Death: Tributes To a Rare Gem Of Un-quantifiable Virtues

Death! Where is your sting? Death! Where is your pinch! Though you are created to take man’s soul as directed by God, but the exist of our great and passionate father had come with pocket of rude shocks and emotional bleeding.

Our hearts are heavy while our minds are full of emotions over the death of our beloved father, grandfather,Late Elder joseph Atolani Awotayo who passed away to glorious abode.

Edna St. Vincent Millay says, “where you used to be, there is a hole in the world, which I find myself constantly walking around in the daytime, and falling in at night,we miss you.

It is on this aphorism that the entire family of late Elder Awotayo expressed gratitude to God Almighty who has been so supportive and protective to the entire members of the family after the demise of our beloved soul.

The one year remembrance of our beloved father late Elder Joseph Awotayo who passed-on at the age of 73 will be a celebration of great man whose entire life was lived to service God and humanity.

Elder Awotayo who died on 19th May, 2016 was buried on 7th July, 2016 in christian rite.
Late Joseph Atolani Awotayo was born at Ora-Igbomina in Ifedayo Local Government area of Osun State, Nigeria on 8th March, 1943 and he attended St. Stephens Anglican Primary School, Ora-Igbomina between 1950 and 1956 and proceeded to St. Felix Catholic Modern School, Otun Ekiti between 1960 and 1962.

In 1962, the young ambitious, hardworking, brilliant and self made man could not proceed for secondary education due to some serious domestic challenges at Ora-Igbomina then and this led him to learn tailoring and later became a professional tailor which he practised for fourteen years.

During this adventure, he started reading books and studying hard to reclaim the school education advantage he lost through the challenges.

In 1973, he met Pastor Dr. Durand Johnson, an American from the State of Michigan who was then the Pastor of Seventh-Days Adventist Church Lagere, Ile -Ife during an evangelical crusade.Bible speak in Africa”

He was baptized in 1974 at the Seventh-Day Adventist Church Lagere Ile Ife. The same year Pastor Dr. Durand Johnson motivated him to take appointment with S.D.A Hospital, Ile-Ife on 7th October, 1974 till 1975 when the Hospital was taken as a component unit of Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital Complex.

In 1980, late Awotayo through the help of God reclaimed the school education that disappeared from him in 1962 when he gained an admission into the prestigious University of Ife to study African Language and Literature and finally obtained B.A Hon’s 1984.
Due to his passion for education, He went back for his Master’s Degree programme and obtained his M.A degree in Linguistics and African Language in 1987

Late Awotayo started his distinguished career as a Senior Mobilization Officer with MAMSER now N.O.A under the (presidency) to the Federal Government of Nigeria in the then Oyo state in 1988 and retired voluntary as Head of Political and Civic Education  of osun state in 2006.

He attended several workshops seminars and courses on Social Justice and Democracy at Law School, V.I, Lagos in 1991, conduct of free and fair Election for Police Officers, MAMSER Officer, SSS Officers, and INEC in 1990.

He was an author and founder of MAMSA Publisher. He authored and published  many books among which are: Baba Igbomina, Akanlo Ede, Ona Ofun Ona Orun, Eta Oko, Oba Ajigefon, Forty Heroes, Omo ni Omo ni, Bi o jo Gate, Ewi Itaniji, The uncommon Sense.
He also had the largest collection of poems in Akewi nke volume 1-3

His legacy lives on with his wife, Children,grand children and all members of Tolani Awotayo’s foundation (TAF).