To live in hearts we leave behind is not to die.
Obituary
With hearts full of gratitude for a long and beautifully lived life, we announce the passing of our Mother, Grandmother & Great Grandmother Mary Udunma Nwana (Obioho), who was fondly called May by her late husband and Mammy by her grandchildren.
Mama will be remembered for kindness, generosity, and the quiet ability to bring people together. Family, friends and neighbors all experienced the warmth and sincerity that made time spent with her meaningful.
Throughout life, she built lasting connections and touched many lives through simple acts of care, encouragement, and friendship. Conversations, shared moments, and everyday gestures created memories that will remain with those who had the privilege of knowing her.
Family meant a great deal to her, and relationships were always nurtured with patience and devotion while friends valued loyalty and sincerity.
The passing of mama leaves a space that cannot be filled. Yet the memories, lessons, and moments shared will continue to live on in the hearts of those who were fortunate to know her.
Mary Nwana will be deeply missed and lovingly remembered.
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I am still teary putting this together, but I am comforted because I know you are fine in heaven.
It only struck me on the day you passed that I have lived with you and Papa for a long time
Both of you showed me love and kindness, and gave me peace and stability.
My grandmother, especially, was always grateful and kind to me. Even while she was in the hospital, in one of the most vulnerable moments I had ever seen her, she still said to me, “Thank you for taking care of me.” I will never forget that.
One memory that stays with me happened during COVID, when cash was difficult to get. At the time, I worked in a bank and struggled to get cash she needed to hold for whatever she wanted. My grandmother, being the generous person she was, had given out the cash she had to people who needed it. When I realized there was no cash left, I became upset. I was frustrated and reacted almost to the point of tears.
What could I do after that except apologize for my reaction? She had done nothing from a bad place. She had simply acted from kindness. I hugged her and told her I was sorry. That moment stayed with me because it reminded me of the kind of heart she had.
Then sometime around October 2022, she called me into her room and handed me a box set containing a thermos flask and two mugs. Inside it, she had written “thank you” in several places, along with a legible “thank you for all that you have done for me.”
I told her there was no need to thank me because she had done so much for me and was supposed to enjoy the fruits of her labor.
But that was who she was.
Always grateful.
I would pick up medication for her from the hospital and she would thank me. Even in her final days, gratitude never left her spirit. I was told that before she passed on, she was singing, “We are grateful O Lord.” That captures who she was better than anything else I can say.
I feel blessed to have lived under her roof.
Blessed to have experienced her love.
Blessed to have witnessed what it means for someone to remain thankful until their very last days.
I will never take that for granted.
I called her “Grandmammy” because all the grandchildren called her “Mammy,” and over time, mine became “Grandmammy.”
The Sunday before she passed, I was heading to church when she said to me, “Pray for me.” I did, not knowing that it might be the last time she would ever say those words to me. But I am happy that I prayed for her.
It hurts that she is no longer here. I miss her presence deeply. But above all, I am deeply grateful that I got to experience her life, her kindness, her peace, and her love so closely.
Rest in peace, Grandmammy.
Please greet Papa for me.
Rest in God's Eternal Peace! Amen
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