Brochure Funeral
Brochure Funeral
Brochure Funeral
OF THE LATE
K
nown in family circles as Fiifi, the late Samuel Newland Cole was born at Nkwawkaw in
the Eastern Region on Friday, 7th December, 1943 when the second world war was fast
drawing to an end. The fifth of seven siblings (4 males and 3 females), he was born to the
late Samuel Joseph Cole, a Sierra Leonean engineer of the Ghana Railway Corporation and Mrs
Angelina Cole (nee Cofie) of the Eyeson family of 1923 Eguabado, Saltpond and the Odomna
Kusubentsir clan of Nankesido, Lower Saltpond.
Early Childhood
Fiifi had a pleasant childhood. He lived with his biological parents and siblings. Theirs was a
cohesive nuclear family that always stuck together, did things together and enjoyed life together.
Christmas was a special occasion for the family. The children were treated to special dinners in
addition to new clothes and shoes. The children reciprocated by staging concerts to entertain
their parents during the festive occasion.
Education
Fiifi began his basic education at the Anglican Primary School in Sekondi During his second
year at school, an uncle of his visited and on his return took him along to live with him in Sierra
Leone. After a considerable period of time, his parents went over to Sierra Leone and brought
Fiifi back to Ghana.
Fiifi was admitted to St. John’s Secondary School (now Senior High School) in Sekondi and
obtained the School Certificate after successfully writing the West African School Certificate
Examination. Fiifi was admitted to the Institute (now university) of professional Studies at
Madina in Accra where he majored in Accounting; successfully going through the first two
Work Experience
Fiifi’s first job was with pioneer Tobacco Company (PTC) Ltd. He was employed as an accountant at the company’s head office
which was at Adabraka in Accra. His tenure with the company was however brief. He secured a job with the Cocoa Marketing
Board (CMB) as an auditor. His tenure with the Board started at Sekondi and took him to Accra, Sunyani, Cape Coast, Koforidua
and finally Agona Swedru in 1990. He had risen through the ranks to the position of Regional Internal Auditor and later as Chief
Cocoa Officer.
After about eighteen months that is sometime in 1992, Fiifi resigned his appointment with the Board and took up farming at Assin
Kyekyewere where he relocated permanently in 1995. His family however remained at Swedru.
Christian Life
Like all his siblings, Fiifi’s religious life followed the path of his parents who were staunch Anglicans. He was a baptised and
confirmed member of the Anglican Communion. He served his God wherever his work took him. His love for God and his church
was such that at Koforidua he was elected to the office of Peoples’ Warden, the highest elective position in the Parish with the
responsibility among others of overseeing the welfare of the laity.
Fiifi was a founding member of the Association of Eyeson Family of 1923, Eguabado, Saltpond. He remained an active member of
the association and made significant contributions to it until 2018 when it became necessary for him to locate to Accra in order
for him to access medical care for an ailment that virtually left him incapacitated.
On the 1st of May, 2020 his condition deteriorated. All efforts to get him hospitalised failed until Monday the 4th of May when he
was admitted to Korle Bu Teaching Hospital. He died on the 7th of May, 2020.
He is survived by his wife, Mrs Adelaide Ofosu-Appiah Cole, nine children, four siblings, thirteen grandchildren, a host of family
members, friends and loved ones to mourn him.
Rest in Perfect Peace.
“I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.
My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth.
He will not suffer thy foot to be moved:
He that keepeth thee will not slumber”. Psalm 121: 1-3
I recall the day we met at the Cocoa Marketing Board at Sekondi when you approached
me and expressed your love for me. You were confident and insisted on having me as
your wife. Truly you kept your words and made me your wife. After forty-two years
of married life, it is with a heavy heart and deep sense of sorrow that I write this tribute
to bid you farewell.
These forty two years have not been all smooth sailing; from Sekondi, to Accra to Kumasi
to Sunyani, Cape coast, Koforidua, and then finally Agona Swedru where you ended your
carrier with Cocoa Board - we have had the good times, bad times. At the end, we have
fought through them and thus far the Lord has brought us.
You impacted my life in many ways. You proudly brought me into your family, introduced
me to your friends and whatever you did was perfect. You were firm on the children for
good upbringing. Educating your children was your topmost priority and together, we
have built a great family.
When you took ill, we did our best to support you with prayer until that faithful morning
7th May 2020 when you left us. You have suffered a great deal. God knows best and
although your absence has created a void in our hearts.
So now I lift my eyes to the hills, where does my help come from? My help comes from
D
adda, your death took us by surprise even though we knew you were not well. Nothing prepared us for the news on the
morning of May 7, 2020. We are still yet to come to terms with the fact that you are indeed gone but we take consolidation
in the fact that you are free from pain. We do not have the words to express the magnitude of this loss to us.
You were a man of few words, as such your actions spoke louder than your words. You didn’t have to pretend around people to
please them. You were who you were and gave no excuse for it. You held your part the best way you knew how and through it all
you gave us the best training you could.
Among the many things we learnt from you, these will forever remain in our hearts. That is, you’ve taught us to be responsible for
our actions, to live our lives in such a way so as to please God and not man, to love and respect the people we call family, to always
be each other’s keeper as well as be objective in our dealings with every one we encounter in life. Above all, you’ve taught us to never
throw away our own family in exchange for another person’s family. We have come to understand and appreciate what you have
always taught us. If we ever failed to express our heartfelt gratitude, it’s because we didn’t know how. We are truly grateful. Thank
you Dadda!
Dadda, God gave you 76 years in this world and when the time came, He called you to be with Him. We believe that you are sleeping
peacefully with the Lord whom you served wholeheartedly. When we grieve and bid you farewell, our hearts are gladdened having
I
t was devastating and heartbreaking when the news of your demise came to us
that faithful Wednesday morning. Though we were devastated by the news of
your death, we have clutched on to our faith in the Almighty God our Comforter
- “The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away, May the name of the LORD be
praised”.
Bra Fii, as we affectionately called him was the fourth child of seven children. He
spent his formative years in Freetown, Sierra Leone and later joined us in Ghana
to begin his secondary education. We quiet remember you, Bra Fii, with the estate
boys who came around in Mamaa’s house in Sekondi just to listen to some cultures
and stories you brought from Freetown; and how they would mess and laugh at your
pronunciation when you were learning the Fanti language.
Bra Fii was soft spoken, gentle, studious, hardworking and conscientious. We will
forever miss your “gari” and “fanti kenkey” - a sure package on every visit to us here
in Accra.
I
ndeed, Bra Fii as we affectionately called him played many parts during his lifetime with steadfast fortitude, whether in good
times or bad times, whether in sickness or in good health.
Bra Fii had a great sense of humor and a friendly and pleasant personality. He mixed very well with all his cousins and friends. He
was a very generous person and growing up, we all looked up to him for his strength of character and pecuniary kindness to family
and friends alike. One other trait of a character which endured Bra Fii to all of us was his humility.
All of us are really inspired by the legacies you have left behind and we would challenge ourselves to live by these legacies. We are
sad and broken by your death; But we are consoled by the words of one of the greatest poet and hymn writer William Cowper who
said and we quote “The path of sorrow and that path alone, leads to the land where sorrow is unknown”.
Bra Fii, you were a priceless gem to all of us and we pray that the Almighty God will shine His glorious face upon your mortal
remains and receive your soul unto His bosom.
W
e have met today to mourn with deep sorrow the passing to eternity of our beloved brother Samuel Newland Cole.
Brother Fiifi Cole as we affectionately called him was a founding and active member of our association formed some
nineteen years ago, born out of the desire of the third generation of the Eyeson family of 1923 Eguabadu, Saltpond to come together
into a group and thereby forge a closer bond for the promotion of the interest and welfare of the family. Brother Fiifi, worked
diligently for the promotion of unity and fellowship among members.
Brother Fiifi, was kind- hearted and generous and believed in the long standing family legacy of godliness, sharing, love, compassion
and humility. You lived these values until your last breath. Brother Fiifi was actively involved in all activities of the association until
around 2017 when he was stuck down with a serious illness which necessitated regular visits to the Korle Bu Teaching hospital for
treatment. He never recovered from this illness until the Lord called him to rest from all the pains, labours and tiredness. Yes, we
believe God saw you were getting tired and called you to take a deserved rest.
We console ourselves in the Lord and pray that the Good Lord would grant us the fortitude to bear the loss. To the Cole group,
we know Brother Fiifi’s death is a difficult one to take for obvious reasons; May the Lord strengthen you during this difficult time.
Brother Fiifi, you would be fondly remembered by all of us.
G
od saw you getting tired and so He put His arms
around youand whispered “Come to me”. Sad as
it makes us feel we have no choice but to bid you
farewell.
As you close your eyes to rest in the bosom of the Lord, may
all your pain and troubles be lost forever. To have had you
for an uncle was the greatest blessing of all.The fact that
you are no longer here will always cause us pain,But those
special memories of you (especially your delicious gari) will
remain forever in our hearts, until we meet again.
2. What rush Alleluias 2. The world, the flesh, and Satan dwell
Fills al the earth and sky! Around the path I tread;
What ringing of a thousand harps O save me from the snares of hell,
Bespeaks the triumph nigh! Thou Quickener of the dead.
O day, for which creation
And all its tribes were made! 3. And if I tempted am to sin,
O joy, for all its former woes And outward things are strong,
A thousand-fold repaid! Do Thou, O Lord, keep watch within,
And save my soul from wrong.
3. Oh, then what raptured greetings
On Canaan's happy shore, 4. Still let me ever watch and pray,
What knitting server'd friendship up, And feel that I am frail;
Where partings are no more! That if the tempter cross my way,
Then eyes with joy shall sparkle Yet he may not prevail.
That brimm'd with tears of late;
Orphans no longer fatherless, A& M 240
Nor widows desolate.
1. PLEASANT are Thy courts above
4. Bring near Thy great Salvation, In the land of light and love;
THOU LAMB for sinners slain, Pleasant are Thy courts below
Fill up the roll of Thine elect, In this land of sin and woe;
Then take Thy power and reign; Oh, my spirit longs and faints
Appear, Desire of nations, For the converse of Thy saints,