A EULOGY TO PATRICK KOBLA NUTOR
“The upright, though he dies before his time, will find rest;
Length of days is not what makes age honourable,
nor number of years the true measure of life;
Understanding this is man’s grey hairs, untarnished life, this is ripe old age;
Having won God’s favour, he has been loved and as he was living among sinners has been taken up
(Wisdom 4:7–10)
One fine Sunday morning in October of 1985, a tall, lanky and handsome young man visited our home in Kumasi. He introduced himself in a soft, gentle and measured voice as Patrick Kobla Nutor. This brief meeting was more than enough to see Patrick’s spirit of resilience and good humor, which ultimately saw him through life’s many obstacles and challenges after losing his father tragically in 1969 at a very young age.
Patrick was given the gift of time that his father did not have, and he used that gift to touch as many lives as his years allowed. Our family was no exception to Patrick’s gentle, friendly, easy-going and graceful deportment. He became part of our family, building a strong bond of friendship with my wife, Chloris, and our children, who were taken by his unassuming brilliance and humility. Patrick blended very well into the family. Our relationship was like Father and Son; he had a good and pleasant rapport with our three boys, though they were much younger. In fact, he became an older brother to them and they looked forward to his Sunday visits to join us for “home cooking” as he used to call it; a nice change from the monotonous cuisine he was subjected to at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science & Technology (KNUST), where he was pursuing studies in Electrical and Electronic Engineering.
Everyone who knew Patrick knew he was academically outstanding. It therefore came as no surprise when he gained admission on a scholarship to Dartmouth College, one of the 8 prestigious Ivy League Schools in the United States of America, to continue his studies in Electrical and Electronics Engineering. We were sad to see him leave Kumasi, as we had grown very fond of him. However, we were also excited at the possibilities Dartmouth would offer him. In true Patrick form, he continued to excel both academically and socially and went on to work in the oil and gas industry in Angola after which his love for his family and country brought him back to Ghana to establish his own company, Accu Computers Ltd.
We resumed our close relationship in earnest upon his return to Ghana and we hardly missed a chance to visit him whenever we found ourselves in Accra just as much as he visited us in Kumasi. Soon after his return to Ghana, Patrick found love and life in Lynda to whom he got married in December 2004. They were blessed with two adorable children, Klenam and Sefakor, who all became an integral part of our family. To Klenam and Sefakor we were ‘Grandpa’ and ‘Grandma’ but as they grew up and noticed their parents calling us ‘Uncle’ and ‘Aunty’, we became ‘Grandpa Uncle Sydney’ and ‘Grandma Aunty Chloris’.
Once we moved to Accra, our rendezvous with Patrick, Lynda and the kids became more frequent ranging from Sunday lunches at their home in Tema and then later North Legon, to quiet drinks on their porch; having long engaging conversations about anything and everything. Through these gatherings one thing became clear. Patrick was a family man who loved his family and friends very deeply. His home was our home and we are certain his relatively large circle of friends and family would agree that Patrick’s home was always open.
Patrick was a gentle, soft-spoken, sociable and generous personality who was always ready to share his space, resources, wisdom and laughter with all who came into contact with him and we will truly miss his giving heart.
We have a flood of memories of the summer of 2011 in Miami, Florida (USA) with Patrick, Lynda and the kids – lunches and evenings filled with wonderful dinners and loads of fun and laughter.
On Christmas Day, Friday December 25, 2020 my family joined Patrick’s family to have Christmas lunch on the beautifully manicured lawn in his garden. No one could have predicted that would be the last of such occasions with him.
We truly do not know for certain how long we have here on earth nor foresee the trials or misfortunes that will challenge and/or befall us along the way. We do not know God’s plan for us but all we can do is to live our lives as best as we can with purpose and with love; to use each day to show those who are closest to us how much we care about them and treat others with kindness and respect. One day if we are blessed with a chance to look back on our time, we know that we spent it well and made a difference, and that our fleeting presence had a lasting impact on the lives of others. This is how Patrick lived. This is his legacy.
Patrick’s passing is such a great loss to us, and the passage of time will never really heal the memory of this tragic loss. We, however, carry on because we have to, because Patrick would want us to; being guided by the light from all the love he showed us while he was with us.
Father, in your gracious keeping
Leave we now your servant sleeping
Amega Patrick!
May the Almighty God bless and keep you
May His angels welcome you to heaven and take care of you.
May you enjoy a peaceful and eternal Rest.
Requiescat in Pace (R.I.P)
Kobla, Xede nyuie!!! Dzudzor le nutifafa me.