Sir Christopher Kolade (1932 – 2025) at his knighting (Nov/Dec 2024)
A Life of Integrity and Love
Sir Dr. Christopher Olusola Nathaniel Kolade was more than family to me. My children called him Grandpa CK. He was my cousin by blood and my father’s contemporary, and he became an uncle in spirit and a grandfather by love.
Grandpa CK lived a life that inspired everyone who knew him. He was known across Nigeria and beyond for his unwavering integrity, tireless work ethic, and commitment to excellence. He loved God deeply and lived by Biblical principles wherever he went. To me, just as he was to many, he was a father figure, teacher, mentor, coach, and faithful cheerleader.
The Man Behind the Legend
Like all of us, Grandpa CK was human. However, he held himself to impossibly high standards of morality. This was what ultimately kept him from writing his biography, although he authored several other books. Many tried but failed to persuade him. He once told me he could not write his life story without telling the whole truth and he did not want to highlight anything that wasn’t praiseworthy. Whereas these reasons reflected his noble character, I believe it was a missed opportunity.
While many people admired his virtues, most assumed they could never attain such heights of virtue themselves. This was something that he found concerning and in his final years, he spent hours strategizing with groups that wanted to celebrate his virtues about how to bridge the gap between admiration and inspiration. A biography would have helped. By showing his humanity, he would have been even more relatable; his standards would have appeared more achievable by others who were inspired by his life to practice the virtues he exemplified. A biography would have revealed a man just like us; someone who, by God’s grace, accomplished remarkable things despite his imperfections.
As Scripture reminds us, “this treasure is stored in earthen vessels” – 2 Corinthians 4:7. Sir Christopher Kolade was a specially loved son of God, fearfully and wonderfully made to display God’s love, mercy, and grace to many generations.
Cherished Memories
I will miss his wisdom, his wit, his passion for service, and his love for people. I already miss our weekly Friday calls at 11 a.m. and our bi-monthly visits. His voice was always just a phone call away.
When my family moved back to Lagos in 2019, we had the gift of spending more time together. Our relationship deepened and grew richer. I will always treasure his words to me: “Do you know what I am grateful to God for, dearest Ronke? I am grateful that we are as we are: you and I.”
His love for me was healing, redemptive, and unconditional. It remained steady even when I disappointed him. He had this gift of making everyone feel special, seen, and supported. He was firm in his guidance, consistent in his love, and unwavering in his faith in God.
The Final Days
His last words to me came on Sunday, October 5th, around 5 p.m. I had spent four hours with him, during which he mostly slept. As I prepared to leave, I kissed his forehead and said, “I commit you into the love of God. I love you, Uncle.”
He whispered back, “I love you too.”
The next day, Monday, October 6th, I visited again. I read him Romans 8:38-39: “For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
On Wednesday, October 8th, I visited with my cousin Pastor Dayo Obaweya. With Auntie Beatrice present and Pastor Femi Obaweya on conference call, we prayed for him and anointed him with oil. At around 7.00pm, I received the call from his nephew Dr. Dayo Aladegbaiye informing me that Sir Christopher Kolade passed away peacefully a few hours after we left.
A Legacy of Integrity
One of the greatest lessons he left behind came in a message he sent me on January 10, 2025. It summarized his life’s beliefs:
INTEGRITY – The 5-Principle Approach
As a person of integrity, I choose:
- To do only what I know or believe to be right
- To do it every time, being consistent even when it’s inconvenient
- To stand by what I believe, even if no one else is standing with me
- To be ready to pay the price if it’s the cost of doing the right thing
- To have the stamina to do right always, not wavering in my determination
— Sir C. O. N. Kolade
Faith Until the End
Sir Christopher’s stature as a giant of faith grew even larger in my eyes after his passing when I discovered that he held onto his faith in and obedience to God until the very end. He stood courageously by his covenant against the odds and the tremendous societal pressures he faced to disavow it.
Heaven is mindful of his standing and I am comforted knowing I will see him again when we are reunited in eternity.
In Loving Memory
Sir Christopher Kolade (28 December, 1932 to 08 October, 2025) is survived by Nancy Kolade – wife of his youth and mother of his late sons Akin and Femi; Beatrice – the loving companion of his latter years and step-daughters Yvonne and Michelle with their families. adopted sons and daughters from all walks of life, the Kolade family of Erin-Oke, Osun State, the Obaweya family of Igede-Ekiti, Ekiti State, loved ones, and admirers from the church, community, academia and corporate world.
Rest in peace, Grandpa CK. You were sculpted by grace and crafted with mercy. Your legacy of integrity, love, and faith will continue to inspire us all.
This is a tribute based on my personal opinion and experience with Dr. Kolade. It is not a statement on behalf of the family or any of the groups that represent Sir Christopher Kolade
