I was happy to be part of the crowd that paid its last respect and honour to such illustrious son and great teacher of Imo State. Yr funeral oration can only be described as a masterpiece and for a long time will remain second to none. That aside, I have never had the opportunity to witness such mammoth gathering of priests at a requiem mass, more three scores of priests present at one funeral service. My only regret is that I never met with Papa one on one whilst he was alive. God will continue to abundantly bless u, yr siblings and the rest of the extended Okeahialam family for according Papa a befitting burial. Regards to yr wife for taking good care of me, Professors Ugodulunwa and Onwuliri. Dr. Innocent Onyejiaka

Thanks Prof, Nnanyi Fes deserves a 1st class burial. He was the 1st always. His products are also first in everything. What more can a man pray for? Congratulations for the befitting burial of Nnanyi. Your Itu-aka-n'ese and funeral oration at the church were professorial. It is well and may God grant you and the family the fortitude to bear his departure. Cheers. Tony Ojukwu

Live on okpe udo 1

Father Uju, Our condolences to you and your family on the passing of your Father. May our Lord bless you and comfort you and give you peace. May the soul of your Father rest in peace. Arlene Vigil and Family

You taught me some life lessons that have formed my character. Your cured my gullible mind by playing on me with the promise of visiting the village if I recovered. I did recover but you pulled the promise saying that I am only home sick and wanted to ditch school. Now I hear also people's unspoken words when I stand before them. You did it for me then; and I was just less than 5 years old.

Fr. Uju, It is well understood that a good heart has stopped beating, a good soul has gone to heaven.May the Lord who called your dad from this life bring you and your family the much needed comfort and peace during this time of grief, and may the soul of your dad rest in perfect peace. Amen.

TRIBUTE TO PAPA
When I left home on January 2nd 2016 with my family for Jos at the end of the yuletide season, I felt an inexplicable sense of void, unusual on similar previous circumstances. On return to Jos, each time I thought of you, I felt I no longer had you in a mental and psychic embrace; which had always been the case. I then made up my mind to visit home before Easter to spend time with you. That was not to be because first I was informed you had taken ill. My worry heightened when all remedial actions were shackled at every turn.
Then hospitalization.
Then my mental anguish until Prof. Ikeme’s admonition of me that ‘the old generation must pass away’ brought me back to sanity.
Then Tim telling me he didn’t like what he was seeing and took the proactive step of administering ‘extreme unction’ to you.
By 1.45 am on that fateful day, I got a strange call twice, I believe from you apparently to inform me you were exiting this side. As the line of communication had been cut by mother nature making direct verbal communication impossible, silence greeted me each time I picked. As you wanted me to wake up, you chose an indirect approach by waking up TK (whom I learnt later, had developed emotional ties with you while you were in Jos with us). He got somehow frightened and the rapid heart action he felt got him calling me desperately. I sensed that all was not well and called Stan to ask how you were in hospital. He had nothing to report except that the nurses had checked you earlier administered some treatment and that you had gone back to sleep. Thirty minutes later he called me to say that the way he saw you, he believed you had died. At that point I said: YES MY FATHER IS GONE. Gone to the home of peace to be with the Lord but tried to alert me before the move.
Your legacies live on in us; and in your grandchildren who I am told gave you a hearty party over the yuletide season, to cheer you up not knowing it was a farewell party.
Fes, onye gbara first na St Dom, Okoroego Okeam, loving Darling of Venus, Chief Okpe Udo, the curtain has fallen and eclipsed you from this side. Shine on in eternity.
Basil Nwaneri Okeahialam (Opara gi)

Papa was a source of inspiration to us his children and to many others, when we remember your life struggles and achievements all we have to do is to thank GOD ALMIGHTY for His faithfulness .

The LORD lifted you and you lifted many, so what else can we say than to say thank you JESUS for making us your children.

You loved and cared for us to the end and so I stand BOLD to say we are not MOURNING but BEREAVED because I can see GOD'S mercy all around us

Rest in PERFECT PEACE man of peace chief OKPEUDO 1 of Onicha, we will miss you very much.

rest in the LORD sir, good night.

Fr. Uju, we want to extend our heartfelt condolences to you and the entire Okeahialam family on the death of your Papa. You are all so blessed to have such an outstanding man as mentor and father. We pray for the repose of his soul and that his wisdom and direction will continue to guide and influence your lives. Nancy and Bill

Dearest Father Uju, I just want you to know that I am thinking of you every day and asking God to hold you close and to comfort you and bless you with His healing peace. My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family.

I wish to send my most sincere and heart-felt condolences to the entire Okeahialam family. You will remain in my thoughts and prayers throughout this most difficult time. May your faith and family see you through with the help of the Most Holy Spirit to a place of comfort. With a lot of love....Kristi Martinez

I met you and family at Eziobo in Owerri You were the Headmaster of the primary school.I came as a seminarian on "apostolic work." You accepted me as a member of your family. It was a wonderful experience. I saw you last shortly after the sad passing of your beloved wife. I admired how you accepted that fact with total resignation to the will of God. While we grieve that you have left us physically, we rejoice that your Maker has called you to Himself to receive the rewards of your labour. I thank God that He had blessed you in this life with gift of a long and fruitful life, the gift of tremendous Faith, of brilliant, prosperous and devoted children. Rest in Peace until we all meet again in the Father's House!

My Dear Father Uju, I am deeply saddened by the passing of your dear Papa. My heart breaks for you, and my wish would be to try in some small way to help bring comfort to you. I pray that the Lord will wrap His loving, and comforting arms around you and your loved ones and bring you peace and strengthened faith. I know you will continue to live your Papa's legacy. God bless you and I will keep you in my prayers. Your Papa was a man of great distinction, this I know, because of the upstanding adults his children have become.

Paddy, your dad dead! wow! When did it happen? I can't forget my long interaction with him in 2011. You came back on leave and I came visiting. I had more time with him than with you. I admired so much his good sense of history and humour. By his demise your family, friends and indeed humanity, have lost "a living library", a modern day "Socrates". May he rest in perfect peace. Amen.

Papa, you did not allow me to reach home before you moved on. You shared with me in my dream that Monday a life fluid. I am still to understand it fully, but i know it is well. I thought me well and challenged to be always conscious of our family name and honor. You gave me the name Enyinnaya but always called me Ujunwa and I hope I will understand all of it. I am pained at what I did not have the chance to ask you but I want to believe that I will hear from others. Chief laa n'udo

Papa was the founding President of the diocesan Catholic Men Organisation (CMO) Ahiara Diocese. In his teaching days he built and nurtured the former St. Mary’s Catholic Primary School Eziobo and got it promotion from a standard 3 school to a standard 6 school. He is a prominent citizen of Umueleagwa Onicha. After retirement He devoted much of his time to community service settling disputes and making peace. He is a true “Eze Okpeudo”. Papa is a core educationist, disciplinarian and a man of high moral standard. Infact, Papa gets you to work through spoken words. He will talk to you respectfully no matter how much younger you are to him and this makes people hardly disobey him. “Dee nne” Fes as He is fondly called is a role model that people look up to and emulate every of his footsteps.

Papa got married to Lolo Bernadine Nwangaji Okeahialam (Late) in 1956. He lost his wife after 53 years of fruitful Marriage in 2009. Mama’s death destabilized Papa and He took ill two years after on 14th February, 2011. After five years from 14th February, 2011, Papa departed on 13th February, 2016 to celebrate Valentine in eternity with the Venus of His life – Lolo Bernadine. Papa will be buried on 5th March, 2016, at his home town of Umueleagwa Onicha in Ezinihitte Mbaise LGA of Imo State. You are cordially invited.

Papa is a member of the knight of St. John International. He holds a traditional title of Eze Okpeudo 1 of Onicha Amairi ancient kingdom. He was a teacher of the Roman Catholic Mission where He rose to the post of a Headmaster Special Class (Grade). He retired as a Supervisor of School in the old Imo State Primary Education Board in 1984. After retirement He was appointed a Customary Court Judge in the old Imo State judiciary where He served two terms. He was the pioneer (founding) President of the Catholic Men Organization (CMO) in the entire Ahiara Catholic Diocese. He built and nurtured St, Mary's Catholic School Eziobo from a Standard 3 school till it got promotion and approval to a Standard 6 school.

Denne Fes, as we fondly called you. I will always remember your quiet wisdom and demeanor. Continue to rest In the bosom of our Lord and savior Jesus Christ. May the Holy Spirit Comfort all of us.

Denne Face as we call him was a fine man, discipline personified, intelligent and above all a man of peace. I will miss him so much. I remember the way he calls my name "JOLAT". Denne, you made a great positive impact in the lives of so many, if we have our way, we may want to stop this journey; but God who created you knows the best. farewell Denne Face & may the Lord receive your soul, Amen

Denne....I will definitely miss you. I can still see the excitement on your face whenever i come around to see you during the period you were sick. You loved me and my brother Tony like your own children ...just like you loved our Dad. You will be forever missed. May your gentle soul rest in peace Amen.

My Father told me all the stories...You took him like a son and trained him...possibly to back you up in the family as your mother's last born. He had an outstanding loyalty and respect for you. I remember those days as little as i was, my dad's anger towards any one will just melt away like wax once he hears that voice " Marcili !!" and the response will be "Denne" ...and that's the end of that fight or anger! You transferred that fatherly role to us his children...long after he was gone, you stood gallantly for us unshaken by the weight of many children who had to cling to you. I remember the very day i came home to tell you my intention to get married, your immediate response was " Ekere ikpo onye oma oku, onye oma ewere ukwu ya bia". Little did I know that you have already had that plan in mind for me. You were going to call me to it when I am home for Christmas, but I came to you in April. As my father, you went to Udo for "ajuju" Ofcourse you didn't want your son to make a mistake in marriage.This space is not enough to talk about you, I will have to let my cousins say the rest....I am proud of you!! In my next life you will still be my uncle....my father....my mentor. Good night Onye Udo! True son of Okeahialam Ele!! Your brothers and their wives over their are chanting heroic songs now to welcome you! Your Venus (goddess of beauty) has her hands wide open to welcome her darling! Tell them that we doing well here. Good night gallant soldier of the church! Sleep and take your rest!

You are my father and in death you shall still remain my father. I alone can figure out the sadness in my heart at the moment. Some one told me that you are a saint and I believe that strongly. You taught us moral and spiritual virtues. I promise you that we your children shall make every effort to abide by those virtues.

We have lost a gentleman who was soft spoken and honest. All he spoke was wisdom. He inspired so many and will be very much missed.
His words were always of encouragement. He was a peacemaker.
Denne Fes, we will miss you. An irreplaceable Icon has been plucked away from our family. Denne rest in Peace. You will be forever missed.

He was one of the finest, humanity ever had and will ever have. He formed many, shaped so many and never deserted any. He was great, self controlled, disciplined, decent, temperate and mature. His presence was ever sonorous but serene. So was the man. The great ones have almost all bowed out. Good night the talented teacher!