service, counsel & advice. You made it possible & assisted so many in entering institutions of higher learning in Nigeria, who may otherwise have not been able to do so.
However, as your first child, I knew you as an honorable Father. You were genuinely humble & simple, despite your numerous & noteworthy achievements. Very easy going, down to earth, gentle temperament, slow to anger, always encouraging, full of advice about life’s issues, pure in heart, & with a great sense of humor. You believed the best of people, even in the face of overwhelming evidence showing the contrary, and you were quick to forgive. Even when some took advantage of your purity of heart, you would always refuse to retaliate, as you believed that they would eventually reap the harvest of what they had sown.
You were a man of faith who believed in the Lord with all your heart. You prayed for all your Children every single night, and you told us this all the time. You loved to go to Church & you did this regularly at a very early hour on Sundays for decades.
You were a caring Father. When my husband of 30years fell ill, you showed extreme concern, & made a point of praying for him regularly. When he passed on in June 2020, you constantly checked on us to ensure that we were ok.
I can still hear your voice whenever I called you to ask how you were doing. “I’m okayyyy, I’m okayyyy” you would always respond, no matter what was going on.
I will miss you Daddy. You were an honourable Father.
Your daughter,
Pastor (Mrs) Pamela Lloyd-Kuyinu (neé Igbafe).