Robert Gang

Thank you for giving me the honor and privilege to care for you during your last days. I thank the lord for those last moments we spent together.

I had always been apprehensive about you disappearing while I was away from Cameroon but God kept and guarded you for me till I came home.

You called me Nabila i.e. “My mother has returned”. You treated me with great respect and went to great lengths to make sure I achieved the best thing any Dad could offer their kid; a good education, starting from the best school that existed at the time –QRC Okoyong. Thank you for letting me spend my birthday - December 23^rd with you, a week after I came home for holidays. This is not the time for writing. I know you are with Angels now.

Thank you again Papa for everything, and please, watch over us wherever you are.

Maggie Gang (Spouse) Engeh. (Daughter)

Oh! Our devoted darling dad is gone

He’s just dashed our hopes like a missing precious pearl.

Pa Gang, our icon for this century has gone leaving us with hopeless hopes.

Oh! Our canopy, baobab has finally fallen.

Pa Gang was our inspirational force.

He was God’s greatest gift to this family and century

Gracious God, it’s with glee that we thank thee for his blessed life.

Pa’s achievements are as numerous as the sand. Oh he was our mentor, pacesetter and preacher of peace. His last words at least this fact, ‘Let there be peace’. Our missing jewel was an encyclopedia of wisdom on how to live and even to die.

As an educator he transformed zillion of lifes.

 Oowoh! Oowoh! Oowoh! Oowoh! Oowoh! Oowoh! Oowoh!

Nyamcha! Nyamcha! Nyamcha!

Has gone to rest with God after a perfect job done on earth.

Pa Gang’s unfailing faith and reverence in God was manifested by his permanent allusion to God’s glory and greatness. We’ll always celebrate his life that is why his heroic transition was appointed by God on New Year’s day, First of January 2013.

I came to the GANG Family with a bit of apprehension as a new bride, of course from a different background and I wanted to know that formidable man who brought up two of my very intelligent classmates Maggie and Augustine. He could only be the stern and disciplined teacher I had had echoes of.

But you welcomed me with overwhelming love which has not ceased till today.

Right at the beginning, I saw traces of that person who brought up his ten children successfully.

We bonded especially because one day he noticed the way I knotted a rope and repaired a metal bucket. He asked me where I learnt those things and I told him I was a “scout”. Delightfully he said that he was one also.

As the years rolled by, He became softer and softer especially towards me. He will call me “Oowoh!” with a twinkle in his eye and tell me how happy he was to see me and ask me to come sit by him to share a glass of sweet Guinness.

The few times he stayed with us in our home in Yaounde, He never showed any impatience towards me, always so polite and tender.

At Dihga’s graduation as a medical doctor, last year 2011, he stole the show by his prowess on the dance floor. He was so strong and lithe for his age! A marvel!.

As I told my husband, Ni Augustine, he was the most handsome and the sweetest of all the GANGS.

Dear Papa, Muyuka will not be quite the same without you. You will be sorely missed.

Papa you brought up strong and capable children and your legacy will endure forever.

I will always cherish your memory, being blessed to have had a marvelous father-in-law.

May the Lord receive you in this loving hands

Your daughter-in-law 

TRIBUTE TO PATRIARCH PA GANG PASIGA Robert Theodolus

A long-racer, mentor and role-model you were. The question now is not how you exited the stage but where have you gone to? To God’s heavenly Kingdom should be the answer. Pa, I have fond memories of the life you lived. “NYANCHA’AH NI MBEB NCHU’ii” was the nickname you gave yourself several decades back. Now, you are really ripe for the “NCHA’AH and as you will be laid to rest in your native Bali Nyonga precisely in MUNUNG quarter on Saturday 19^th January 2013 you will always be remembered as the father, grandfather, great grandfather, husband, brother, uncle, teacher and friend who worked tirelessly to build a near perfect family of a universally positive reputation. This, initially, was made possible thanks to your high power of purpose and focus.

As a teacher, countless personalities who formed, earlier on the cream of Cameroon’s intellectuals, went through your hands during your tenure of office between 1942 and 1988 not forgetting that you yourself fell short of entering the 1939 pioneer class of Sasses College, as you went there later on in 1940 as student number 99 and left in 1941 due to financial shortcomings. You were very hard on your pupils because you wanted a very bright future for them. I remember fondly how you always told us; “spare the rod and spoil the child.” Those who went through your hands know what it means. Some parents who had recalcitrant children would come to you and say, teacher Robert, “I beg you, put eye for da ma piken, i don strong pass me”. Most often, you succeeded in achieving for such parents, very good results. With your own biological children who we are, it was even worse both at school and at home. There was a whip (molongo) at nearly every angle of the carabot house we had before. We paid the price and for that, we say thank you. It wasn’t a bad thing at all.

Pa, I cannot relate everything about you because it would take many volumes to do so. If I may add a little more, I would say that you were a man of high moral rectitude; you hated disgrace and being indebted to whosoever. You loved the church, your job, your wife and children and it is for this reason that the holy father Pope John Paul II imparted to you and your wife Cecilia Gang to you on, 1^st January, 1987 his apostolic blessing on the occasion of your 45^th year of service with the Catholic Mission and again on 1^st May, 1988 on the occasion of your 40^th wedding anniversary.

In my introduction, I called you a long-racer not because you were a race runner as such but that you lived for 91years. On the other hand, you were known to be a sprinter, a scout and a very good sportsman.

Pa, I know you will intercede for your family from heaven above and help keep us together as one person. Your last words were, “let there be peace, peace there must be.

Bye bye Papa. You’ll always remain fresh in our minds as we miss you physically. Go in the Lord.

Joseph Babila Gang (Son)

I always referred to you as my rock of ages because you were so strong. You were also so thoughtful, always looking after us. Above all, you were an educationalist, even in death; you gave me a last lesson, to never push to tomorrow what I can do today. I was to end my holiday in Cameroon the usual way, with a visit to Muyuka to see you. Little did I know that God had other plans for us. Farewell Grandpa, you’ll forever remain in our hearts.

- you were the pillar of this family; you lead this family from grass to Grace with the limited resources just like Moses lead the Israelite to the promise land. Today we are enjoying the fruit of your labor. You are a true servant of God and I know you have fulfilled that which the lord had sent you to do. You touched many lives not only that of your immediate family but all those who came your path. As a teacher, you raised many and our nation is blessed by you. I know you are now with the angels in heaven rejoicing over all your great achievement.  I remember your beautiful smile and you always calling me “my mother” and I was very proud to have a son like you. Your generosity to me as your “mother was always exceptional.  Thank you for your loving and endless kindness to us all. We are all blessed by the great foundation of peace, love and unity you set for us. We appreciate you and you will always be in our hearts.   Your memories will remain with us forever until we meet to part no more.  I will truly miss you. 

I remember years back when daddy took us to Muyuka, to come meet our grandparents. I was so delighted to know u then, as daddy had told us so many exciting stories of their childhood. I at once bonded with you. You were full of interesting stories and advice, I am proud to be your granddaughter. You were so full of energy and a great example of a hard working person, you were our standing rock. Well u lived to a great age, and God had better plans for you we will miss you, who will ask for Guinness and Coke? lol

BA GANG ROBERT THEODULUS PASIGA

God sent you to facilitate the evolution and development of our family. You came and with your limited resources you effectively accomplished your mission before your death. To God be the glory!!!

As a Christian builder and leader you laid a solid foundation for the family based on love, hard work, honesty, patience and forgiveness. We shall continue to build on it.

As an educationist, you preached the merits of good education to your pupils, brothers and children. The preaching has yielded wonderful results. Our family has a 100% literacy rate for male and female children;

For all your contributions to our family in particular, and Cameroon in general, we give glory to God, and entreat him to grant you a peaceful eternal rest.

ADIEU!!! ADIEU!!!

BA TADMANJI DOHNJI PAUL FORFUNG          

(FAMILY HEAD)

Papa, it is most astonishing to think that you have passed on. You gave me the pleasure and honor to spend the last Christmas with me in Kumba. I personally drove you back on the 26/12/12 - the day after Christmas. Three days later, you were declared sick and I was again by your side till your demise, on the 1^{st of} January 2013 at 6:20am.

I am happy to think that I did all what a son could do to keep a father alive. But there was no way to oppose God’s decision.

Papa, I thank you for bringing us all up in total simplicity and modesty, instilling in us love for one another. You leave with us your darling wife- our mother- whom we promise to take good care of.

Your sudden departure has left a big vacuum within the family, which cannot be refilled. But we are sure that you have run the full race, fought a good fight and now resting in the bosom of the Almighty. Greet Gladys, Dob, Daiga, and all the other family members who have gone ahead to rest in the Lord.

May the Lord forgive all your sins and admit you into his Kingdom, until we meet when it is our turn.

ADIEU PAPA

        You did it! Even though you were ninety, I never saw it coming. Not at this time. You have always been strong. I even thought you will be around at least ten more years.

        Thank you Papa for all you did for us. The care you provided was first class. Never did we sleep with an empty stomach. Never did our wounds go untreated. Never did you fail to seek medical care for us when we were sick.

        You even prepared food for us when mum was away. I remember the evenings you spent teaching me Arithmetic and English.

        You taught us how to stay out of trouble by being strict- a value I am also instilling in your grandkids (Lema, Duga and Gima).

        Papa, you were a trust worthy man. Your words could be taken to the bank. We would try to emulate you.

Go in peace Papa, go in peace. You did your job well and for that we will always remember you.

My Father-in-law Pa Gang was an exceptional man.

He was warm, loving, kind, attentive and caring. When I first met Pa Gang in 1975, I was marveled by the way a humble mission teacher had brought up 10 kids without any trace of stress in his demeanor. Pa Gang had brought up his children in discipline and had inculcated a sense of responsibility in his children. Pa Gang was so welcoming, hospitable and relaxed. In addition to that He was well organized and had a great capacity to listen.Pa Gang spoke with wisdom that portrayed the vast experience he had garnered over the years as a teacher. Pa Gang was hard working.

Out of the classroom, Pa Gang was a determined farmer who husbanded the yields from the farms to ensure abundance at home and fees for his beloved children and other dependents.

I cannot recall which of his curious children peeped into Pa Gang’s bank book once and swore never to take Pa Gang for granted. His faith was so strong in God. His inner strength was so powerful that he believed in his own abilities to attain goals. In the years I have known him, he has never solicited a favor, not out of pride but in simple acceptance of the grace god had given him.Pa Gang’s blessings were many: a caring wife, great and brilliant children, a robust bullish health and an imperturbable inner peace. When I met Pa Gang recently, he looked indestructible.News of his sudden malaise took everyone by surprise. It is now clear that Pa Gang had begun his journey home.

Today, we bemoan a loving father and husband who glowed with pride at the mention of his children he so cherished and of whom he was proud. Indeed Papa was a rare specie of goodness, decency and dignity and his life should be an example for mankind to emulate. Folks that knew Pa Gang are lucky to have a model to live up to.

Pa Gang may be gone but he lives on forever in our hearts.

Adieu Pa Gang.

Raymond Gwanyalla.

Son-In -Law