Genial, charming, shrewd, humorous: these were my first impressions of Bro. Tunji, urbane husband of my dear friend Kike - and they never faded. I was on a professorship (job) tour from Australia, and this dear couple had generously opened their home to me while I was attending the law ‘’meatmarket” in Washington DC.
Right from the start, Bro. Tunji put me at ease, asking interested questions about the interviewing process, and I soon felt almost as comfortable with him as I did my friend of (then in 2005) twenty five years, his dear wife, Morenike.
I can still recall one joke we laughed heartily about - it had to do with a desperate suitor, an Omo-Oge whose glamor owed much to horsehair extensions, and a Babalawo. Yes, it was ever so faintly risque, but Bro. Tunji’s skill as a raconteur was such that the humor was foremost, while the cheeky implications reversed far into the background.
On a trip back to their home, in the car after dark, after a midweek church service, we sang the “I’m a Map” song from Dora the Explorer - this was 16 years ago, while the young people were still ‘rugrats’ - we had a fun interlude chuckling at the childishly appealing absurdity of the song (and the show).
In short, Bro. Tunji was a genial, urbane man, fully engaged with his family, who took the time to cultivate friends - both his - as his pride and active participation in GCI Old Boy events demonstrated, and his welcoming demeanor to Kike’s friends such as I.
I am so sorry for the family’s loss. In the loss of their husband, father, brother and uncle, time in the valley of grief is unavoidable, but what a comfort to be able to trust that all is well.
This means that even while passing through the valley, guided by the Lord’s staff (Psalm 23: 4) - honoring the pain of his absence - we can be buoyed by the hope of eternal life in Christ, rejoicing that Bro. Tunji knew the Lord Jesus.
We will not, therefore, grieve as those who have no hope (1 Thessalonians 4:13), instead we will praise God for Bro. Tunji’s life, we will honor his memory, and we will enjoy a smile whenever a witty story or joke he told/might have told comes to mind.
Sun re, oko ore mi: Loruko Jesu, Amin.