Mrs Eunice Marie Quartey, popularly known as Auntie Eunice, Grandma Eunice or,
by her adopted Ghanaian name, Maa Kwaley, was born as Eunice Marie Wright on
8 th March 1957 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA to Jessie James and Eunice Mae Wright.
Eunice Marie, who was one of five siblings, spent her formative years in Atlanta
attending Forrest Elementary School, Daivd T. Howard High School and West Fulton
High School.
After graduating from High School, Eunice attended The University of Iowa from
1975-1978 where she was initiated as a member of Epsilon Theta Chapter of the
Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority which was incorporated in November 1976.
In 1978 she transferred to Jarvis Christian College in Hawkins, Texas. Eunice was a
Magna Cum Laude graduate of Jarvis Christian College in 1981 receiving a Bachelor
of Business Administration degree with a specialization in Accounting. After
graduating, she worked at the College in the Hawkins-Jarvis Health Clinic as a
Financial Technician and Bookkeeper and then worked in the Office of Recruitment
and Admissions for several years.
She lived in Ardmore, Oklahoma from 1983-1985 where she worked with a local
Accounting Firm. She also lived in Chicago, Illinois where she worked for a local
Accounting Firm. From December 1989 to July 1993 she worked for Alpha Kappa
Alpha Headquarters in Chicago, Illinois as their Director of Membership.
In August 1993, Eunice attended the wedding of Sonny and Elizabeth Mills in
Chicago. During the wedding reception she was asked to dance by Abraham
Winston Churchill Quartey, a gentleman from London who was visiting his two
brothers and their respective wives in Chicago.
It was love at first sight! Eunice and Abraham exchanged telephone numbers, met
up, talked and eventually made plans for Eunice to visit Abraham in London in
October. On 20 th October 1993, his birthday, Abraham proposed to Eunice before
she returned to the US. She said yes, and they were married, just after Christmas,
on 28 th December 1993.
On their meeting and subsequent marriage, Uncle Abraham recounts is as follows,
and I quote, “Our meeting in Chicago in August 1993 was love at first Heart.
Because our apparent cultural and academic diversity helped us to look for the best
not only in each other but also in others.
Eunice brought a social and a joy-of-life dimension to my life and also to our London
family's life. She was a good friend, an excellent listener and a great teacher of how
to bring people together, and l will always regard her as my angel. Till we meet again
in heaven, rest in perfect peace my darling.”
During her time in London, Eunice worked for the London Borough of Redbridge -
initially in Children’s Services from 1995 and transferred across to adult social care
from 2003 as a Client Liaison Officer up until 2015 when Eunice took voluntary
redundancy. After this she was employed by NELFT and the London Borough of
Barking & Dagenham for Administration support to the Learning Disabilities
psychology team where she remained in post but absent due to sickness up until she
sadly passed away.
Eunice was in regular communication with colleagues past and new and it was lovely
hearing the team’s news as their lives progressed-birthdays, weddings, births, and
sadly sometimes the loss of colleagues which we could acknowledge because of
Eunice’s care and consideration for others. During her time in Redbridge, Eunice
played a pivotal role as part of the admin team developing a new innovative
integrated service with community NHS services and Social Services.
Eunice is remembered by her family (in the UK, US, Germany and Ghana) for her
unique warmth, soft voiced American accent, beautiful and infectious smile, sunny
personality, positive outlook on life and for her big heart.
She loved life and absolutely adored celebrating her family - anniversaries,
birthdays, christenings and naming ceremonies, graduations, Christmas celebrations
and other landmark achievements – Eunice was always sure to make the celebrant
feel special.
Her grandchildren were always guaranteed to receive a birthday gift with a monetary
value commensurate with their age. It was not uncommon to hear one of the
grandchildren exclaim, “I’m rich!”, after receiving a birthday card and money in the
post from Grandma Eunice and Grandpa Abraham.
Eunice worked hard to ensure that the London family met periodically and felt
supported. The annual Christmas gathering which she and Uncle Abraham
instituted to bring harmony to the family is going strong – not even COVID could
prevent a gathering via Zoom during the 2020 festive period.
She absolutely loved music whether it was a hymn, gospel music, Christian music or
secular music. During the past year, on the occasions she joined our Church service
on Zoom – she would always remark on the music.
In the last Zoom interaction my family and I had with her, we sang the hymn, ‘It is
well’ and Uncle Abraham, who was present at her bedside, told us that the singing
had revived her spirits somewhat.
Eunice’s passing has left a hole in the lives of her family and friends. She is survived
by her darling husband, Abraham Winston Churchill Quartey; her dear mother,
Eunice Mae Wright; her siblings - Jesse Adolphus Wright (and his wife Robbin),
Sylvester Frank Wright and John Floyd Wright; her nephews and nieces - Ashlee
Marie Wright, Jesse Adolphus Wright Jr, Christopher Jerome Wright and his wife,
Aarione; her grandnephews and grandnieces - Riley Marie Wright, Ryan Wright and
Christian Wright; her London family – Mr Ebenezer Quaye, Mrs Selina Quaye and
their children, Benedicta, Manuela, Ebenezer Jr and Priscilla; Reverend Jacob Afedi,
Mrs Lucille Afedi and their children, Elias and Lizzy; Reverend Charles Armah, Lady
(Mrs) Beatrice Armah and their children Alcina, Denziel and Elisha; Bishop
Emmanuel Afedi, Mrs Leticia Afedi and their children Elkanah, Ellie and Elisaveta.
Eunice was a woman of faith and the one abiding comfort that we as her family and
her friends have is that she fought the good fight, finished the race, and kept the
faith. We are assured that she is now in the bosom of the Lord and for that, we are
grateful. Rest in peace dear, sweet Eunice.
