With heavy hearts but with profound gratitude to God for an accomplished and well lived life, we are gathered here today to bid farewell to a most wonderful and deserving father and to celebrate a life that has defined all of us and laid a solid foundation for generations to come. Papa lived a life worthy of emulation and celebration.  A life defined by simplicity and humility despite outstanding achievements and accomplishments;  A life of grace and purpose;  A worthy life devoted to serving God and making the world a better place.  His life was a true Christian life, lived in humility with absolute trust in God and total obedience and submission to the will of God. For his obedience, faith, trust and devotion, God rewarded him amply with immeasurable success and longevity, good health, joy and contentment. No life could have been fuller, richer, happier or more satisfying. It was a worthy and well lived life deserving of great celebration. There is no wonder then, that despite our pain of loss, our memories of Papa bring with them tremendous joy and gratitude.

The book of Ecclesiastes reminds us that there is a time for everything and a season for everything under the heavens. There is a time to be born and a time to die….. A time to weep and a time to laugh…A time to mourn and a time to dance.  On that fateful morning of July 28, Papa completed his life’s journey on this earth and went to join his maker whom he served unwaveringly in life.  In the last 3 months of his life, Papa stoically fought an illness that demanded a lot of courage from him. He went through his treatments with dignity and courage. He remained optimistic as we all did. His faith in God was never shaken despite the pain and the despair he would occasionally feel. He soldiered on with faith and commitment; the very same qualities that defined his life that we now celebrate. Even though he was sick and undergoing treatment, you would never know that from the way he carried himself. His concerns were always about others. He made sure he had enough credit on his cell phone at all times so he could keep pace with Mama and other relatives in Nigeria on a daily basis, checking on each one of them, solving their problems from afar, advising and providing wise counsel; ensuring that all was well. He delighted in chatting with our mother and all his children and grandchildren always reassuring us that he was doing ok. He had difficult days, especially on the days he received his weekly injections designed to keep the illness at bay. Those were particularly difficult days, yet he bore the pains with very little complaints. We agonized as a family whether to continue those injections or not because of the pains. He would bear it he said if it was necessary. He wanted to do what he had to do. A sense of responsibility was always a hallmark of his character. As a result of that, Papa was always submissive to the will of God. He was a believer, who accepted God’s dictates without question.  “Uchechukwu ga eme” (the will of God will be done), he always reminded us. Papa lived according to Christian ethos and knew that this earth is only a place of temporary sojourn and that at any point in a time, we may be called home by God to answer for our time on this earth. He lived a full life, conscious of that ultimate arbitration and was ready when that time came. That date of reckoning came on July 28, 2013. That day became Papa’s day to die and our days of weeping and mourning began.

During those difficult times, Ifeanyi, my brother and his wonderful wife Joyce, became angels on earth and took care of Papa’s every need including getting him to all doctor’s appointments and ensuring his medications were taken as ordered. My brother in-law Obinna became more than a brother in-law. He became the 8th brother and was the official family doctor communicating with all of Papa’s doctors, the collective wishes of the family and was always there. I began speaking to Obinna several times a day to come to an agreement on appropriate treatment strategies. The rest of the family stayed in close contact, doing all we had to do as a family. Other friends and relatives were there as well. The chain was unbroken. I saw Papa the last time in New York at my brother Uche’s house in the middle of June. Despite his illness, he had joy and gratitude in his heart. My son Kris insisted on joining me on that trip. He had a wonderful time with his grandfather and told me on the way back to Nashville that the trip was the best trip of his life. Never mind that he has made uncountable trips to all types of places and all corners of the globe. He must have felt something then. It was his chance to say a final good bye to his grandfather. I did not know that at the time.

Like my siblings, I made it a point to call regularly to speak with Papa and encourage him as he went through his treatment. I had spoken with Papa on Friday, July 26. Something was off in his voice. I was concerned. After speaking with my sister in law Joyce and reviewing his medications, I made some adjustments. Ifeanyi, ,my brother who is probably the next best human being in the world after our departed dad, was always proactive and had made immediate arrangements for a follow up visit with his doctor on Monday.  Unfortunately, that was not to be. God had other plans. When I called back on Saturday morning, Papa was unable to speak with me on the phone. He was taken to the hospital and 24 hours later, he was gone. In his distress, he was able to speak to Ifeanyi. He asked for unity and peace in the family and beyond. He wanted to make sure Mama is taken care off. He wanted Chris (Ndu) to ensure that the family remained united and honorable. These were the last wishes of my father, typical and true to form- peace, unity, honor and caring for others.

Papa lived a full life, exemplary in all respects. He accomplished so much in a distinguished life and career in business. Yet, he is most remembered by all for the virtues he so much exemplified. A mention of Sir Jonah Madu’s name immediately invokes peace, honesty, integrity, humility, discipline, dedication, respect, honor, faith and discipleship. Papa lived a life of contentment and satisfaction. A happy and fulfilled life dedicated to service of God and Humanity. The book of Ecclesiastes tells us how the pursuit of happiness can sometimes be as elusive as chasing after the wind. Solomon, the smartest and richest man in the world at the time pursued everything imaginable to achieve lasting bliss, only to discover that finding pleasure is as elusive as chasing after the wind. Securing happiness on our own is like chasing after the wind. The bible teaches us that instead of searching for happiness, we should allow God’s joy and peace to reign in our hearts. Instead of striving for worldly things that we think will satisfy us, we should rather try to find true contentment by surrendering to God, no matter the circumstances. Papa understood this from very early on and lived a life of full contentment by full devotion to God. He found true happiness in life, not through self gratification but through fidelity to a worthy life of purpose and faith. These attributes defined him more than any other. He also made sure that his household shunned materialism and rather focused on a life of worthy purpose defined by service to God and humanity. For this, Papa we thank you.

Papa instilled in us, his children the very same virtues that defined his life. His disposition was simple and quiet. He shunned ostentation, greed and avarice but valued hard work, honesty, humility, discipline and perseverance. He was a gentleman, a peace maker, a man of faith who believed that all things are directed by the will of God and he dared not impose his own will, if God wanted it another way. These belief systems were important ingredients that gave him a satisfied and contented life to the end.  Papa’s life of humility and acceptance of God’s will were constantly demonstrated to us, his children while we were growing up. I recall my experiences with Papa as a very young boy preparing to go from elementary school to high school. In those days in Nigeria, we had to take the common entrance examination to high schools. I took the exam one year early and scored aggregate 36 which was the highest possible score and was matched to one of the premier high schools. My joy was short-lived when the government decided to spread the “bright” kids around to rural schools.  I was posted to a rural school in a place I never heard of, called Onicha Uboma. I was despondent and was not the least interested in even knowing where it was. Papa insisted we go and drove me out there to find the school. It was quite an experience. The trip by car ended several miles to the school because the road became impassable by car. We had to transfer from Papa’s car to a motor cycle taxi. The motor cycle taxi went some distance and had to transfer us to a bicycle taxi. At this point I was so sure that there was no point proceeding further because I was never going to go to that school. I would rather complete my primary school years and try again the next year. I witnessed the type of rural living I had never seen and could not imagine myself going from the city to a boarding school in such a backwater place. To my greatest shock and surprise, after all that trek, Papa pronounced his judgment that I had to humble myself and go to that school because God would not have allowed it, if he did not have something to teach me by sending me there. It was painful to swallow. Yes I cried. I was 11 years old. Fortunately other events prevailed and got me to the College of the Immaculate Conception, Enugu where I obtained my high school education. That experience crystallized in my young impressionable mind, a lesson in humility and submission to the will of God. In the same vein, Papa sent off my kid brother Okey to live with one of my cousins who was a teacher in a village school in Isuochi, so he could build “character” and recognize that God has blessed us in a special way. Okey can share his experiences better than I can describe but he did become very good at setting traps and other things village people did to survive. He quickly became the most independent and adaptable of my siblings at an early age. This was an unconventional act for a successful businessman in the city to dispatch his privileged kids to a life in the countryside, devoid of the usual comforts and trappings of city living. Papa always felt that a life of sacrifice, modesty and humility was an essential ingredient for contentment and gratitude for God’s blessings.

He credited all his achievements and accomplishments to blessings from God which he had little to do with. For this reason, there was no place in Papa’s life for gloating or vain pride. All credit belonged to God and he gave God glory and thanks for his successes. When difficult times came, he confronted them with equanimity and grace believing that these were also necessary to test and affirm his faith and he turned to God for grace and salvation. It was with the same gracefulness that he confronted his illness and asked that God’s will be done. In the depths of frustration, during his treatment, he never once questioned God but always asked God to grant him a peaceful exit without suffering if God so desired him to come to the end of his physical existence on this earth. The same God he served diligently over the years never failed him. The end was swift, without suffering, surrounded by the love of his children for Ifeanyi, Emeka and Nnamdi were there with him until the very end. The rest of us were on the phone and emotionally present. Even when it looked impossible to hold on, Papa held on until his children within the area made it to the hospital to be by his side. He heard their voices, responded to them with winks in his eyes and other non verbal cues. Satisfied that his work was done, Papa finally closed his eyes and rested in peace.

Of course the pain is not dulled by knowing that he lived well and died peacefully. We wish that Papa did not have to go. We miss all the beautiful memories we have shared. Even though Papa was 88 at the time of his death, I must confess that we never thought this day would ever come. I know it sounds silly but Papa was always healthy and mentally sound. He still could read without his glasses and had no major medical problems or hospitalizations until the lasts 3 months of his life. We shared a lot of laughter and a lot of serious moments. We are grateful to God that we were offered the opportunity to bond and fellowship with Dad in his living years. There would always be things unsaid and things undone but we have no regrets, just sorrow and pain at his loss mixed with joy and gratitude for his life. Papa was able to travel extensively and spend quality time with his children and their respective families over the years. He enjoyed those moments and so did we. It was just last year that Papa came to visit my family in Jamaica along with my brother Okey. We enjoyed healthy meals of roasted yams and oil at the pool side in my back porch just like we used to when we had opportunity to spend time together in the village back home. He tried and liked the Jamaican dish of Mannish Water but particularly relished a breakfast meal of ackee and saltfish. That quickly became his favorite breakfast meal while in Jamaica. He enjoyed morning walks in my backyard. Papa loved fruits and vegetables all his life and he was so delighted to have an abundant supply of those in the back yard. He visited our Heart Institute in Kingston and had a comprehensive cardiovascular evaluation and got a clean bill of health. He met with our management team in my office and gave words of wisdom and advice honed from many years of success in business. The glow in his eyes spoke volumes about the pride he felt at the accomplishment of one of his children. He was a happy man and prayed a prayer of thanks and gratitude in my office. We traveled extensively within Jamaica.  We travelled to Ocho Rios in Jamaica and visited my office there as well. We spent some time at the beach and enjoyed such serenity and comfort. We ate road side food on the back roads of Jamaica. He enjoyed the warmth of the country side and remarked at the similarities between Jamaicans and Nigerians. We capped his visit with a tour of Bob Marley’s House in Kingston. He particularly enjoyed the time with his grandson, Kris. The memory was indelible. Back in the USA, he spent time visiting my brothers, Ifeanyi, Uche and Nnamdi and their families in Long Island, NY, Emeka and Ndu and their families in Connecticut and my sister, Ijeoma and her family in San Antonio, Texas. Returning to the USA in April this year with our mother, Lady Florence Madu, he made the rounds again visiting family and relatives and was scheduled to head back to Nigeria when routine lab results showed an abnormality that needed further investigation. Looking back now, we realize what we did not know. Over the past 18 months, Papa has been on a long good bye to family and friends. We got the opportunity to say most of the things we needed to say to each other. That is a blessing in itself as many people never get the privilege of such long good byes.

Many years ago, Mike and the Mechanics penned an iconic song “The Living Years” which is an ode to a departed father and regrets about things that could have been said but were never said in those living years. The lyrics speak of the pain:

Every generation
Blames the one before
And all of their frustrations
Come beating on your door

I know that I'm a prisoner
To all my Father held so dear
I know that I'm a hostage
To all his hopes and fears
I just wish I could have told him in the living years

Crumpled bits of paper
Filled with imperfect thoughts
Stilted conversations
I'm afraid that's all we've got

You say you just don't see

He says it's perfect sense
You just can't get agreement
In this present tense
We all talk a different language
Talkin' in defense

Say it loud, say it clear
You can listen as well as you hear
It's too late when we die
To admit we don't see eye to eye

So we open up a quarrel
Between the present and the past
We only sacrifice the future
It's the bitterness that lasts

So Don't yield to the fortunes
You sometimes see as fate
It may have a new perspective
On a different date

And if you don't give up, and don't give in
You may just be O.K.

Say it loud, say it clear
You can listen as well as you hear
It's too late when we die
To admit we don't see eye to eye

I wasn't there that morning
When my Father passed away
I didn't get to tell him
All the things I had to say

I think I caught his spirit
Later that same year
I'm sure I heard his echo
In my baby's new born tears
I just wish I could have told him in the living years

Say it loud, say it clear
You can listen as well as you hear
It's too late when we die
To admit we don't see eye to eye

Say it loud, say it clear
Say it loud
Don't give up
Don't give in
And don't know what you can do next

We are saddened but neither disheartened nor disillusioned for Papa lived a long and worthy life filled with notable accomplishments. We said so much and shared so much in “The Living years”. We may be prisoners and hostages to all of Papa’s fears and dreams, to all he held so dear, but we do not have any of the unresolved feelings in the song by Michael and the Mechanics for in Papa’s life, we did have agreement and had no need to open up a quarrel. We were not all physically present the morning our father passed away but we were all emotionally present and engaged. We were all involved. We made the best decisions we felt were in Papa’s best interest and consistent with his wishes. We know he is in a better place where there is no more pain but peace and comfort. He left his name solidly imprinted in the foot prints of time. As my son, Kris, a budding musician wrote in the lyrics to one of his songs, Papa’s name is “written in pen and cannot be erased”. We are proud to be his children and will continue to honor his legacy and exemplify the life he lived and trained us to live.

Papa was born into the royal family of Mazi Izuogu in Ndi-Ndubisi Village in Arondizuogu to Mazi Maduko Izuogu and Madam Ikodie Maduko. He trained as a teacher as a young man and later made the transition from the classroom to business. He moved to Enugu in the early 1950’s and with group of friends started a financial services company called Nobles Thrift Company which became the pre-eminent money lending company in Eastern Nigeria in those days. These were the days before formal banking establishments gained a foothold in Nigeria. He later ventured into other businesses including building, construction and distribution services and achieved significant successes. These successes however pale in comparison to the success he achieved in raising a family and being a shining light and conscience of the community. Papa had 8 children, (7 boys and 1 girl). Papa’s disdain for material acquisition is well known. As a successful businessman in the early post colonial Eastern Nigeria, he was offered a lot of opportunity to acquire the choicest properties in Enugu but in a selfless act that would be incomprehensible to many today, Papa would buy a few properties for himself and would buy several for others with his money at zero interest so that they too can become property owners as well rather than he alone. He did the same for many with purchase of shares in publicly traded companies.  Those favors transformed the lives of many families.

As the words in an Anglican Igbo hymnal says: “Olu ayi lulu ka aga eji cheta ayi; Otua ka ayi ga esi sina elu uwa la, Olu ayi lulu ka aga eji cheta ayi (translated: We shall long be remembered for the work we have done while on this earth for eventually, we shall depart this earth and all we will be remembered for is the work we have done while on earth”

Papa’s life work is best measured by the mark he left behind in the community and by his off springs.  While alive, Papa would always say that his most joy came from having the best wife anyone could wish for and having children who did not disappoint him, for he took so much joy in the honor of knowing his grandchildren and the fact that all his children achieved academic and professional successes in his life time with all 8 attaining post graduate education. I remember vividly the joy he felt when my elder brother Chris (Ndu) bagged his PhD at the age of 25. I recall going through Ndu’s PhD dissertation with Papa. None of us could understand the complex mathematical equations in the dissertation. He was a proud father. He smiled and reminisced over a story that took place many years earlier when Chris had graduated from High School and preparing to go to the USA for College. Chris did not feel so comfortable with Mathematics at the time, but was going to be studying Industrial Engineering. Papa and Mama tried to engage a relative who was an undergraduate in Mathematics at a local Nigerian University to tutor Chris. He was full of arrogance and was no help. Papa told Chris not to worry and that if God wanted him to be an Engineer he would step in at the right time. God finally stepped in as Papa’s faith told him He would and this culminated in Chris bagging a PhD with Distinction at the age of 25 with the knowledge level that far exceeded all imaginations. Papa took so much joy in reviewing the books written by Chris over the ensuing years in advanced Management Science and Statistics. I saw him beam with the same joy and gratitude in April this year when I was honored to be selected among 30 Igbos for the Global Best Award 2013. I am so pleased he lived long enough to witness that. Papa would express similar joy and gratitude with the success of all of his children, whether it is in visiting Ifeanyi’s office or Nnamdi’s Pharmacy, supervising Emeka’s, Okey’s or Uche’s home construction projects or Ijeoma’s home in San Antonio. He was grateful to God that he witnessed these blessings in his life time and was contented and at peace. Most of all, he was thankful that genuine love and peace reigned in the family. There were and are still no sibling rivalries or quarrels in the family. He made sure that no spirit of greed came into our lives. He said good bye appropriately and ensured that his assets were willed out to his children in his life time. We are all satisfied with the life Papa lived and could not have wished for a better father. We love Papa and will miss him dearly but we take solace in the fact that he lived according to the dictates of God, accomplished great things in his life and went to his maker peacefully.

As the Apostle Paul wrote to Timothy in 2nd Timothy v 6-8, we can say of Papa,

“6 For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time for my departure is near. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.

Good bye Papa, our chain is broken but will link up again on Resurrection Day. For now, Rest peacefully in God’s bosom.

God be with you till we meet again,
By His counsels guide, uphold you,
With His sheep securely fold you,
God be with you till we meet again