Rita Onome Ekewenu

Ms. Onome Rita Ekewenu was a loving, caring, and very reserved lady and, of course, a woman of faith. Little did I know that my visit with you on 01/24/2022 was going to be the last time I would have a face-to-face discussion with you. I remember you telling me about the good times we had together, especially our late-night outings those days in Lagos, and especially how you wished that cancer would stay away so that you could have an everyday life of being a wife and a mother.
My family and I are heartbroken to lose you; I want to assure you that you did not go alone, for a part of us went with you. However, the day God called you left us with beautiful memories, and though we cannot see you, we believe that you are always at our side.
Rita, our family chain is broken, and nothing seems the same, but we believe that one day we will all be united again in the bosom of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the chain will be linked again.

A Celebration of the Life of Ms. Rita Onome Ekewenu. By Eva ‘Moyoma Inikori
Again!!! Who was this angel that left the earth 1/27/2022?
Black is Bold and Beautiful! My sister loved the solid color back – elegant, classy and can be dressed up or down depending on the occasion, with a splash of other colors. It was her favorite color, hands down! My sister was a priceless jewel, aptly named the diminutive of the Spanish name Margarita. Her name Rita means Pearl.
When the diagnosis came of a stage IV breast cancer, the tigress in her came out and she was ready to fight it through. However, not our will but God’s, who reigns sovereignly over creation, that she should come home. I have no doubt that Sister Rita completed her assignment and triumphantly too. On the day she made her exit from the earth, as I saw her life ebbing away, I started crying and she looked at me sternly and said “stop crying ‘Moyoma! You know I don’t like that! AND I WILL NEVER CRY”!!!
This soft-spoken, kind-hearted, self-sacrificing sister of ours was an angel in disguise. If you ask her to go with you one mile, she will make it ten miles, for in her heart, she knew one mile would not get you to your destination.
She was so caring that as soon as she was done with college, she quickly assumed the duty of supporting her younger siblings, who were now in college, through school. Noteworthy to point out that my parents were migrant teachers. She literally clothed me, while in college mailing clothes to me from Lagos, where she resided as an Accountant, working for Fidelity Trust Company. She did not just buy anything off the shelf but the best. She was very prudent but very classy. She’d rather have one item of substance than several flimsy items. She was a woman of few words. She walked in forgiveness, especially towards men that took advantage of her. Time and again, I would call to check up on her and encourage her to let go of any unforgiveness towards these ones, which is the human nature. Her response always remained “I’ve left everything to the LORD, Let Him fight my case, I will testify of God’s goodness to the whole world”.
She would lovingly take hold of my hands, feel my palm, and say they feel like paper. In other words, moisturize your palms, for you are a lady, with her characteristic motherly look. Some other time, she’d say to me, you have very nice clothes but your shoes are a far cry…. don’t you see good shoes when you go shopping? Our last shopping trip in September 2021, (a month before the cancer diagnosis), she bought me 2 pairs of shoes and got ‘Suo a shirt. I could go on and on….
Adieu my beloved sister Rita – again placing these tiny hands of mine in The Almighty’s, as he leads.
Love you to pieces!!!

Eva 'Moyoma Inikori

How will I choose to remember you?

When I heard the news that you had gone home to be with the Lord, I was brought to tears. All I could think about was how quickly your life had changed overnight, and my memory of you was clouded by the physical toll cancer had taken on your body.

But through my grief, God reminded me that when one of His faithful servants comes home to meet Him, there is a celebration in heaven. Why should I be sad knowing that my caring auntie I had come to know and love is happy as she will ever be?

So how have I chosen to remember you? I have chosen to remember the best times because I wish for every memory I have of you to be a celebration of the special person you were.

I remember the many times we talked on the phone when I was growing up. My parents would use the opportunity to teach me how to properly Digwe, and you patiently waited on the phone through the “training sessions” because you were very excited to hear from your nephews.

I remember moving to Fort Worth last August for school. I like to believe it was God’s way of indirectly giving us more opportunities to spend time with you, and your warm smile and gentle voice always had a way of comforting me during my move to the city. It was reassuring to know that even 300 miles away from home, I had family with me.

And most of all, I remember your kind heart. Through all the highs and lows in life, nothing could steal your joy. You were always ready to serve with a cheerful heart, and you wore your kindness on your sleeve. Some people spend their whole life trying to develop this trait, but for you it was so effortless, setting you apart from the rest.

Remembering how special you were has given me peace in my spirit. We love you, and we miss you so much auntie! Until we meet again 🕊

Rukky ❤️

Our dear, sweet Auntie,
Gone too soon, it can't be.
Always welcoming with a smile,
I'm glad I saw you for a while.
I'll treasure the shirt you bought me,
Didn't know your style was so fancy.
Rest peacefully above, the pain no more,
I'll tell of your fashion with Christ at my core.

Hey Aunty,
Still doesn’t seem real that you’re no longer with us. I speak for all of us when I say We wish we could all still see and feel the warm & cheerful presence you brought with you to any place. Your heart was big like no other. Truly embodied Christ in your willingness to help in any capacity whether it was with family or friends. We miss you beyond what words could express. While we mourn now, we know it is not forever, as one day through the hood of Christ, we will see you again. Rest easy.
Love,
Feji

Who was auntie?

A lover, helper, and greatest of all, a child of God. Always smiling, and cracking jokes about how much I had grown since the last time you saw me. Always looking for ways to be helpful around the house, whether it was doing the dishes, vacuuming, taking out the trash, or even taking care of me whenever I got a migraine.

Who was auntie?
A fighter, always looking ahead. Despite your sickness, you were always joking about wanting my “full and healthy hair” and I would always say “don’t worry auntie, you’ll grow it back when you beat this.”
Even though you aren’t here to share more funny moments like this, I know I will see you again, and we will share many more laughs as we had before.

Rest easy Auntie Rita!

Vwede

Goodbye my dearest sister. You left us too soon, I don’t know how to manage this painful wound you left in my heart, and the vacuum you created in the family.
With tears, I don’t know where this death came from, it’s only the Lord that knows it all and will certainly avenge this.
I promise to hold on to your promises, dreams and aspirations.
Good night my lovely sister.
May you rest in peace and in the bosom of our Lord and let perpetual light shine upon you till we meet to part no more.

My dearest Rita,
I still do not believe that you are no more. I am still in pains and tears.
Aunty Rita, I have always known you to be a fighter, but you said that the will of the Lord has to prevail.
Your baby Tega, “leleboy” as you fondly called him, is yet to come to terms with the reality of your death.
The Lord would have saved you for his sake as he prayed and said to me “tell daddy to take me to morning mass everyday so I can pray for my big mummy”.
Aunty Rita, I am going to miss you, your brother cried every day for you. I have never seen him cry like this before, Rita you are very special to the family.
You are in a better place now. No more pains, sickness, and suffering.
Tell Papa and Aunty Stella to help us fight the unseen battle in the family and reveal the evil ones behind this ordeal.
We are going to miss you. I know that heaven has gained an angel.
Good bye, Aunty Rita, till we meet to part no more. Rest in peace my beautiful sister In-law.

Aunty Rita my big mummy,
I still cannot believe you are no more.
You will forever remain in my heart, big mummy/
I will not forget your advice on the pathway to success you always gave to me.
I love you and miss you.
Rest on in the bosom of our Lord till we meet to part no more.

My dear Aunty Rita,
Still cannot believe you left me like this, my big mummy, I will never forget you.
I love you so much.
Goodbye till we meet again on the resurrection day.
Rest in peace. I love you.
From you son ‘leleboy’.

My dear sister Rita,
Life has not been fair to you, but now you have gone to a better place; eternity/
Rest on my beloved sister.

May God rest her Soul in Jesus precious name, Amen.

My dear sister,
Only God Almighty knows it all but by the grace and mercy of God rest in God bosom.

My dear gentle and kind hearted sister,
We miss you.
Only god knowns best what happed/ We leave vengeance for Him alone.
I know that you are really with our Lord in heaven.
Rest in peace until we meet again in Eternity.
Adieu my dear sister.

Sis. Rita, I am glad that I got to know you during your lifetime. You were such a great person, you had a gentle soul, from the moment you set your eyes on me you embraced me as one of your younger sisters. You were very meticulous in your doings I called you my chic sister. Sis. Rita fought a good flight she believed and trusted so much in her maker to heal her but only he knew the plans he had for her. One thing I know for sure is that the angels in heaven are happy to receive you. I will miss you so much, my dear sister. You were very kind to me and my family. Thank you for showing me, genuine love. Adios, my dear sister Rita till we meet to part no more. Rest in perfect peace!

Dear Aunty Rita....
it’s your dearest niece.
Your death still feels like a dream, I can’t believe you are gone. I am always in tears thinking about you.
I still remember when you stayed with us and how you liked drinking your coffee and watching your favorite channel Telemundo and wrestling sitting on your favorite chair in the sitting room, it still feels like yesterday.
I wish I could take time back and hug you like that’s the last time I will see you, I wish we spent more time together...
I am not sure this wound will ever heal...
First it was Aunty Stella, may her Soul Rest In Peace, and you said you will fulfill all the promises she made to me, and now you are gone too.
I am in tears writing this and still waiting for a miracle to happen.
I don’t think I will ever be able to accept your death, it’s just too difficult for me.
I wish I could tell you how much I love you.
Please take care of Grandpa and my lovely Aunt Stella in heaven...
I love to see you on resurrection morning...
May your Soul Rest In Peace
From your lovely niece.

Death why, why have you taken the life of my dear Aunty Rita.
It Is so sad hearing you are no more and so shocking.
I remember when you use to call me “okpokpaye”. When I asked you the meaning, you were like Big Woman. Hmmm......
GONE ARE THOSE YEARS. Now nobody will be calling me that again.
I also remember when you used to sit in your favorite chair and watch your program...
I always look at that chair and imagine you’re still there but you’re no more.
Well I know you’re in a better place.
May the almighty God grant you a restful and eternal peace Amen.

Oh aunty Rita.
It was just like yesterday senior Bruno called to inform me about your demise.cause the memory is still very fresh.
I last saw you 2014 during my marriage visit to Abraka. The warm smile, hug and reception you gave me was everything I desire from a sister like you.
Though I never really had time to bond with you due to circumstances beyond my control. but I love you still.
Rest on, fairest of them all.
Rest on my sister with the perfect smile till we meet on the resurrection morning.

The sweet memories of your simple smiles will stay with us as long as we live on earth. Your smiles were made of sunshine. It broke our hearts to lose you, but you never went alone, for part of us went with you, the day God took you home.
We the Onobrakpor’ will surely miss you and you will forever remain in our hearts. Until we meet again, may God hold you in the palm of His hand. We loved you dearly and will never forget your mark on earth.
Continue to rest in the blossom of the Lord.

Sister Rita , it was a shock when I heard about your death . The last time I saw you was the year sis Stella passed and I can still remember your beautiful smile those evenings when bible study was held at our place. You were always calm, well reserved and motherly figure to all. Sister Rita, you are greatly missed but we are glad you are in a better place rejoicing with the Angels! …. A place free of PAIN!!!
yes you are free from sorrow!
yes you are free from anguish!
yes you are free from anxiety and
free from fear of the unknown.
Special thanks to the Inikori’s for their continuous care and love for sister Rita even till the end.
Adieu sister Rita !
Biye Eshofonie , Richmond Texas.

To my dearest Aunty,
It was such an honor to be with you during your last days. You came into our lives with so much love and sweetness, and it was so hard letting you go. There are very few people you meet for such a short time who have such an impact on you, and you were one of them. I was so eager to get back and see you and embrace you and give you a gentle hug. Up until your last day you were absolutely stunning and glowing.
You will always be in our hearts Aunty Rita, can’t wait to see you in heaven. -Joycelyn

To my beautiful Antie RiRi,

I’ll miss your kindness and love
I’ll miss your happy smile
I’ll miss your optimistic aroma and strength
And I’ll miss your humor that was present even up until your last breath
To loose you brings such sadness
But I know that you continue to live on,
In the beautiful kingdom in which our father has made
With no pain…no suffering…and no trials nor tribulations
So, sleep now softly, angel
In your eternal rest

To have called you my Auntie
I was truly blessed

Dear Sister Rita,
I have struggled with writing this tribute because I certainly lack the vocabulary to express my state of mind. On many fronts, I feel life has been very unfair to you and shrouded in mysteries beyond human comprehension.
We both graduated same year and completed National Youth Service about the same time. We secured our first jobs about the same time in 1989 – I in Warri and you moved to Lagos with great dreams to pursue your accounting professional certification.
You quickly assumed responsibility for your siblings’ education, supporting Mom and Dad every semester. Not long after Papa retired as Headmaster, you had great plans for his post retirement business venture to keep him active and financially independent. You advanced the funds for the startup of the business. Shortly afterward, Papa came down with a major health challenge and we spent all that funds but thanks to God, Papa recovered completely.
Mysteriously, you lost that lucrative job right after Grandma’s funeral at Aragba-Orogun in December 1996 for no justifiable reason. The company audit exonerated you and others, but you were not reinstated like others. Every effort you made to bounce back met an iron-clad wall. Coming to the United States was one more effort to bounce back. Mysteriously, it was to be the last.
Time will not permit me to enumerate the mystery of how men sought to take advantage of your kind heartedness in every love relationship, yet you never harbored any ill-feeling towards them, always trusting God to vindicate you. You had several opportunities for “arranged marriage” to secure your residency in The United States but you insisted that you will wait for a legitimate marriage no matter how long it took.
You never wanted to be a burden on someone else, choosing rather to live prudently within your resources. I guess you took this a bit too far choosing not to tell me nor ‘Moyoma about the diagnosis until it was rather late.
I have learnt that God uses even our “mistakes” to bring about His purposes in our lives. Thus, I submit that this was God’s will for you to come home at last, free from all earthly stress and sorrows.
Until you took your last breath, you never abdicated your responsibility as big sister. In September you shopped for my wife and our first son, Godson. Even two hours before your last breath you rebuked ‘Moyoma for crying and said emphatically that you will NEVER CRY.
I rejoice at the privilege of sharing in your last anointing service and communion on Wednesday January 26, 2022, at 8:00 pm with Pastor Teddy Nevo. As if you have been waiting for that communion and anointing service, you exited in less than 24 hours afterward, saying the “Angels are here in the room”.
Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his faithful servants – Psalm 116:15. We surrender to God’s sovereign will.
You appeared to me in my dream the next morning and asked me to take care of two special people. I will take that responsibility with utmost commitment.

I have tried hard to hold back my emotions through this period, but I guess I might as well let it off in the privacy of my office as I write this note.
Sister Rita, you were a GEM Stone.

My Sister Rita, what a short time we had. I’m very glad and opportuned to have taken care of you as a nurse and caretaker. I wish I was with you longer. During the time I was with you, you were so peaceful caring and incredibly considerate. You never wanted me to overextend myself and you’d put my comfort over yours. I hated seeing you going through such pain, but you would champion through it. I remember one day you were in so much pain and you’d always smile through it and say before I’d come and get you, “sister wait... let me gather myself first” lol. You were such a classy lady with a unique sense of style and I couldn’t wait for us to shop once you recovered, but our shopping will continue in heaven beyond those pearly white gates. You became and aunty to all of my children and we all miss you dearly. May your soul Rest In Peace sis, I love you ❤️
- Sister Joy Ngene

Rita,
Your passing was so sudden and painful. My heart kept telling that it will fine as I think about you each time. What a final bad news!
My sister, rest in peace-Only God knows .
Eric Erigha

In this new life, it doesn’t matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbaric, uncivilized, slave, or free. Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us.
Colossians 3:11 NLT

Thank God Sis. Rita found the New Life in Christ Jesus before leaving this earth to Him Who loved her most.

Shalom

It’s so sad to see you go so soon. The last time we talked was during our Christmas holiday tradition. Though you could not join us, you were in the hospital, and we had virtual fellowship in the evenings. You were full of hope and smiles and many “thank you- thank you”. We did not think that will be our last conversation.
Well, for now, we may never understand “why” because we see darkly, but we believe God’s divine plan. From the circumstances around your transition, we believe you are forever free from pain and resting in the everlasting bosom of the Almighty God. May the Lord comfort us and help us prepare for eternity, so we can meet again

A woman of great faith, still very difficult to believe you are really gone. I was indeed looking forward with much joy to hearing your great testimony of God’s healing mercies - - - but God knows best.
I cherished the brief moment we had together and take solace in the fact that you are in a better place resting in the bosom of our Lord Jesus Christ where there is no pain or suffering.
Adieu beloved sister Rita till we meet again at the marriage super of the LAMB!🌹

Sis Rita I will missed your smile and your calm spirit but God knows why he decided to take you at this time .I remember calling you to tell you about a job in Houston never did I know that will be the last conversation may the Heavenly angels welcome you in the bosom of your lord Almighty.
Adieu sis Rita
Sis Rose Opara.
.

Ms. Rita whom we loved dearly, has gone so soon.
In my 4 years of knowing Ms. Rita, she amazingly blessed my family with her loving, kind, gentle spirit.
I have so much to say and truly lament that it has to be under these circumstances. Ms. Rita was the definition of virtuous woman. She was very soft spoken and a woman of few words. She had an incredible taste for fashion, was very knowledgeable and full of wisdom. Above all, she was a very prayerful woman and stayed optimistic even in the most challenging situations. I miss the conversations I had with her, the sound of her laugh and the gentle sound of her voice. I am eternally grateful to God for knowing her and for bringing her into my family. She blessed each and every one of our lives especially that of my son whom she amazingly helped me care for. While we are still devastated and in great shock about her passing, we can only praise God that she lived a good life and fought a good fight. I am very certain that she Is resting at the right hand of God our father. May her gentle soul rest in eternal peace and may God continue to comfort the family during this difficult time. 🙏🏾