Mrs Mabel Olufunmilayo Akinyemi (née Ogunniyi), was born to the family of late Pa Emmanuel Ogunniyi  a  Baptist School Teacher, and organist and  Madam Alatede Ogunniyi a Trader, in Iree Osun State on September 16, 1950.

She was immersed in the Christian community that would be her lifelong support from an early age. She started her elementary education in First Baptist Day School Iree and later moved on to Baptist High school Ede Osun State for her secondary education.  She excelled while there, and won the Old Western State Secondary School Scholarship to complete hers studies. She later proceeded to the University of Ibadan where she graduated in 1977 with a degree in Geography.

In 1978, she was posted to the defunct Gongola State for her National Youth Service (NYSC) where she bagged the Governor’s award as the overall best corp member in recognition of the various community development projects she initiated and executed.

An erudite educator and administrator with a career spanning over 25 years in schools administration  in the Lagos, Oyo and Osun states public schools system. Funmi served as teacher, vice-principal and principal in many schools and was beloved by all staff and students everywhere she served.  She was a strict disciplinarian, who not only instilled discipline in her students, but also a sense of hard work and pride.

She was a highly benevolent and generous person, who was also actively involved in various social welfare causes and was a member of various humanitarian societies where she served in different capacities. In addition to her illustrious career, she was also a great proponent of women empowerment and development, female education, poverty eradication and alleviation amongst others .

She convened, moderated, and was keynote speaker at various conferences, workshops forums and symposiums on the above mentioned issues both within and outside Nigeria.

Funmi was a good Christian and was one of the founding members of Christ Life Baptist Church Oshogbo. She was a very active and dedicated member of the church and the Baptist community at large, serving in various capacities and positions in the church and the Baptist conference at large.

Always filled with compassion and interest in others, Funmi made friends easily and was extremely accommodating. She saw the good in people and embraced people from all works of life regardless of race, ethnicity or religion. She positively affected the lives of the people around her and her door was always open to anybody that required help in any way.

She was an active member of various professional and social associations.

She was appointed as the Osun State coordinator of the National Poverty Eradication Programme (NAPEP) in 2004, a position where she served with distinction to the betterment of the state and community at large especially in the area of economic empowerment, poverty alleviation and financial assistance for widows, orphans and the less privileged.

She was a well travelled intellectual with numerous awards nationally and internationally.

Funmi is preceded in death by her husband, Chief Francis Akinwola Akinyemi and is survived by her children, grandchildren, Sisters, Brothers, cousins, several fond nieces, nephews and friends.

She will be remembered as an achiever, educator per excellence, administrator, philanthropist, activist, and a pillar of the community.