Belated as it is, I got the rudest, most painful shock of my life today. I tried once more to reach my precious lovely, loving friend. Then I found this memorial by chance and I am devastated. We were roommates at Unife, I loved her then and still do, because she was so beautifully sweet and kind. We found each other afterwards and tried to keep in touch. Each time was always like we never parted. We reconnected again in 2020 by providence through her doctor. Dear Iyabo was full of wisdom. Our last exchanges were prayers on May 12 2021.

You left so suddenly dear Sis. My loss. I've read everything written about you and I love and appreciate you even more. You are a rare gem. Sleep on beloved, till we see again, and we will.
O daaro.

Dear family, children, grandchildren, I pray that somehow, the Lord will fill this void with good memories and His presence.

My ever loving beautiful Aunt with tears in my eyes and sadness in my heart I am writing this but consoled because I know you are in a far better place than this cruel earth .....Thank you for your constant prayers everyday coin with your unconditional love you shared with everybody, you are one in a million ,and can never be replaced adios my loving beautiful Aunt you will always be in my heart while you rest peacefully in the Lord's bosom......

Dear Grandma,

As much as it may pain us all to let you go, you truly were a very special woman!

Thank you for your sacrifices, your care, concern, your love and everything that you have done for me.

I thought of you with love today, your memory is my keepsake, with which I’ll never part. God has you in his keeping, I have you in my heart. It broke our hearts to lose you, but I know that you are in a better place.

If you trust in Jesus, I can promise this and more, you will get a hug from my Grandma someday in heaven.

So, rest in peace my precious, darling grandma.

Ireoluwabomi Shonubi

A woman of great faith, virtue, substance, integrity, love and selfless compassion.

Your heart was like a rose, always open and listening. You were always so meek and the epitome of humility.

You were impartial in your views and willing to see things from other people’s perspectives.

Your love for family is unquantifiable and also took great pride in your roots, Otan Ayegbaju.

Being married to one of your precious daughters made me appreciate your unconditional love and affection even more. I am honoured to have had you as a mother not just due to your beauty & kindness, but because you had such a beautiful soul.

We are most grateful for the support you gave freely to many of us, especially your extended “grandma duties”. Your wise counsel, phone calls and visits are indeed most cherished.

Grandma always had soothing words of comfort and powerful prayers. You were always so observant and gave the most lucid and unbiased opinions.

Inevitable death has snatched you away from us but you will continue to live in our hearts and through us.

I will miss the extra warmth and laughter at grandma’s house in Osogbo…the sumptuous banquets fit for a king prepared with an added pinch of love and tenderness…. the constant visits that we always looked forward to with so much anticipation…….sometimes I still hear your gentle and soft voice in our house ringing in my head.

The span between life and death can be as quick as a puff of wind that blows out a candle. So let us not despair but be thankful for the beautiful memories that God Almighty has allowed us share with this incredible amazon.

Thank you for your sacrifices, care, concern and loving me as a son.

Heaven is rejoicing because a soldier has returned home.

Tribute to "Anti mi".

On her way to Lagos on the 6th of May, she stopped by at Ikire where I reside.

She said a special prayer for me.

I didn't know she was bidding me farewell.

The Friday preceding her demise, I called to ask her about her return date to Osogbo, she said Monday.

"Anti mi" got to the ICU that Monday.

You're an Eniyan in the proper sense of it.
You're ubiquitous in every one's positive affairs.
You're everybody's advisor.
You're everybody's friend.
You're a mother to a whole lot of beings, abiyamo tooto.

Wishing I could wake up from the dream, the dream that You're no more.

If it's possible to take away the world and give me my "Anti mi", I would be riding on the moon.

My consolation comes from the fact that you're resting in the bossom of our Lord.

"Anti mi", sunre oo, till we meet to part no more.

By Lekan Adebayo

We are consoled that our cousin Mrs lyabode Bamgbala Ajao ,scion of the Bamgbala family of Otan-Aiyegbaju lived almost 70- year enviable Catholic life ,like Dr (Mrs) Folashade nee Bamgbala who earlier left us suddenly some years ago. She was the most intimate Bamgbala to me, the Patriach of Ladipo Soares /Olumegbon families of Lagos. She resonated well with integrity, faith in the mantra of Veni,Vici Vinci, (came, seen and conquered) by a Christian soldier matching through life. May God who giveth and taketh ,forgive her transgressions, fortify her siblings and children with fortitude to bear this sudden irreparable loss and accept her peaceful soul into the bossom of our Lord. She will be surely missed by the Bamgbalas in particular and Ladipo Soares/Oye-Adeniran families , numerous other relatives, associates, admirers and friends in general. Rest in the Lord, till we meet in Jesus mighty name.
Col. Bode Ladi-Soares, on behalf of the Ladipo- Soares/Oye-Adeniran family. Sun re o!

Spoke with her more than once and also met her in person once, very warm with a cool mien. May her soul and the souls of all the faithful departed through the mercy of God continue to rest in peace. May God comfort the entire family.

Sister so dear,
I write this tribute with gratitude to God Almighty because i personally can testify that your life was actually very well spent. The news of your death is a big blow to me and i am still in the state of denial. I experienced you. Your children will miss your white envelope. You were an embodiment of God’s love. God who sees the end from the beginning, put His arms around you and Whispered "come with me". With tearful eyes, i wish you good bye till morning, i know i will understand it bye and bye. I loved you so dearly, yes and i still do but i could not make you stay. Yes, oh yes, a golden heart stopped beating, hard working hands is been put to rest. God proved to us He only takes the best. Sweet memories of you cannot be expressed here, together we saddled the canoe of Widows welfare and many committees but the fact still remains that you were one of the most respected humans that i hold in high esteem. A good Catholic. My confidant, my gist partner. Very genuine. Missing you anti mi. Your yes is always yes. You were very great, you fought, you won. You conquered. One of my finest!.
Sister as i used to call you
Adieu, continue to rest in the Bossom of your maker until the resurrection morning, where there is no cry nor parting. We shall meet to part no more. Anti mi o, o d’owuro o.

Foluke Adetoyi.

My dear family members and friends.

May the peace of God be with all of us and with the soul of my dear beloved Sis, Iyabode Bamgbala Ajao which is no longer with us.

Grief is a fact of life that we all have to meet at times. The sad news of our dear beloved Iyabode’s death is not easy to accept, but we must. 

I wish I could hug each and everyone of you but for now, you will have to hug one another for me.

O Loving God, grant your consoling grace to all of us who mourn the passing of our dear beloved Iyabode Bamgbala Ajao.

We pray and hope that the peace of the Lord which surpasses all understanding will console and be with Itunu, Kemi, all the Bamgbala siblings, the rest of the extended family members and friends. 

May all of us have consolation in the life Iyabode lived and the time God allowed our beloved Iyabode to spend with us.

May the Father of all mercies and God of consolation look upon our grief at this time and be our refuge and comfort so that our sadness and sorrow may turn into the light and peace of your presence.

We shall lean heavily upon our Lord for He is always near. He is beside us in times of stress, in times of grief, loss and fear. We pray to Him for the acceptance of the vacuum Iyabode’s death has caused.

We pray that God will look kindly upon all our departed family members, relatives and friends, especially our dear beloved Iyabode Bamgbala Ajao who we now entrust to God’s eternal mercy and goodness. 

Please God, consider our dear Iyabode’s deeds of caring, her affection, her goodness, and charity towards others. Please God, forgive any sins she might have committed and grant her the everlasting reward of heaven. 

We pray that God will welcome our dear beloved Iyabo into the company of the saints, where tears are no more and suffering and pain are ended, where there is great joy, abundant life and peaceful rest in God’s gracious presence.

May our merciful savior send His angels to conduct the soul of our dear beloved Iyabode to a place of refreshment, light and peace.

May God in His Infinite mercy grant our dear beloved Iyabode eternal rest with perpetual light shining upon her while her affectionate soul rest in perfect peace. Amen.

I extend my heartfelt condolence to Itunu, Kemi, all our extended family members and friends. 

I and all my siblings are grieving with Itunu, Kemi and the rest of the family and friends.

Philomena Omolara Soares-Gakpo on behalf of all the Soares’ siblings.

PEACE!!!

Adiue my beloved aunt,your death indeed came to us as a shock. memories of Ur visits to Ilorin when ur late brother,my dad was alive is still fresh in my heart,u were there for him and even after his demise U checked of my mum on regular basis. you are the only family from my paternal side that we see around even when the road was rough.u will be greatly miss. Rest on till we meet to part no more. Good night Omo odofin Aro.

How can I begin to write a tribute for you Iyabo?. So you have gone to be with the Lord, and it is final?. Ha, we didn't see this coming. We spoke not so long ago when you were remembering your dear husband who passed 7years ago. This is my only consolation, that we indeed heard each others voices. I will miss you. God knows best. Rest in perfect peace beloved.Your cousin Adefunke Abiodun (Oguntoye).

I am in shock to hear that my sweet, caring and thoughtful Aunty Iyabo is no longer with us. Gone too soon. I miss her everyday. Every morning I wake up to her daily prayers and we chat. I am consoled a bit and thankful to God that I got to meet her in person last year Feb. She was a most gracious host and we got along like we had known each other for ever. I will always be grateful to her for all her efforts in helping us find our Mom's Mrs Durowade Adeniran Oguntoye's resting place and facilitating installing a new grave stone. Rest in perfect peace dear Aunty. I will always cherish your sweet memories. 
Shola Oguntoye.

I feel empty.....utterly devastated

The last time I felt this way was 20years ago when I lost your sister , my mother and the pain never did go away.But was easier because you stepped in and have been doing all you could to support and manage the huge void left after her demise..

My second mum who also was an exact replica of the woman that birthed me...

You gave me shoulders to lean on

Ears that were eager to listen to whatever gist I had to share

Words to soothe me when I needed them and those to inspire me

I would never have imagined or even dreamt that you would leave us so soon. Or that today will make it exactly 1 week since we rushed you to the hospital with the hope that you will come back home.

I had so many things planned ...more holidays, more celebrations, more shoes to
get you and more moments to share.

But as they say ,his ways are not our ways.

Ahhhhh....this hurts so much that I can't even imagine when this pain will fade.

How could I even imagine that my beautiful (in & out),selfless ,always praying for everyone AUNT, who came to celebrate with me would depart so suddenly without saying goodbye?

Who will Ire call "My Grandma?"
Who will remind me to call family members on their birthdays?
Who will ask me to say a NOVENA & a prayer request ?
Who will buy me the big Snails when travelling into Lagos?
Who will pamper us with a feast fit for Kings & Queens?
Who will help me see different perspectives when it comes to issues of life and all the other things in between?

Indeed the biggest STAR in the sky has fallen and I am at a loss as to how to cope.

You will forever remain irreplaceable!

Love you always Iyabode Remi Bamgbala- Ajao

Rest on my beautiful.
I know you are resting in the bossom of the Lord.