Your vacuum can never be filled in our hearts. We take solace in christ Jesus 

Grandpa, today is your 87th birthday. We dearly missed you today but God knows why He decided to take you before this day. . We pray that God will continue to comfort and console us especially Grandma in Jesus name. May you continue to rest in peace in Jesus name

I loved dropping in on Daddy to have warm conversation. I believe we shared a mutual understanding that I was some form of human pulse reader he could use to gauge the progression or regression of the Nigerian Oil giant he pioneered. 
I always remember a particular conversation we had a couple of years ago. In the course of our conversation Daddy mentioned dividends he received and jokingly said he quickly distributed it to his kids and dependents . The large smile on his face prompted my question..”Sir, why did you do it so fast? “ 
His answer still lingers in my mind till this moment. He replied “I don’t want to leave this world suddenly and have God ask me why I stored so much in my account when people are living in poverty all around.”
That simple statement said with his smile has defined my thinking. 

My Dad was always the story-teller , he always had an anecdote or funny story to hand 
one of his favourites was the story of the "Super Salad"

While travelling as a young Engineer , he visited Houston which was an Oil boom town . They
were hosted by some very friendly Texans and had a gruelling schedule touring facilities and meeting officials . At the end of the day they were starving and the host kindly offered to take them to dinner . They were taken to a very posh restaurant and as they walked to their seats he could see all sorts of delights on peoples plates - they were definitely in the right place.

A young waitress came to take their order . She had the broadest Texan accent my fathers Nigeran ears had ever heard , but he listened hard and managed to order something nice.
As she turned to leave she remembered something , turned round , and asked him ...would you like "super salad with that sir?". Well he thought , who wouldn't . Yes please he replied. Would you like "super salad" she repeated . Definitely he replied . She was now getting a little agitated . So "super salad..!" she repeated a little less politely . Well theres no need to take that tone he thought. Yes please he said ,I really like salad , I will like a super one even more.

Ok sir , so you will have the salad , not the soup . The mist cleared , she was saying
soup-ah-salad  ( soup or salad !!! )

According to the Gregorian calendar,Chief Festus R.A. Marinho,KSS,OFR, has lived on planet earth for 86 years,19 days. However, the late Chief’s work output and professional accomplishments would suggest that he lived for a much longer time. The impact of his intervention in the Nigerian Petroleum Industry is expected to have an even longer life span.
The audacious dreamer was never shy, never scared to set big goals for the Petroleum industry and the nation. As the inspirational leader he was, he drove his lieutenants to success through personal example. Performance with integrity was his mantra.
Although Chief Marinho dedicated much of his adult life to the growth of the Nigerian oil and gas industry,he did not neglect his spiritual life. His good works of philanthropy and prayers earned for him a Papal Knighthood. This devout Christian seems to have been working hard to prepare for a happy and peaceful transition. May the Angels of God receive his soul and present it to God the Most High. Ame