Lorna Ariyo French, born on Saturday September 22, 1956, was the first borne to Charles and Winifred Lewis. She was a quiet soul, both inside and outside, and her external beauty was only surpased by her genuine beautiful and loving inner core. Losing our mother in 1983, she immediately assumed the role of the family matriach, a role in which she excelled and superceded all expectation. She was fondly and comonly known as "mummy" to hundreds of people, including her siblings as we jested with her. She extended her love and guidance unpretentiously to all and sundry. She was a great wife to Albert George French, and an even greater mother to her two natural children Brian and Alison French, and her numerous adopted children and families. She received great joy from her grandchildren and was the solid rock amongst her siblings Lorenzo, Leilah & Charles Ariyo-Lewis, and Abigail Manhey, and all their respective spouses. She loved traveling and had visited many countries across the continents, but always preferred to stay home, in Freetown, Sierra Leone.
She was a firm believer in education, and helped many peple and families obtain their education in various capacities and levels. She attended Cathedral Primary School, The Annie Walsh Memorial School, University of Sierra Leone - Fourah Bay College, and Swansea University where she obtained her Masters degree.
She was a fervent believer in the teachings of the Bible, and practised the doctrines as humanly as possible. She was a member of the Mother's Union, The YMCA, and a few other religious/spiritual groups. One of her last memorable conversations to me in her last few days was that if she was not healed here on earth, she would be healed in heaven. By faith, we all now know you are completely healed sis.
Her memories would for ever be cherished and engraved in our hearts. We love you endlessly sis. Your mortality ended on Tuesday October 21, 2014, but as christians, we believe you successfully entered into the kingdom of immortality, into that big mansion that our Lord Himself prepared for you. Sleep on till we meet again to part no more...
09/22/1956 - 10/21/2014
