Our mother’s name is Margaret Adunola Olusa (Nee Omodan) and she was born in 1946 on the 26th of August. Her father a gent by the name of Samuel Omodan was a prominent Cocoa farmer. Unfortunately, her own mother, Mama Oluaye Omodan, died when mum was only four years old which is never a good thing in the live of a girl of that age. Nevertheless, Grandfather Samuel raised the little girl and he was assisted in this difficult endeavor by mum’s elder sister Grace Adeleye Dare. Despite the early setbacks, she graduated at the Teachers Training College followed by further study at the College of Education.
While engaged at her post college Teaching assignment at Egbado, Ogun state, she met her future husband, Felix Olawuyi Olusa. Out of that glorious union six children were born, namely Olusola (1974), Olumide (1976 – 1978), Aderemi (1978), Ayooluwa (1980), Olubusuyi (1982 – 2010) and Omolara (1986).
Eventually mum became a school head teacher which has impacted many young lives for the better essentially because of her Christian faith and principals. She attributed her achievements to the fact that she was a dedicated Christian. She was a woman who understood her role in society, who were completely dedicated to her children and who was a supportive spouse who understood the need to work hard in order to achieve success in life.
People will always remember mum as a friend of the poor and lessprivileged. She reached out and had compassion for the fatherless and widows. Her home was open to strangers, people who were unknown to our family. We learnt dedication from her because she was always there for her children. She always promoted the need for an adequate education and she would always use every resource available to ensure that all around her receive the best possible education.
One would falsely assume that she was rich in order to accomplish all of these things, but nothing can be further from the truth. She used whatever she had wisely and sparingly, she continued to work hard and to support her husband and somehow, she managed to send all her children to some of the best schools in the country. She was wife to a man who achieved a lot, not only did he retire as a high school teacher but he was also a clergy and a Diocesan Evangelist in the Anglican Church. Just like the woman in Proverbs 31 she served her household and her community exceptionally by volunteering for any available opportunity to serve the community.
She worked alongside my dad in many communities and villages where my father was active as a clergyman and her objective was always to present herself as a true disciple of Christ working tirelessly among the less privileged and adopting those villages as her own. She understood the power as prayer as described in Luke 18 and she was known as a tireless prayer warrior.
When her husband eventually exchanged this mortal life in 2010 for an eternal one with his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, she moved to Charlotte, North Carolina to live with her son and there she remained for eight years until 2018 when she too exchanged this temporary, mortal existence for an everlasting one.
We are proud to say our father was the Evangelist Reverend Felix Olawuyi Olusa, a man well known and deeply loved by all who were privileged to know him during his lifetime. Father himself was born in 1943 to wonderful parents, Awosola Olusa and Mama Abigail Olusa. He was always a man with a genuine passion for education not just at school level but also at the deeper spiritual level as many people will be able to affirm.
He was a student of St John/Mary Teachers Training college in Owo where he also further distinguished himself by been elected as president of the student government. He also attended the university of Ibadan eventually obtaining a bachelors in Geography. Even as a young man he had a passion for important issues such as civil and social justice and this definitely played a role in his election as the President of the faculty student association on campus. However, he was not satisfied with worldly success, he also had a burning passion to obey the commission of Jesus Christ to win souls for the heavenly kingdom. He was actually a founding member of an evangelical movement known as Gospel Trumpet Crusaders. They were actively engaged in the printing of gospel tracts and also spreading the gospel across the African continent. They regularly visited the remotest corners of the African continent seeking to reach those who were lost and in need of salvation.
During his tenure as a high school teacher his primary subject was Geography and during an illustrious career spanning 34 years, thousands of students passed through his classroom. He was a student of the Emmanuel Theological seminary and later became the Diocesan Evangelist for Akoko Diocese of the Anglican Church, Nigeria. He diligently preached the gospel of Christ in that diocese and brought revival to many hungry hearts.
Like a true teacher he avoided over complicated doctrines, remaining rather with the practical, compassionate message which Jesus Himself favored during His earthly ministry. However, true Christianity is more than a message of hope, it is a dedicated way of living and thereforehis ministry involved the distribution of food and clothing and a wide variety of things which were useful to needy people. Just like Paul the noted apostle, he committed his teachings to paper ensuring that people will be blessed long after his parting. He is widely acknowledged as a gifted author of Christian literature.
For many, unceasing travels can become burdensome but father was driven by his passion for soul winning and he never tired of travelling when there was a viable opportunity of spreading the message of the kingdom of Jesus Christ. His favorite destination was some distant rural area where he could go to deliver a message of hope to everyone who came to listen to the Word of God. We as children was privileged to have these dedicated servants of Christ as our parents and we will continue to thank the Lord for their input in our lives.
