Emily Oladunni Abiodun was born on the 1st of April, 1951 to Pa Isaiah Omidiji Ogbara (of blessed memory) & Mrs Victora Obasola Ogbara (Nee Oriowo) of L51 Igbogi Street, Ilesa.

Emily had her early education in Ilesa and environs, living with her grandmother, late Mrs Oriowo, a great disciplinarian. She also lived with her aunt’s family - the Otegbayo’s, who as teachers influenced her positively and gave her the enviable background upon which she was to build in her later life.

Her secondary education was at Atakumosa High school, Osu, Osun state. She had a brilliant record at school both in her studies and athletics, winning laurels for her school in sports. She taught briefly as a pupil teacher on completion of her secondary education and made nursing her choice of profession because of the passion she had to care for people. Little wonder, she was so passionately attached to bedside nursing throughout her career! She did her general nursing training at the Wesley Guild Hospital, Ilesa between 1970 and 1973 under the missionary administration, now an arm of the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals Complex (OAUTHC), Ile-Ife. She worked briefly at Adeoyo General Hospital, Ibadan as a staff nurse where she gained admission for her midwifery training at the University College Hospital (UCH) Ibadan between 1975 and 1976.

Following the completion of her midwifery training, she gained a placement as a staff nurse at UCH in 1976 from where she transferred to OAUTHC, Ile-Ife in January 1977 where she met her would-be husband, Mr. M. Akinfenwa Abiodun. They got married on 16th July 1977 at Holy Trinity Church, Omofe, Ilesa; and their marriage was blessed with 5 children (Gbenga, Feyi, Tinuke, Anu and Folake).

In 1994, she obtained a diploma in Nursing Administration and Management from the University of Benin; she rose through the ranks at OAUTHC and retired as an Assistant Chief Nursing Officer in 1999. Her relentless ambition and adventurous disposition led her to work in Jamaica, the West Indies in December 1999 where she worked at the Princess Margaret Hospital, Morant Bay, St Thomas till March 2001. She then moved to the United Kingdom and lived in Bath for a few months before settling in Bristol. In Bristol, she worked as a registered nurse at Kingswood Court Nursing Home and Riversway Nursing Home between 2001 and 2003 and later at the Royal National Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases NHS Trust, Bath till 2008. During this period, she also obtained a nursing diploma at the Faculty of Health and Social Care, University of the West of England, Bristol. After she left the NHS in 2008, she worked for Leonard Cheshire Disability – Cossham Gardens, caring for adults with physical disabilities, until her passing.

Grandma Emily actively served the Lord all her life. She prepared herself for her roles in the church by studying through the Children Evangelistic Ministry in Ile-Ife. She was Sunday school teacher and Matron of the choir of CCC, Moore, Ile-Ife, as well as the financial secretary and church Matron of CCC, Bristol Parish, UK. She had her contributions recognised in the church by her elevation to the rank of Mother Celestial.

She became Justice of Peace (JP) in November 2008 when she travelled on Holy Pilgrimage to the Holy Land, Jerusalem; a spiritually fulfilling journey where she experienced strengthened and deepened faith with enriched spiritual discoveries.

She was a mentor, a peacemaker and a tower of inspiration to her family, friends and colleagues. She was driven, full of life and character with a pleasant disposition; and she went above and beyond for her family. She was also a sweet and caring mother, as well as a pillar of support to her husband and children until 25th September 2013 when the Lord called her home.

She is survived by seven grandchildren (David, Mabel, Jordan, Deborah, Jayden, Jachim and Felá).

           If you think knowledge is expensive, try ignorance - her favourite quote