Nollywood star actor, Francis Duru and his siblings have concluded arrangements for the burial of their late father, Chief Theophilus Ogide Duru.
According to the burial programme, the final rites of the late Duru patriarch, will commence with a wake keep on Friday April 28, 2022, at the Ogide’s compound, Okai Eziama in Isiala Mbano Local Government area of Imo State.
Late Pa Ogide’s remains will be committed to mother earth at his compound after a church service on April 29, 2022.
Popularly called Chief T.O.S Duru, Pa Duru was born in the early 30’s to Ogide Nkwuribe and Ejiatu Ogide of blessed memory from Okai Eziama in Isiala Mbano. He was the second of three children, with Emilia the eldest sister and Jacinta the younger sister.
He attended the prestigious St Paul’s Primary School, Anara, Mbano.
‘Ibokwe’ as he was well known, sojourned to the Cameroons during the civil war in search of greener pastures and search for safety from the bullets of the civil war.
He lived in the Cameroons till the war ended in Nigeria. He married his heartthrob who joined him from Nigeria. The marriage produced 10 children. Although one child died, the rest-five girls and four boys are all alive, with grand children and great grand children.
He believed so much in education and did all within his power to see that the children grabbed modern education in far away Bamenda in Cameroon.
Pa Theo was spiritually inclined and was an avowed devotee of the Catholic fate and made sure all of his children went through that tutelage of Catholic doctrine.
He was a great entrepreneur and was the CEO of Travelers Welfare in Bamenda. His expertise as a caterer who had great skills in the art of business of restauranting was unparalleled, a business him and his wife catered for their 9 children in Cameroon.
He was a patriotic Nigerian and was very proactive as a member of the Nigerian Union where he served in different portfolios of responsibilities, including-publicity secretary and chairman organizing committee.
Fondly called Upayo- Onyenna by close family, Pa Theophilus Ogide Duru. died at 89 in September 2021.
