Gbenga,

My mind flashes back to the days at Unilorin where we met. I remember how we used to joke about how you “jacked” so much that you barely slept throughout one of the final exam periods. I remember dropping you off at your hostel in Tanke in those days. More importantly, it was incredible watching God’s grace transform your life and fan your zeal for Christ into a hot, blazing flame. Oh, how I thank God for his grace that turns unworthy sinners to saints, outcasts to sons, and children of wrath to vessels of grace! I’m thankful to the Father for granting you true repentance and genuine faith in Jesus. While my heart aches that you’re gone from this world, I’m comforted because I know you’re with Christ. Here below, you were a man after God’s own heart. You deeply loved Christ. You loved the saints as well. You longed to be with Jesus. I’ll miss you, brother. I’ll miss our conversations about theological matters and life issues in general. Your departure is earth’s loss, but heaven’s gain.

Your race is over. Your purpose on earth is fulfilled. For you, the days of struggle with sin here below are over. Your armor has been set aside. Your faith has been turned to sight. You’ve seen through a glass dimly, now you see the Savior face-to-face. Your eyes may have closed here below, but now you see the radiant light of God’s glory for unending days. You’ve fought the good fight faithfully here below, and now you rest with Christ above. Oh, how blessed are those that die in the Lord!

“I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live.” John 11:25

Rest in Christ, Gbenga. I look forward to when we’ll worship the Lamb together before the throne.

Your brother in Christ,

Ope Owoyele

I never met you, never even knew you until today but your legacy speaks volumes. Rest on cos I am so sure heaven has gained a beautiful soul.

Dear Gbenga,
Your laughter is what rings in my ear as i write this. You were odd in a very good way even though I sometimes didn't understand. Thank you for the countless times you showed concern about my life. You were a giver and I learnt a lot being your friend.
I will surely miss you and the funny jabs we would usually have.
May your family, friends and church be comforted.
Kibie

It is indeed difficult for me to talk about Gbenga in the past. One thing I can say is that he loved His Lord and served Him diligently. As we mourn the passing of our beloved son, brother and friend we should remember to put our lives in order as Gbenga would have wished, ready to meet our Lord. May God give us the wisdom to raise our children in the way of The Lord.The king is coming.May The Lord comfort his parents, siblings, his church family, The Durowaiye and Agbaniyaka families. May his gentle soul rest in peace.

Words cannot express this loss to us but it is your gain brother into eternal glory in the presence of your LORD and saviour. Rest on beloved brother in the bosom of our LORD.

I have struggled with accepting the fact that I won’t get to see you in church on Sunday Gbenga. But with each passing day, it is settled in my heart that you my friend have gone to meet the Lord; to behold His face.

I’m glad to have known you. I’m glad to have known one whom indeed testified that; “Godliness is Real”. Thanks for all the long talks, I wish we had heads-up of your departing. As sad as it is, I know you’re full of joy being in the presence of God. You will be dearly missed Gbenga, till we meet again.

I've probably had a million words run through my mind for this tribute. I don't know if this is the place to properly detail my grief, 'cause I feel like a book, & maybe some songs should be written about your life?

Only one other person really understood why I called you Ted & not Gbenga like everyone else did. He after a while started calling you Ted too. You didn't call him Ted, but you called me Ted too

& then outta the blue he tells me on valentine's day that we lost Ted yesterday. I get on the phone to your Sister, & first question I ask is "Is it True?" Ted, I still dialed your number yesternight yunno?

I'll speak as a fool, with my head buried in the sand, acting like I wrote the script for your life, & say 'This was not the Plan, Brother' .

I noticed in the last few years you didn't care for much, if anything @ all. I however was unequivocal in my assurance that you cared for the Lord, you were about the Kingdom. Knowing that it holds promise of the life that is, & that which is to come, I was looking forward to your rewards, looking forward to seeing you Bloom & Blossom. When you told me you changed your mind & would want a family, I genuinely was Looking forward to seeing Wife & Kids soon.

Only now do I understand why I'd planned to name one of my sons Teddy OluwaDurotimi.

Ted, you waka leave me! It's tears & wistful thoughts, but really, what do we know? Only our Mothers know us on arrival in this realm, or do they? Everyone will stand alone & give account before we all gather again to celebrate.

You've left a good testimony to your time here. If I have same on my departure from this realm, then I'll see your face again. Maybe then I could ask if this was the plan?

Ted...

My brother is only dead to the struggles, pain, horror of this world but alive with the source of life.
Enjoy Paradise my dear brother.
Painful to accept but thankful for a Godly life.

Dearest of brothers. Gbenga we rejoice in your light and your love for the saviour. Thanks for been the canvass the Lord Jesus used to show us his life changing power. His love and his saving and sanctifying work. We are consoled by the fact that you are with the one who loved you and who you loved

Happy you served and loved God in your youth, I celebrate that part of your life, so the devil lost and you won. Rest In Peace DurodoubleU

I can still remember the very first time he introduced himself to me at the church site in Omole. Brother Gbenga (as I called him -and he proved to be a brother indeed) spoke with a wisdom far above his years and with such christian maturity as could only have been born out of an experiential walk with the Lord Jesus Christ. His responses showed a deep understanding of real practical Christianity.

Every time I spoke to him I was encouraged and I give thanks to God for his life.

He showed great humility, zeal for the Lord and His work, as well as a graciousness that only a person who is saved by Christ and born of the Spirit could possess.


• For him is set, the terrestrial sun.
• Now in the presence of the Holy One
• He basks in the uncreated Light,
• So much more glorious and far more bright.
• Things viewed by faith now plain to sight.


• No more battling with fear or sin
• True and Faithful servant enter in
• Step with joy into thy Master's rest
• Lay your head on thy Saviour's breast.
• Enjoy the reward of the blest.

I do not mourn but rejoice for him, especially that the things we stretch to see by faith are now plain to his sight.
The blessed estate we long for is now possessed by him.

Of course I will miss him here below but I rest in the knowledge that
"Jesus doeth all things well".

"The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away. Blessed be the name of the Lord".
Amen.

My prayer is that the Lord God Almighty will console, comfort, uphold and sustain his immediate family as well as his friends and spiritual family at the Sovereign Grace Bible Church.

Adieu Brother Gbenga till we meet again at the Saviour's feet.

How does one leave a tribute for a brother who was expected to live many more years? And therein lies the assumption, the assumption that plagues many of us, me certainly, as though we knew exactly how long the Lord has determined for us. I am glad Gbenga didn't live in that assumption; he let every moment count. From our conversations at the University of Ilorin, to our occasional WhatsApp chats in his last years, Gbenga bubbled with life.

When I think of Gbenga, the word that describes him best is "conviction". Gbenga was a man of conviction. He didn't go the career path he was expected, the church he was expected, the friendships he was expected, the prestige he was expected. He often defied what was expected of him because he was living for the glory of another. Gbenga lived "coram deo".

I mourn the loss of this brother. May the Lord comfort his parents, Damilola, Toyosi (and the larger family), his church, and his loved ones. Most of all, may his death spur us to live impactful lives for the Lord as he did.

Keep resting in the bosom of the Lord. See you at the resurrection morning, brother.

Gbenga you are shinning light and you will keep shinning. You have fought the good fight and have finished the race. Sleep well at the bosom of the Lord and your light will keep shinning down. You have left a mark on the hearts of many and we will all continue to cherish the memories.

Sleep well in the bosom of the Lord Jesus.

Gbenga dear son, you're heaven gain. The Lord Jesus Christ is your host. Keep resting in His bosom till we shall all meet to part no more in Jesus name amen.

I met Gbenga in University, loved to call him "Benga" without the G in his name - I thought he was one of the sweetest boys one could ever meet. Always with a gentle smile, modest and decent. He showed dedication to his studies, kindness and responsibility. I would describe him as a good boy's boy - such was my admiration for him. I later discovered his committment to God through our Lord Jesus. I see how much his heart was after God's heart; he lived in an admirable way. Rest in Peace Gbenga; Eternal rest grant him oh Lord God and look not upon any of his shortcomings. Amen.

Rest on Gbenga. You have fought a good fight and you have won the race.
Thank God for the beautiful memories of you.
I pray for comfort, peace and strength for your parents, siblings, friends, family and the Church of God. Amen.

So many things to say but words will fail me...
Gbenga lived a practical christian life! He lived to serve the Lord, and the saints. His service flowed from a pure heart, sincere faith, and a good conscience.

Till we meet on the resurrection morning my dear beloved brother.

Dear Gbenga,
Your death came to us(Unilorin B.Eng class of 2011) as a a rude shock. Our paths never crossed after graduation but I knew you to always carry a warm smile. You were always so easy going. Sometimes I wonder why the best of men go home too soon but who are we to question God. Rest well brother. This is just so so sad.

If there ever was a Christian, Gbenga was one. Not because he expounded on scriptures very well (which he did), not because he prayed with the right words (which we remember him to always do) but because every single day, we only needed to look at him to see the fruit of regeneration. If there ever was a Christian, Gbenga was one. We will surely miss you.
- Joval and Theo.

I really thank God for the short spirit filled life you lived Gbenga!! Thank God your wider family have beautiful memories of you to reflect on forever .

Adieu Gbenga Durowaiye, you were my best friend, a bro.... in all the sense of it, a spiritual coach, my advisor and best man. I couldn't find any one better to be my best man at my wedding. You always preached to me about 1 Cor 15:19, always checked on my relationship with God,and took dangerous risks to visit me. Makinde, Femi Ballogs, urself and I formed a very tight clique from University days. Indeed, u were a friend of doctors. You were a soldier of Christ and like Paul, have fought a good fight & finished the race. Rest on Gbenga at the feet of our Lord Jesus Christ. Till we meet again in Heaven. I love you till eternity brother.

Gbenga, continue to rest in the bosom of the lord,you have fought a good fight of faith.All is well with the family you left behind.

It is indeed very painful because you were a guy of pure heart and great humility. The good news and comfort to us all is that you lived a good life on earth, may God grant you eternal rest and your lovely family the fortitude to bear this loss. Eternal rest grant unto Gbenga O Lord, and may your perpetual light shine upon him. May the soul of Gbenga and the souls of all the faithful departed rest in perfect peace, Amen

Gbenga was not only a Christian but a good Christian. He not only loved his maker Jesus Christ but preached him effortlessly to everyone he came in contact with, including myself. I am convinced that his passage from this sinful world was in accordance with the will of his maker.
May God be merciful to him in judgment and grant his soul eternal rest. As for his family and friends, may the Holy Spirit give them the fortitude to bear his passage and comfort them with peace!

Adieu bro Gbenga! You truly ran a good race and we are confident that you have been saved!! Congratulations!!! 

I can only imagine what glorious things your eyes now behold as your faith has become sight. The void you leave here is a difficult difficult one to come to terms with though. Gbenga you were my friend, but more than that, you were my brother. I will miss you terribly. My heart seems to get heavier with the realisation I won't be seeing you for a while. This hurts. This really hurts. I know your departure is precious in the sight of the Lord and so I submit, as I must, to His perfect will even in this. I write now from a place of deep pain and sorrow but I hope for and eagerly look forward to the day when we share a joy and a fellowship that will never end as we sing praises to our God in a world without end, in and through the finished work of Christ alone. To the Lord, the God of our fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, be all the glory, in the church and in Christ Jesus, throughout all generations, now and forever. Amen!

Gbenga you left us too soon without saying goodbye, you are such a simple easy going Engr cont to rest in the blossom of our lord .My family is saying goodbye .

I'm still in big shock, cold and can't believe it's same Gbenga I know, only God knows why and He can't be questioned. My deepest sympathies to the Durowaiye's family. Rest in peace brother, till we met again.

It’s been a long time we had any form of conversation and it hurts that what I’m doing now is writing about you in past tense
For being a never judging friend, thank you for always telling me about Christ even when all I did then was ignore and avoid those kind of conversations, I hope you can see how close I am with the Father now. Rest, you have triumphed.

Gbenga!!!

Yours is a life of a butterfly that touched everyone within such brevity of life.

The last time I saw you was at an engagement in Ibadan about 8years now and I cant forget how you went out of your way to see me off even when your attention was needed at the reception venue.

A million and one words cant bring you back but we take solace in the fact that you lived a life of purpose, impact and intentionality for God.

Continue to rest in the bossom of our Lord, Jesus Christ, till we meet to part no more!!!

Gbenga......
You were a true, kind and selfless friend.
Your life was centered on Christ and I am comforted that for you, to live is Christ and to die is gain.

I still can’t wrap my head around the fact that you are gone. You were such a wonderful man, always smiling and ready to preach the gospel. Thank you for the love you showed to men here on earth, thanks for your advise and prayers. Words fail me, really, but I know this is the will of God. Rest on great man!

May his soul rest in perfect peace
I pray God grants the family the strength to bear the great loss.

Amen

Gbenga...
Gbenga was such a big brother. He spoke about Christ in every conservation, checking to know how I was doing. He would take time to share and explain scriptures. He was not ashamed of Jesus. He spoke about Him in a candid way with no airs. Observing Gbenga and the way he valued friends and family, made me think of the meaning of loyalty.
With his bright eyes and smile, he gave the best hugs. I remember how Gbez would say "I dey hung" (meaning he's hungry) and how he showed me that bread and suya was a thing.
If there's one thing Gbenga was clear about, it was that eternal rest and peace can only be found in Jesus. Thinking of you right now, I cry yet I smile. Thank you for living. Rest in Jesus❤️.

It's amazing how your passage to glory and the testimonies about how you lived is inspiring me to live a given life... incredible how unanimous the tributes are about your passion for the Lord and deeply comforting too, in its own way. The depths of emotion give a small picture into the depths of love your life inspired...
I recall your unassuming nature, the bouncing Afro before it came off, your warm and sincere smile (that Durowaiye trademark), firm handshakes, calm nature and how much you were yourself & comfortably so, unpretentious and welcoming - great sense of humour too.
I realise that it's my loss not keeping in touch with you all these years but I'm inspired that you lived life excellently and have shown a great example to follow.
Rest in the glory of the Lord now, Gbenga... You were and remain an inspiration.

Amidst the tears, the plenty memories I have of you and the very fact that I won’t see you come to the house again, won’t see you in church, won’t see your calls come in on my phone, won’t hear you say mummy J, and many more.

I’ll miss you greatly Gbenga!
I’m very much glad I crossed paths with you. You were so kindhearted, loving, selfless, devoted and dedicated to the service of the Lord and everyone you came across with.

Gbenga, indeed words failed me.

I am very much comforted that you are with your maker.


Till we meet again on the resurrection day.

Adieu! Dear brother

Because words fail me, I read through everyone's tribute for Gbenga and I realized that everything everyone has said is TRUE. There are no lies, because Gbenga was consistent in everything, whether it was in his love for God or people. He was consistent. And while my heart is still broken... I rest on the assurance that you are with your saviour. Your death has sparked conversations about how we ought to be ready for when we would be called from this world. I hope it sparks a true revival in the life of everyone that knew you. There are so many things I want to say but I fear I would not be coherent enough even though I know you are at peace, and the sorrow is for us here on earth. You are wearing your crown, you are with the Lord.
Till we meet again... Rest well brother!

May God give you eternal peace and a safe resting place with Him. Praying that God's love enfolds and comforts your loved ones. Rest in Peace.

Gbenga was the closest I knew to a person without guile: direct, intentional and set on his belief in Jesus: how to communicate it and get one more believer in Jesus. He did what needed to be done and took opportunities as they come to serve Jesus.

His very enthusiasm for life as a matter of course was often an unintended rebuke to those of us very much older than him.

That would be sorely missed.

Goodbye Brother.

Till we meet again to part no more...

The Lord calls a righteous man home before the evil days (when faith might be lost).
The life lived may be short, but very meaningful.
May you find rests at His bossom. Rest on God's General.

I've asked God why so many times even though I know that an answer won't come.

I doubt anyone can mention your name without mentioning your love for God. It was glaring to see and inspiring. No matter how much time went in-between our conversations, once you got on that call it was hard to know any time had passed at all. You were friendly, you remembered details about people's lives, you encouraged and shared freely.

Honestly, there aren't any words that can truly describe any of what we feel in this moment, but I hold on to the thought that you're with the Lord, and just maybe that will offer a bit of comfort.

You are much loved, now and always. Rest in God's comfort dear friend and brother.

A kind and generous friend, the love and memory of you shall never be pass away.

I can never forget your bright smiles, you will surely be missed dear friend. Good night.

It's so hard to believe that you are no more. My own Gbengene, very soft spoken, talented and a lover of God. Where would I start and what would I not say , may the Lord crown you with His glory till we meet in the resurrection morning.

Gbenga, you were someone who always asked about my faith in Christ Jesus, and you never failed to encourage me to pray whenever I felt weary. Who knew you would leave us so early, but to take solace to that you were zealous for Christ and you are in a better place, free from the trials and tribulations of this wicked world. Thank you for all the love you showed to the saints, for we know that we shall meet to part no more. Rest in the Lord brother, I will miss you dearly.

As colleagues in the University, Gbenga was a friend to all. Always carrying a smile on his face doing his job dutifully.

My last engagement with him was one of hope and plan for the future.

Howbeit, Gbenga understood the brevity of life and he led a good one. I'm glad you encountered Christ while on earth.

We would meet at the other side of the Jordan, Beloved.

I struggle with not asking why.

There are so many things that we'll never be able to explain on this side of life and this is one such thing. But it is clear that you were a lover of God, clearer to me than anything else I can think about today.

Your love for God was so tangible and it showed in your genuine care for those around you. I don't believe I have ever been more followed up on by anybody in my life. I will never forget it. I hope I get to experience the love and walk with Jesus like you so clearly did and I hope we're all able to keep shinning that light as boldly, fearlessly and passionately as you did.

Today, I celebrate your thoroughness, excellence, hard work and humanity.
Your life exemplified a true disciple of Jesus and I know that you're with Him right now.

The rest of us will keep ourselves company and keep the light burning, until we meet again to have those interesting and long conversations with all the clarity there is!

Gbenga!!! What a life to learn from. So saddened by your sudden demise but comforted that you died in Christ. To live in the hearts of those you love is not to die. Rest in peace great soldier, till we meet to part no more.

So sad to hear about your demise Gbenga.

Gbenga is an inspiration in many ways.

Rest well brother!

May God grant the family the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss.

Gbenga, It looks so unreal that your gone. Continue to rest with your maker..... Till we meet again at the feet of Christ.