Ignatius Jeremiah Ohu standing in the full dress uniform of the Knights of St. John International.
In loving memory of
Noble

Ignatius
Jeremiah Ohu

Knight of St. John International
15 April 1932 — 30 September 2026
A life of faith. A legacy of honour.
I

A life well lived

With gratitude to God for a life well lived, the Ohu family announces the passing of a devoted husband, father and grandfather. He served God, his family and his community with love, faith and honour.

The Ohu Family

His life at a glance

Born
15 April 1932, in IdumuesahIka North East LGA, Delta State, Nigeria. The first son of his parents.
Married
Maria Ada Okoh, around 1967 (Q39 · year and place to confirm)They met in Otolokpo
Teacher
  • Ika Grammar School, AgborTeacher and Vice Principal
  • Unity School, Agbarho, Ughelli NorthHeadmaster and pioneering Vice Principal
  • Owerre-Olubor Secondary SchoolPrincipal, until he retired in 1987
Education
B.Sc. Psychology, University of Lagos, 1979
Died
30 September 2026, aged 9434,501 days
See allShow fewer
Family
Father of seven children and grandfather of sixteen
Faith
Catholic. Knight of St. John International (KSJI), titled Noble
Funeral rites
17, 18 and 20 December 2026Agbor and Idumuesah, Delta State

Each line opens the part of his story it comes from.

II

His story

Where he came from

He was born on 15 April 1932 in Idumuesah, in what is now Ika North East Local Government Area of Delta State, the first son of his parents.

Q2 · Still to add

His parents’ names, and how many brothers and sisters he had.

His early years and education

In 1979 he graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from the University of Lagos. He loved human psychology, and the study of it.

Graduating from the University of Lagos, 1979
In academic gown, 1979
Q3 · Still to add

His childhood and early schooling, and where he trained as a teacher.

His work

He was a teacher. At Ika Grammar School, Agbor, he taught and served as Vice Principal. At Unity School, Agbarho, in Ughelli North, in today’s Delta State, he was Headmaster and the school’s pioneering Vice Principal. He was Principal of Owerre-Olubor Secondary School until he retired in 1987.

As a principal he counselled his students, and he was particularly good with the difficult ones. It seemed to give him real joy to turn a struggling student around into an upstanding citizen.

A teacher’s life · his schools
School Role Years
Ika Grammar SchoolAgbor Teacher and Vice Principal to confirm · Q41
Unity SchoolAgbarho, Ughelli Northyear founded to confirm · Q43 Headmaster, and the school’s pioneering Vice Principal to confirm · Q41
Owerre-Olubor Secondary School Principal, until he retired in 1987 Until 1987 first year to confirm · Q41

The schools are listed as the family gave them. The order and the years are still to be confirmed.

Q4 · Q41 · Q42 · Q43 · Still to add

The years he served at each school, and his role each time (Q41); the subjects he taught, and whether his students had a name for him (Q42); and the year Unity School, Agbarho, was founded (Q43).

His family

Ignatius Jeremiah Ohu and Maria Ada Okoh on their wedding day, he in a dark suit and striped tie, she in a veil and floral crown holding a bouquet.
With his bride, Maria Ada, on their wedding day, around 1967 · year and place to confirm

He met Maria Ada Okoh in Otolokpo, and they were married around 1967 (year and place to confirm). She became Maria Ada Ohu.

Together they had seven children:

  1. Dr. Francis C. Ohu
  2. Dr. Eugene A. Ohu
  3. Dr. (Mrs) Lauretta I. Olowu
  4. Mrs Vivian N. Monyei
  5. Dr. (Mrs) Marian O. Ashikodi
  6. Dr. Ikechukwu P. Ohu
  7. Mr. Valentine I. Ohu

He had sixteen grandchildren.

Q7 · Still to add

Great-grandchildren: how many, if any.

His last days

Q8 · To be provided by the family

Where and how he passed on 30 September 2026, in as much or as little detail as the family wishes.

III

Ninety-four years

34,501
days

He was born on a Friday in April 1932, in a Nigeria that was still a British colony, and he died on a Wednesday in September 2026, at the age of ninety-four.

  • 1932Born in Idumuesah, 15 April—
  • 1960Nigeria becomes an independent nation28
  • 1963The Mid-Western Region is created, taking in Agbor31
  • c. 1967Marries Maria Ada Okoh34–35
  • 1976The Mid-West becomes Bendel State43
  • 1979Graduates B.Sc. in Psychology46–47
  • 1987Retires as Principal of Owerre-Olubor Secondary School54–55
  • 1991Delta State is created59
  • 2026Called home, 30 September94

The figure on the right is his age in that year.

Dates still to come

  • 19__Invested a Knight of St. John (Q9)—
Ignatius Jeremiah Ohu in the plumed helmet and gold-braided tunic of the Knights of St. John International.
In the dress uniform of the Knights of St. John International
IV

A Knight of St. John

He was a Knight of St. John International, a Catholic fraternal order, and he wrote the letters KSJI after his name. He belonged to its commandery in the Catholic Diocese of Issele-Uku.

Q9 · Still to add

The name or number of his commandery, the year he became a Knight, offices he held, and how he came to be titled Noble.

V

Faith and community

He was a lector at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, Agbor. He read at Mass, and during the Easter Triduum he took part in most of the readings of the Passion. His Vigil Mass and Funeral Mass will be celebrated in the same church.

The hymn he loved

When peace like a river attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,
It is well, it is well with my soul.

It Is Well With My Soul, Horatio G. Spafford, 1873

Q10 · Still to add

How long he served as a lector, and any parish societies or roles he held.

Q11 · To be provided by the family

His service to the community: titles, honours, associations, and people he helped.

VI

The man we knew

Hard work does not kill.

Something he often said

He was very disciplined, and he instilled the same discipline in us, his children. Reading was so encouraged in our house that we even took books to the farm, to read in the breaks between work. When we had to stay up at night to study for exams, he stayed awake too, to encourage us.

He loved reading the newspaper every morning. The late Mr. Steve Ashien, publisher of Ika Weekly, made it his duty to bring Dad a copy of every edition. Dad never missed his Sunday papers, and that was a delight for us too: it meant a steady supply of fresh reading every week.

Ikechukwu, his son

Q12 · Q13 · Q14 · Still to add

More of what he was like, more of the things he used to say (in English, Ika or Igbo), and more stories, from any of his children or grandchildren.

What Grandpa taught us

Lines from his grandchildren, each signed with a first name.

Q51 · Still to add

What did his grandchildren call him? (“Grandpa” here is only a stand-in.) Who will gather their lines, each in their own words?

Remembered by his students

Short memories from his former students and colleagues, chosen by the family and shown only with each writer’s consent.

Q42 · Still to add

Did his students have a name for him? And which subjects did he teach?

For the little ones

Draft · awaiting the family’s approval · Q52

Grandpa Ignatius was born in a town called Idumuesah, in Nigeria, in 1932.

He was a teacher, a headmaster and the principal of a school. In 1979 he finished a degree at the University of Lagos. He was a Knight of St. John. He lived to be 94 years old.

Q51 · Q52 · Still to add

Would the family approve or change these sentences for children, and the name in gold? Is there one thing he loved that a child would understand (a song, a food, a habit, a saying) to add as a last line?

In his own words

A place to keep his voice and his handwriting, and the memories of those who knew him longest, for his grandchildren and for those not yet born.

Q53 · If the family has them

Any recording of his voice or video of him, and any letters, notes or speeches in his own hand that the family would be willing to share. Each would appear with a typed transcription.

Q54 · If the family wishes

Short spoken memories of him, two to five minutes each, from family members and elders, and who could record them.

VII

A life in pictures

Q15 · To be provided by the family

Still wanted: a photograph from his childhood, and one with his children and grandchildren. For every photograph, a year and place if known.

Childhood
A photograph from his childhood
Graduating from the University of Lagos, 1979
In academic gown, University of Lagos, 1979. Photographed in Yaba, Lagos
With his bride, Maria Ada, around 1967
With his family
With his children and grandchildren
In the dress uniform of the Knights of St. John International
Among the flowers at a celebration · occasion and date to come
In his later years · date and place to come

From the family album

Photographs the family shared on his MuchLoved page, in rough order through his life. Do you know who is with him, where, or when? Please tell the family, so each photograph can carry its story.

From the family album
Sir OHUcaption from the family
From the family album
From the family album
From the family album
From the family album
From the family album
From the family album
Rosario and grandpa at communioncaption from the family
From the family album
From the family album
From the family album
From the family album
From the family album
Daddy KSJcaption from the family
From the family album
From the family album
From the family album
From the family album
From the family album
From the family album
From the family album
From the family album
From the family album
From the family album
From the family album
From the family album
From the family album
From the family album
From the family album
From the family album
From the family album
From the family album
From the family album
A group of men, many in matching white shirts bearing a school crest, gathered in a sitting room around an elderly couple seated on a sofa.
With old boys of Ika Grammar School, where he taught and served as Vice Principal · date and occasion to come
VIII

In loving tribute

Q16 · Q32 · To be provided by the family

No tributes have been added yet. This section keeps a place for a tribute from each of the following, in this order, each in their own words and signed by name.

From the family
  • From his wife
  • From his children
  • From his grandchildren
  • From the Ohu family
  • From the Okoh family
Tributes from institutions
  • Ika Grammar School, Agborwhere he taught and was Vice Principal
  • Unity School, Agbarhowhere he was Headmaster and pioneering Vice Principal
  • Owerre-Olubor Secondary Schoolwhere he was Principal until 1987
  • The Knights of St. John Internationalhis commandery, Catholic Diocese of Issele-Uku
  • St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, Boji-Boji, Agborwhere he was a lector
  • St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church, Idumuesahin his hometown
  • The Idumuesah communitywhere he was born

And to close: From all of us, what we carry forward (Q62)

Q32: Who would like to write one? Mum, each of the children, the children-in-law, the grandchildren, any great-grandchildren, any brothers or sisters, the Okoh family. Which schools, old students’ associations, KSJI bodies, parishes and community groups should be invited, with their exact names and the name of the person signing each?

These tributes were first shared on the family’s MuchLoved page, and appear here exactly as their writers wrote them.

From his wife

My beloved husband and Daddy, I will not stop calling you "Daddy" because you did not treat me as a wife but as a daughter. I still love you even if you are not with me now.

I thank God for the life you lived on earth as a Christian by upholding your faith in God.

You were interested in education; that was why God uplifted your children and other people’s children through you.

You always moved for the best, and that was why people asked me if you were once a soldier.

Your legacy will never be forgotten.

You lived not to deceive but to touch lives. You were never afraid to speak the truth.

All the people you taught and lived with were always proud of you.

You taught me how to give, and you call it "motivation" and that is what is helping me today.

You used to call me “Mummy Mummy," but on that fateful day, you failed to call me when I prayed for your return from the theater, not knowing that God had whispered to you.

Well, I am consoled with the fact that you lived an exemplary and fulfilled life of peace, joy, and love for all that crossed your path.

Rest in peace, Daddy. I will miss you uncountable times.

I pray that the good Lord will welcome you in Heaven until we meet to part no more.

Noble Ohu Maria (KSJI)his wife

From Egoyibo Ojemaye

Oworiulu Daddy, I want to thank you for being a great father. You accepted me into the Ohu-Ojemaye family from the very first day you set your eyes on me and called me your personal Ego. You and Mummy told me to take good care of Tony, your boy. By God's grace, I tried my best.

You always sent big tubers of yam whenever I gave birth and other items too numerous to mention.

As a very spiritual man, thank you for all the Rosary gifts you always sent.

Thank you for all your calls and prayers that followed.

You led a fulfilled life, Daddy. You came, you saw, and you conquered.

Sleep on Daddy in the bosom of the Lord, and may the perpetual light continue to shine upon you as your soul and the souls of all the faithful departed continue to rest in perfect peace 🙏🏼 until the resurrection morning. Amen.

Goodbye and journey well, Daddy.

Egoyibo Ojemaye

From Christy, his granddaughter

Grandpa!

Where do I begin? How do I find the right words to describe a man whose love, kindness and impact on my life are beyond what words can express?

You were a father, a friend, a teacher, a protector and one of the greatest blessings God gave me. You had the softest heart, yet you were firm, strict and deeply principled. You believed in doing what was right, speaking the truth as it was and, above all, making sure the people you loved had a better future. You were incredibly intentional about mine, and I can confidently say that so much of who I am today is a product of your love, discipline and guidance.

I started living with you when I was just five years old. I was so little that I couldn't even bathe myself, and you took it upon yourself to care for me. Looking back, I realise that I didn't just grow up under your roof; I grew up surrounded by your love.

The very first letters I learnt to spell were the letters of my own name, CHRISTY, and you taught me. I remember how you would make me sit down for Mathematics lessons. Meanwhile, I was never particularly interested and would sometimes run away, but Grandpa would not give up. Those lessons had to happen by fire by force! 😂 Oh, Grandpa, little did I know that one day I would wish for just one more of those moments with you.😭❤️

During my university days, you were undoubtedly one of my most consistent callers. And travelling? Hmmmm! That was another side of you. You never wanted anyone travelling to be out of reach. Whether it was family or anyone dear to you, you were always ready to stay on the phone until they arrived safely at their destination. You didn't just wish people well; you followed up to make sure they were fine. That was the kind of man you were. Your care extended beyond words, and nobody had to question whether you genuinely cared.

And how can I forget your relationship with the little children? Grandpa ate and made sure there was something left for them. As for me, I always had my eyes on the meat after you had finished eating. 😂🥰 Those little moments may have seemed ordinary then, but today, they are some of the memories I would give anything to experience again.

You were a rare kind of man. Genuine, selfless, loving and intentional. You never needed to pretend to be who you weren't. You said things as they were, stood by your principles and made sure your presence meant something in the lives of those around you. You didn't just tell us how to live; you showed us through the way you lived.

Grandpa, you are one of the best things that has ever happened to me. Thank you for the sacrifices I may never fully understand, the lessons I will never forget, the corrections that shaped me and the love that gave me a foundation to stand on. Thank you for being so invested in my future and for always wanting the very best for me.

I have so much more to say, but where do I even begin to find the words? It is still difficult to accept that I will no longer get those calls, hear your voice or have you around🥺

If only life allowed us to bargain for a little more time. I would ask for more conversations, more laughter, more of your advice and even those little moments I probably took for granted.

But even in your absence, your legacy remains. I see you in the values you instilled in me, the lessons you taught me and the person I am becoming. Your love did not end with your last breath; it lives on in everyone whose life you touched.

My prayer is that the Almighty God, in His infinite mercy, grants you forgiveness, receives your soul and gives you eternal rest. May you find perfect peace in His presence.

Rest well, Grandpa. My father in every way that matters, my first teacher, and one of life's greatest gifts to me.

You lived, you loved, you gave, and you made a difference. I am forever grateful that I got to call you mine.

Until we meet again, Grandpa.

I LOVE YOU, ALWAYS. ❤️🌸

REST IN PERFECT PEACE.

Christy Ojeihis granddaughter

From Ekene Nyleptha

Daddy, you are gone but you are still in my heart.

Thank you for all your love, your care and your prayers for me. You worked hard for us and you always wanted the best for your children.

I will never forget your last birthday in April. What a beautiful moment we had with you. We laughed, we smiled, and we were happy to be with you. I did not know it would be our last birthday with you.

Daddy, I miss your voice, your smile and your advice. Life is not the same without you.

Rest in peace, Daddy. I love you forever. You will always be my Daddy.🕯️🕊️

Ekene Nyleptha

From Rosario, his grandchild

A Tribute to My Grandfather

You were a man of discipline, tradition, and strength. A strict man, yet one whose love was often expressed not merely through words, but through service, sacrifice, and the lessons you imparted.

You were a disciplinarian and a teacher, someone who believed in doing things the right way and standing firm in your convictions. I admired your strength, your resilience, and the principles by which you lived.

Your legacy is not only in the life you lived but in the values you instilled, the people you shaped, and the lessons that will continue to live on through generations.

Though our hearts mourn your passing, we take comfort in knowing that your life made a lasting impact.

May God grant you eternal rest, and may your soul rest in perfect peace. You will be remembered. Rest well, Grandpa.

Rosario Ohuhis grandchild

IX

He is survived by

Q17 · To be provided by the family

The formal list of those he leaves behind, exactly as the family wants it printed.

Q33 · Still to add

How each person would like to be named, and how the children-in-law, grandchildren and great-grandchildren should appear. Names only: no addresses, phone numbers or dates of birth.

Q56 · Optional · The Ohu family line

Would you like a simple family-line panel? If so, how many generations, and may living grandchildren and great-grandchildren be named, with their parents’ consent?

Well done, good and faithful servant.
Matthew 25:21
X

The funeral rites

All times are West Africa Time (WAT, UTC+1), the time in Nigeria.

  1. 17Dec 2026

    Vigil Mass

    St. John the Baptist Catholic ChurchLagos-Asaba Road, Boji-Boji, Agbor, Delta State

    Directions
    Add to calendar
    Google Calendar

    If neither works here, copy these details into your calendar:

    Vigil Mass for Noble Ignatius Jeremiah Ohu, KSJI
Thursday 17 December 2026, 5pm WAT (UTC+1)
St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, Boji-Boji, Agbor, Delta State

  2. 18Dec 2026

    Funeral Mass

    St. John the Baptist Catholic ChurchLagos-Asaba Road, Boji-Boji, Agbor, Delta State

    Directions
    Add to calendar
    Google Calendar

    If neither works here, copy these details into your calendar:

    Funeral Mass for Noble Ignatius Jeremiah Ohu, KSJI
Friday 18 December 2026, 10am WAT (UTC+1)
St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, Boji-Boji, Agbor, Delta State

  3. 20Dec 2026

    Mass of Thanksgiving

    St. Francis Xavier Catholic ChurchIdumuesah, Ika North East, Delta State, his hometown

    Directions
    Add to calendar
    Google Calendar

    If neither works here, copy these details into your calendar:

    Mass of Thanksgiving for Noble Ignatius Jeremiah Ohu, KSJI
Sunday 20 December 2026, 9am WAT (UTC+1)
St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church, Idumuesah, Ika North East, Delta State

  4. 18Dec 2026

    Interment

    · time to confirm

    The family homeIdumuesah, Ika North East, Delta State

    Directions to Idumuesah
    Q19 · Still to add

    The time of the interment, and where the family will receive guests after the Funeral Mass and after the Mass of Thanksgiving.

Add all rites to calendar

If the file does not download here, use “Add to calendar” on each rite above, or copy the rites as text.

Rites as text 

Noble Ignatius Jeremiah Ohu, KSJI
15 April 1932 – 30 September 2026

Funeral rites (all times West Africa Time, WAT)

Vigil Mass
Thursday 17 December 2026, 5pm WAT
St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, Boji-Boji, Agbor, Delta State

Funeral Mass
Friday 18 December 2026, 10am WAT
St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, Boji-Boji, Agbor, Delta State

Mass of Thanksgiving
Sunday 20 December 2026, 9am WAT
St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church, Idumuesah, Ika North East, Delta State

Interment: Friday 18 December 2026, at the family home, Idumuesah (time to be confirmed).
Receptions: details to follow.

Family enquiries: Dr Francis Chukwuka Ohu
+234 803 550 6704 · WhatsApp +1 814 600 2254
Family enquiries Dr Francis Chukwuka Ohu

Call+234 803 550 6704 WhatsApp+1 814 600 2254

Order of service

Q22 · Still to add

For each Mass: who will celebrate, and the readings and hymns the family has chosen; and whether there is a printed programme that may be shared here.

Joining from afar

In December, West Africa Time is one hour ahead of London and six hours ahead of New York.

The time of each rite in West Africa Time, London and New York
RiteWATLondonNew York
Vigil Mass5pm Thu 17 Dec4pm Thu 17 Dec11am Thu 17 Dec
Funeral Mass10am Fri 18 Dec9am Fri 18 Dec4am Fri 18 Dec
Mass of Thanksgiving9am Sun 20 Dec8am Sun 20 Dec3am Sun 20 Dec
Q21 · Still to add

Will any of the Masses be streamed live? If so, the link for each, and whether a recording will be shared afterwards.

Q60 · Still to add

A note, in the family’s own words, for those who cannot be there: for example, asking their own parish to offer a Mass for him.

Coming to Agbor and Idumuesah

Each part below will be filled in as the family confirms it.

Travel and stayQ27
Q27 · Still to add

For those travelling: the airports and routes the family suggests, the drive between Agbor and Idumuesah, any hotels or hosts the family is happy to recommend, and whom travellers should call.

Dress, colours and aso-ebiQ23
Q23 · Still to add

Is there a dress code or a family colour for the rites? Will the family wear aso-ebi, and if so, whom should people contact? Nothing is sold or paid for on this site.

For the Knights of St. JohnQ24
Q24 · Still to add

Would the family like the Knights to attend in regalia or form a guard of honour? If so, where and when should they gather, and who will coordinate with the Commandery?

Old students, colleagues and the communityQ25
Q25 · Still to add

Would the family welcome old students and former staff of Ika Grammar School, Unity School, Agbarho, and Owerre-Olubor Secondary School, or the Idumuesah community and kindred, attending a rite as a group? If so, who coordinates each?

Other gatheringsQ26
Q26 · Still to add

Is there a wake-keeping, a night of songs or any other gathering the family would like people to know about? When and where?

With gratitude, from the family

To the late Mr. Steve Ashien, publisher of Ika Weekly, and his family, for bringing Dad every edition of the paper, and with it the reading he loved.

Q57 · To be written by the family

The family’s thanks, in its own words, to the people and groups it would like to name: for example the clergy, the Knights, those who cared for him, the parishes, his schools, everyone who travelled and everyone who wrote.

Remembering him through the years

  1. 15 AprilEvery year, his birthdayHe was born on 15 April 1932. Thursday 15 April 2027 would have been his 95th birthday.
  2. 30 SeptemberEvery year, the anniversary of his passingHe was called home on 30 September 2026. The first anniversary: Thursday 30 September 2027.
  3. 15 April 2032The centenary of his birthOne hundred years since he was born in Idumuesah: Thursday 15 April 2032.
Add both dates to my calendar

The calendar file repeats every year, on 15 April and 30 September, as all-day reminders.

Q61 · To be provided by the family

Will the family hold a Mass on each anniversary? Where will the first be, on Thursday 30 September 2027? Is anything planned for the centenary of his birth on Thursday 15 April 2032? Would the family like a private space for its reflections and letters to him?

Q63 · A family decision

Whether the family would like a scholarship, prize or other gift in his name; if so, what it would be called, whom it would serve, and who would look after it. Nothing is ever collected on this site.

Announcement kit

Open the announcement kit

For newspapers, church bulletins, Knights of St. John publications, and town-union and old students’ notices. Please use these words and details exactly as they are written here.

Q35 · To be confirmed by the family

Which portrait and which paragraph the family approves for print, and whom editors should contact.

The announcement

Noble Ignatius Jeremiah Ohu, KSJI 15 April 1932 – 30 September 2026 With gratitude to God for a life well lived, the Ohu family announces the passing of a devoted husband, father and grandfather. He served God, his family and his community with love, faith and honour. The Ohu Family

The funeral rites

Funeral rites for Noble Ignatius Jeremiah Ohu, KSJI (15 April 1932 – 30 September 2026) Vigil Mass: Thursday 17 December 2026, 5pm WAT St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, Boji-Boji, Agbor, Delta State Funeral Mass: Friday 18 December 2026, 10am WAT St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, Boji-Boji, Agbor, Delta State Mass of Thanksgiving: Sunday 20 December 2026, 9am WAT St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church, Idumuesah, Ika North East, Delta State Times are West Africa Time (WAT, UTC+1). Family enquiries: Dr Francis Chukwuka Ohu, +234 803 550 6704 (WhatsApp +1 814 600 2254)

The portrait

The portrait at the top of this page, in the dress uniform of the Knights of St. John International. Print size: to come (Q35).

Save the portrait

If nothing opens or downloads, save it from the top of this page: press and hold the photograph on a phone, or right-click it on a computer.

Enquiries

Dr Francis Chukwuka Ohu
+234 803 550 6704
WhatsApp +1 814 600 2254

It is well with my soul.

Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord,
and let perpetual light shine upon him.
May he rest in peace.

Amen
Requiescat in pace
Noble Ignatius Jeremiah Ohu, KSJI · 1932 – 2026