A Biography of our brother, Eric Ayukawo Ayuk.

Dear family and friends,

It is with deep respect and appreciation for all of you that I write to share a few words about the life of my younger brother Eric.

Eric was born on April 22nd, 1974 at the C.D.C Bota Hospital then Victoria in Cameroon, to the late Papa Moses AyukAgborfondly called “Doctor Moses” and late Mama Agnes Beteck.

Eric was the last child of our parents and his birth was a most welcome family event. He was the baby crown jewel of our parents’ home. According to one of our older siblings, the birth of our baby brother brought exceptional joy and gratitude to our entire family. Eric was raised in modesty to a family that taught him from a young age the values of discipline, respect, hardworkand the need to seek the truth in all endeavours in life.

Eric attended the Government Primary School in Middle-farms, Bota. He proceeded to the Government High School (GHS) in Limbe from where he graduated in May of 1993. Eric later enrolled at the University of Buea from where he was fortunate to be hired directly by the Cameroon Development Corporation (CDC) as a Field Management Trainee.

As a result of his hard work, Eric was recommended by senior Management to attend the School of Agricultural Sciences in Bambili in the North West Region of Cameroon. Eric graduated within the allotted time as an Agricultural Extension worker. His insatiable quest for professional knowledge led him to undertake correspondence studieswhere he obtained a Diploma in Estate Management from a University in England and another Diploma in Agriculture and Forestry from Umea University in Sweden.

From the Cameroon Development Corporation, Eric proceeded to work at the Bwenga Rubber Plantations in Tiko, where he served as a Manager for almost three years before immigratingto Montreal, Canada.After about two years in Montreal,Eric and his family decided to relocate to Calgary, Alberta.

My brother was very active in community activities. Eric was a man of the community and he lived his life as such. He belonged to many social groups and associations. Whereas some of them were alumni, others were cultural or discussion groups. Some of you who are here today are either representatives or members of some of those groups. While he lived in Montreal, Eric joined and became a very active member of the Manyu Elements Cultural Association (MECA). Through his commitment to community advancement, Eric continued with the same spirit of engaging others after he relocated to Calgary. As a result of his love for the Manyu culture and the promotion of community solidarity, Eric and some other Manyu brethren decided to establish a local Chapter of the Manyu Elements Cultural Association (MECA) in Calgary in the year 2013. His peers and fellow members gave him the honour and privilege to serve the association in the position of its Pioneer and founding Chapter President. He carried out his duties and responsibilities towards the organization with dedication and love. Until his death, Eric was also the Chairman of the Gentlemen’s Club in Calgary. Eric epitomized the quintessential element of community service at its very best.

To Eric’s credit, it is not surprising to us and his close friends that he lived his life as his means would allow. Eric was known for his legendary hospitality and his eagerness to reach out beyond his immediate circle of friends and acquaintances. Throughout his short life here on earth, Eric impacted the lives of so many others through his ability to build and sustain lasting relationships, friendships and connections in life’s journey in a very special way. That is the type of person that my younger brother, Eric was. We never doubted his sincerity or commitment to others. My brother was a beacon of hope and inspiration to his multitude of nieces and nephews who had a cordial and trusting relationship with him.

A few years ago, Eric had some health challenges. Just like a Sphinx that has seven lives, Eric was able to rise from the ashes of adversity to make a full recovery from his health challenges at the time.When Eric was admitted on July 26, 2019, there really was no reason for us to be alarmed or so concerned that anything out of the ordinary would be amiss about his health. It so turned out for all of us that the recent hospital stay would unexpectedly be his last. Eric did not have the opportunity to return home to his wife, children and the rest of his loving family as we all expected. He did not have the time to say goodbye to family and other loved ones. We are so saddened by the fact that despite all of our hopes for a quick recovery and the help from the extraordinary care that was provided by the attending physicians and other hospital staff, Eric unfortunately for us passed away peacefully on Wednesday, August 14th, 2019. It was a moment of panic and indescribable shock to all of us who paid multiple visits to his bedside.

Eric’s wife (Marie) and children were there for him throughout his last hospital stay. Our prayer is that God should grant her the strength and good health to continue to take great care of their children and grandson. It is our hope and expectation that with great stoic we shall endure and overcome this family tragedy.Eric is survived by his wife, children, a grandson, siblings and a large number of other relatives. May he rest in peace with his Creator and Lord.

We stand in awe of the Cameroon Community in Calgary most especially as well as those of you who from other areas in Canada and beyond prayed for our family. We thank all those who gave us support and hospitality as we go through the grieving and mourning process for our departed brother. We also thank God for the gift of such a wonderful life and a brother. We are grateful to God for the years that we spent with Eric while he walked the earth. To God be the Glory and Honour.

We thank all of you who worked tirelessly behind the scenes to put up this admirable Canadian act of solidarity and kindness in support of a grieving widow and her family. We remain very grateful for your collective hospitality.We greatly appreciate the messages of encouragement and goodwill as well as the expectations of continued strength and God’s guidance during our moment of grieving.In our capacity as immediate family and siblings, we have a duty that is at once personal and otherwise to lead efforts to support our brother’s children and his wife as we all forge ahead with a new path in life without Eric.

Thank you for your prayers. Thank you for your love and support to our family. May God bless us all abundantly.

Sincerely,

Edward Takang Ayuk

(Older Brother)

Edmondton, Alberta, Canada