Foluso Caleb Ojeleye
To live in hearts we leave behind is not to die.
Obituary
In Loving Memory of Pa Foluso Caleb Ojeleye 21 September 1947 – 24 September 2026
It is with profound sadness and a heavy sense of loss that we announce the passing of our beloved husband, father, grandfather, mentor, and friend, Pa Foluso Caleb Ojeleye, who departed this life in the early hours of 24 September 2026 at Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Surulere, Lagos, following a brave and private battle with complications from prostate cancer.
Born on 21 September 1947, Pa Foluso was called to eternal rest at the age of 79, just three days after celebrating his birthday. While it is difficult to say goodbye to someone so dearly loved, we take comfort in knowing that he is now at peace in the loving arms of God, his Maker.
A proud son of Modakeke, Pa Foluso will be remembered for his kindness, generosity, wisdom, strength of character, and quiet ability to bring people together. Family, friends, neighbours, and colleagues all experienced the warmth, sincerity, and compassion that defined his life. He touched countless lives through simple acts of care, encouragement, friendship, and unwavering support.
Pa Foluso possessed a remarkable gift for building meaningful relationships and making others feel valued. Whether through a conversation, a word of advice, a helping hand, or his reassuring presence, he left an enduring impression on everyone privileged enough to know him.
Family was at the heart of his life. He nurtured relationships with patience, devotion, and unconditional love. His loyalty endeared him to friends, while his thoughtful nature, integrity, and dedication earned the admiration and respect of colleagues and acquaintances alike.
Pa Foluso is survived by his beloved wife, Evangelist Deborah Ojeleye; his children, Olajide Ojeleye, Olushola Ojeleye, and Bukola Oladeji; his daughters-and son-in-law, Grace, Ope, and Olabisi; and his cherished grandchildren, Victoria Oladeji, Daniel Oladeji, David Oladeji, Kunle Ojeleye, Samuel Ojeleye, Sade Ojeleye, Mayowa Ojeleye, and Racheal Ojeleye.
He is also lovingly remembered by many whose lives he touched and guided as family, including Rasak Busari, Tomi Ware, Mr Taiwo Gbeminiyi and countless others who were blessed by his mentorship, generosity, fatherly care, and unwavering encouragement.
The passing of Pa Foluso leaves a void that can never truly be filled. Yet his legacy lives on through the values he instilled, the lives he influenced, the love he shared, and the memories he created. Though we mourn his departure, we celebrate a life well lived, a life dedicated to family, faith, community, and service to others.
His memory will continue to inspire us, his lessons will guide us, and his love will remain forever in our hearts.
Rest in perfect peace, Pa Foluso Caleb Ojeleye.
Deeply missed. Lovingly remembered. Forever cherished.
Family History
A Legacy of Writing and Family History
One of Dad’s secret powers was writing. Now that I think about it, I also love to write.
He was always interested in preserving the history of the Ojeleye family, and so, here, I share excerpts of his work.
“WHY OJELEYE?”
The question most often asked by our children is: Why do we bear the name “Ojeleye,” meaning “the masquerade has honour”?
Although our father bore the name “Ojeleye,” we never worshipped Egungun or any other god. We worshipped only the Almighty God. The fact that our parents and some of their siblings bore Christian names during their lifetimes indicated that they had embraced the Christian faith.
Thus, when we were born, all of us were given Christian names at birth.
FAMILY LIFE
The marriage between our parents was blessed with seven children: one female and six males, namely Maria Oyinlola, Emmanuel Adebisi, Jacob Okunola, John Olayiwola, Reuben Oladosu, Rufus Abiodun, and Caleb Foluso.
Our parents were very prominent and well respected in Balogun Village and its environs. They were among the first parents to send their children to school in Balogun. Some villagers and Ijesha landowners fondly referred to our father as “Baba Tisa,” meaning “the father of teachers,” and our mother as “Mama Tisa.” These names came into use when their second child, Adebisi, became a teacher in the late 1940s.
Our father was very humble, easygoing, hardworking, and generous. Our mother was also very hardworking, intelligent, vivacious, and highly disciplined. She was a disciplinarian to the core, particularly when it came to the upbringing of the children.
Our family attended St. Stephen’s Anglican Church, Ayorunbo, which was approximately one mile from Balogun Village. All of us were baptised in the same church, which we attended with our parents.
Our parents were very prayerful. This was evident in the daily observation of compulsory morning prayers for all the children. Father did not take it kindly to anybody to sleep or doze off during the morning devotions. Anyone that did not say “ Amen” to a prayer being said, usually got a slap on the face or buttocks then the resounding Amen would rend the air !!
AT MODAKEKE
Father could not build a house at Emuoje Compound in Modakeke because of a family dispute. He left Emuoje completely and moved to Akire Compound, where our mother hailed from. There, he built the present family house in the late 1960’s to accommodate all of us.
Our parents left Balogun Village for Modakeke in 1960, but Father occasionally returned to Balogun to tend to his farms. He also had farms at Akire Compound, where he planted yams, vegetables, onions, and peppers.
Our mother continued trading in clothes, iko, cocoa, kola nuts, and dried preserved beef, locally known as tinko. She was assisted by her granddaughters, Alatode Alawode, of blessed memory, and Orekin-Atake Alawode, also of blessed memory.
Our parents attended St. Stephen’s Anglican Church, Itasin, Modakeke. They were prominent members of the Elders’ Society, known as Egbe Agba, and the Ebenezer Society, respectively.
On 20 October 1965, Father died after a brief illness. The political situation in Western Nigeria at the time of his death was tense because of the conflict between Chief Obafemi Awolowo and Chief S. L. Akintola. It was a period known as “Wetie.”
Nevertheless, the burial ceremony was held and attracted a large crowd from far and near. The drumming and gathering were kept within the family compound.
Our mother later attended St. Andrew’s Anglican Church, Oke-Amola, when it was established in the 1980s. She continued to maintain the family with the assistance of the elder members of the family until 13 March 1995, when she died after a brief illness.
She was 95 years old when she died, almost 30 years after the death of our father. She was buried in Modakeke on 20 October 1995.
The burial ceremony was delayed until October 1995 to commemorate the 30th anniversary of our father’s death. The ceremony was well attended, and all the children were present.
At the time of writing this history most of the villages in Balogun were no more. Most of the original inhabitants had either died or relocated to Modakeke and Odeomu.
Our family building had been levelled to the ground and overtaken by weeds because it had fallen into disuse.
Although all of us agreed to rebuild the house in the late 1980s and early 2000s, there were minute disagreements.
We thank God for the foresight of one of our children, Olushola, who spearheaded the rebuilding of the Balogun house. He was assisted by the head of the family, Mr. Biodun Ojeleye, and others. At the time this history was written, the rebuilding was nearing completion.
Life Timeline
PA FOLUSO CALEB OJELEYE: LIFE TIMELINE
1954–1955 | Early Education
He attended St. John’s Primary School, Ayorunbo.
1956–1960 | Primary Education in Modakeke
He attended St. Stephen’s A and B Primary Schools, Modakeke.
1961–1966 | Secondary Education
He attended Christ School, Ado-Ekiti, and Modakeke High School, where he completed his West African School Certificate Examination.
1967–1973 | Nigeria Breweries
He worked with Nigeria Breweries Plc. in Iganmu, Lagos.
1973 | Journey to Canada
He left Nigeria for Canada to continue his education.
1974–1978 | Concordia University
He attended Concordia University in Montreal, Canada, where he studied Economics and Political Science and obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree.
1979–1981 | University of Manitoba
He attended the University of Manitoba, where he pursued further studies, including a Diploma in Comparative Politics and Law and a Master of Arts degree.
1983 | National Youth Service
Foluso completed his National Youth Service Corps service at the National Assembly in Lagos.
1984 | Beginning of His Teaching Career
He was employed by the Lagos State Teaching Service Commission as a Senior Teacher at Nigeria Model High School, Idi-Oro.
1992–2000 | Vice-Principal
He served as Vice-Principal at Vetland Grammar School, Agege.
1996 | Postgraduate Diploma in Education
He obtained a Postgraduate Diploma in Education from the University of Lagos.
2000–2002 | Deputy Principal
He served as Deputy Principal at African Church Model College, Ifako, and Babs Fafunwa Grammar School, Ojodu.
2003 | Appointment as Principal
He was appointed Principal of Somori Comprehensive High School, Ifako-Ijaiye.
2006 | Promotion to Deputy Director of Education
He was promoted to the position of Deputy Director of Education.
September 2007 | Retirement
He retired from active service as a principal after a distinguished career in education and public service.
MARRIAGE AND FAMILY
He was married to Mrs. Iyabo Mulikat Ojeleye, née Kareem, now Evangelist Deborah Ojeleye.
Their marriage was blessed with three children: Olajide, Olushola, and Bukola.
Gallery
Memory wall
Ohhh, Daddy Ojeleye! 🕊️💔
You were a great man, a true disciplinarian, and a father who genuinely wanted the best for every student. You were my Vice Principal at Vetland Grammar School, and I will always remember you with fondness.
I still remember those days when I would sneak into afternoon lessons because there was no money at the time. Sometimes, Daddy would overlook it, and other times, he would definitely deal with me! 😂😂 Those memories bring a smile to my face even in this moment of grief.
You were firm, caring, and committed to raising responsible children and students. A good father indeed, and a life that touched many.
My heartfelt condolences to your family, especially your daughter, my very dear friend Bukky. May God comfort you all and grant you the strength to bear this painful loss.
Daddy Ojeleye, you will be greatly missed, but your legacy and the beautiful memories you left behind will live on.
Continue to rest peacefully in the bosom of your Maker. 🕊️🙏🏽
From: Oluwajade Ladipo (née Borisade)
With a heart full of gratitude to God for a life well spent we celebrate the passing of a truly remarkable man Daddy, F. C. Ojeleye.
He was a peaceful, godly, kind-hearted, humble and generous man—a true leader by example. He was hardworking, friendly, and a silent achiever who loved all that was good.
His life touched many, and his legacy of kindness, humility and integrity will live on. May his gentle soul rest in perfect peace.
I have worked with many principals but none marched the professionalism and compassion demonstrated by him.
I will mention some of the impressions I had of him.
He was never late to school and I have not known him to be absent from school. He always leaves school in the evening after almost everybody has gone.
He was a committed lover of God and in difficult situations always sought the help of God. Several prayer meetings were regular during his tenure where everyone was encouraged to attend irrespective of religion. He did not discriminate against anyone's creed or belief.
Full of wisdom and keeping personal secrets of staff members from going out or becoming the topic of gossip internally.
Many other things about him that I didn't remember now or constraints of time or space permits.
But I will mention a personal encounter with him that may not have been known by any person. One day he called me and put me in his car with Mr Taiwo driving. Destination, the newly created District 1 headquarters under the distinguished Tutor General then, Mrs Antoinette Adeoba. He took me straight to her office for a former introduction without telling me of his intention. He later told me that he took me there for consideration for a duty post. He told me that I had been penned down when an opportunity came up. This really endeared me to him. I didn't ask him for assistance but he went out of his way to offer help.
I will not forget that he came to my house one day after retirement, where he was full of appreciation for my coming early to school even from where I was coming from.
Unfortunately, I was not the photo person and tried if I could get a picture of myself with him,but none till now, though I keep on searching till I may find one.
May his memory be forever blessed!
My heart is heavy with great sorrow at the sudden passing of our beloved Boss, Mentor, and Father figure.
Since his retirement, he remained a true friend and father to us all. He never forgot our birthdays—always the first to call, pray for us, and shower us with good wishes.
Who will now reminds members of this beautiful platform of my great 10/10 ???
Sir, your kindness, love, and prayers will remain forever in our hearts.
You lived a life of impact, and your memories will never fade.
May Almighty Allah forgive your shortcomings, grant you Al-Jannatul Firdaus, and give the entire family and all of us the strength to bear this irreparable loss.
Rest in perfect peace, Sir. You will be deeply missed.
Mr Jimoh: Your Abidemi 10/10 as fondly called.
With a heavy heart, we extend our deepest condolences to the entire family of Pa Ojeleye on the sad loss of their beloved father, grandfather, and patriarch.
The passing of a loved one is a painful experience, and we pray that God grants the family the strength, comfort, and courage to bear this great loss.
May the beautiful memories of Pa Ojeleye's life, love, and legacy remain forever in your hearts. May his soul rest in perfect peace, and may God grant the entire family the grace to overcome this difficult moment.
You will be missed more than words can say.
May your soul find eternal peace in the blossom of your Maker. Our Great VP A.K.A. Marshall.
My condolences to the entire family. May God comfort you all.
Rev'd Ayobami FADINA
Student @Vetland Grammar school
FOLUSO CALEB OJELEYE.
Wth heavy heart, I write this few words about my departed friend, father, benefactor, principal of principals and a leader worthy of emulation.
Baba Ojeleye symbolised many positive things to those privileged to have worked closely with him.
We met at AFRICAN CHURCH MODEL COLLEGE, IFAKO IJAIYE where our friendship started. A Deputy Principal to a classroom teacher. Later, Baba was transferred to MILLENNIUM SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL, OJODU. I was also transferred to Sonmori. I was planning to relocate to a school in Abule Egba when Baba Ojeleye was posted to Sonmori Comprehensive High School as PRINCIPAL. Our friendship blossomed again with trust, loyalty and affections. I worked closely with Baba,in fact, it was father and son relationship. We ate in the same plate and he share meat with me like a dear son. He gave me the title of CHIEF OF STAFF till he retired in 2007. I announced his birthday on 21/9/21 to all my colleagues but unfortunately Baba died on 24/9/26.
A cool hearted, kindhearted, generous and was a shining example to humanity.
Eyin Sonmori Eniyan, thanks so much for your love and kindness to our Baba. No doubt, we shall all miss him. Mr G.A Taiwo, a worthy Personal Assistant to our Baba. It is well with you IJN, Amen.
Aku ara fear ku oooo!!!
To Jide our friend, be strong. We pray God will comfort you and your family members.
We know and believe you are in a better place sir.
Rest in peace, Till we see again.
Shocking, but of reality, Baaba F.C.Ojeleye is gone! Mercifully, Baaba has gone to rest with his Maker the Almighty God.
Happily,Baaba came,saw and conquered! Why not? May his very venerable, affable, ebullient. vivacious ,genial and resilient soul continue to enjoy the eternal serenity at the bosom of the Almighty God and the conviviality in the companionship of the heavenly hosts.
ADIEU,Pa Foluso Caleb Ojeleye,a titan and quintessential AKORAYE.
His burial obsequies will be announced soon.Thank you all 🙏👏🏼‼️
Baba F. C. Ojeleye, you were truly one of God’s gifts to humanity. I had the privilege of meeting you when I started my teaching career at Sonmori Senior Secondary School, Ifako-Ijaiye, Agege.
You did not only welcome me; you called me your friend and later referred to me as your P.A. I am deeply grateful for the love, kindness, and fatherly relationship you shared with me.
Words are not enough to express how much I will miss you. I love you, but I know that God loves you even more. May your gentle soul continue to rest peacefully in the bosom of the Lord.
Your P.A.,
Oluwalogbeminiyi
Service
Donate
Pa Foluso Caleb Ojeleye was deeply loved and respected by many. His life touched the hearts of family, friends, colleagues, church members, and countless people within the wider community.
As we honour his life and legacy, many friends and loved ones have kindly asked how they may support the family during this difficult time.
For those who wish to do so, contributions toward his funeral and burial expenses would be sincerely appreciated. Any gift, regardless of size, will help us provide Daddy with the dignified farewell he deserves and celebrate a life that impacted so many.
Above all, we are grateful for your prayers, kind words, love, and presence as we navigate this season of loss.
Thank you for standing with our family, for remembering Daddy with love, and for your generosity and support during this difficult time.
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May God bless and richly reward your kindness, generosity, and support during this difficult time.
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