The East African Diaspora Media Watch (EADM)

By Samuel Muwanguzi

In Summary: The fallen Rotary International President elect, a gentleman per excellence and a man with an impeccable humanitarian service record, Samuel Frobisher Owori, made the work of his eulogists easier. No one had to make up anything to please the congregation because everything he did spoke for itself as it was done openly, fairly, and with the best of goodwill. As Sam Owori rests, the Rotary fraternity draws from the hope that although he is gone to be with his creator,  in essence, they are not running pell-mell. Rather, they are emboldened by what he stood and lived for, humanitarian service; a legacy and spirit that will burn even brighter than ever before.  So, when Rotarians from across the USA joined Ugandans living in Dallas to pay their tribute to the Rotary icon, Samuel Frobisher Owori, their work was clearly cut out.  His widow Norah Owori, son Bony Owori, and Sister Deborah Christie were at St. Vincent Cathedral in Bedford, Texas for the funeral service last Friday.

Dallas, Texas—Hundreds of Rotarians from across the United States joined Ugandans living in the Dallas Fort Worth (DFW) area and thronged St. Vincent Cathedral in Bedford on Friday to pay their last respects to the fallen President elect of Rotary International Samuel Frobisher Owori. He succumbed to cardiac arrest at the Medical City Hospital, Dallas, Texas last Friday July 14. The sudden death of the Rotary icon followed post-operative complication to remove a tumor from his left thigh on Tuesday July 11. He was on the cusp of assuming the highest office of Rotary International on July 1, 2018 following his inauguration during Rotary International convention in Toronto, Canada in June 2018.

The funeral service, led by Rev. John Sebalugga Kalimi, was preceded by viewing of the body at both the Bedford Memorial Funeral Home and at the Cathedral in the afternoon and evening respectively where Rotarians, relatives, and friends paid their last respects. The widow of the deceased, Mrs. Norah Owori, the second of her three sons, Bony Owori, the deceased’s sister Mrs. Deborah Christie and her two sons, grandchildren, relatives; Lydia Odaga from New York and others attended the funeral service. Ugandans living in the Dallas Fort Worth area and others from across the United States were joined by Rotarians from across the United States who either flew in or drove for hours to pay their last respects to the fallen champion of the global humanitarian organization.

The fallen Rotary International President elect, a gentleman per excellence and a man with an impeccable humanitarian service record, Samuel Frobisher Owori, made the work of his eulogists easier. No one had to make up anything to please the congregation because everything he did spoke for itself as it was done openly, fairly, and with the best of goodwill. As Sam Owori rests, the Rotary fraternity draws from the hope that although he is gone to be with his creator, in essence, they are not running pell-mell. Rather, they are emboldened by what he stood and lived for, humanitarian service; a legacy and spirit that will burn even brighter than ever before.  So, when Rotarians from across the USA joined Ugandans living in Dallas to pay their tribute to the Rotary icon, Samuel Frobisher Owori, their work was clearly cut out. 

From the Rotary International headquarters in Evanston near Chicago, Illinois, incumbent President Ian Riseley sent Rotarian John Smarge, an Aide to the fallen President elect Sam Owori to represent him at the funeral service. Other Rotarians at the funeral service included among others, Past Rotary International President (PPRI) Ron D. Burton (2013-14); Rotarian Donald L. Mebus, Aide to RI President Ian Riseley (2017-18); Rotarians Bill Slicker and Pam Carvey of the Park Cities Rotary Club in Dallas; the youthful Rotarian Grace Pulkol Adams, originally from Uganda who drove over 5 hours from Midland, Texas; and Rotarian Joseph L. Way Sr., President of one of the Rotary clubs in Arlington.

While eulogizing her husband, the widow, Mrs. Owori, who was overwhelmed by emotion, could only afford a few sentences: “I am sad but happy,” she said while fighting back tears.  “Sam has gone but the family is there. He was a true reflection of love and has left love behind,” she said before introducing a close family friend from Ghana she described as ‘a brother’ to pick-up where she had stopped. Peter Ocran, a close friend of the Owori family who flew in from Accra Ghana for the funeral service said that “Sam was a dear brother who invited and introduced me to Rotary way back in 1984 when I lived in Uganda,” he told the congregation. Rotarian Ocran said that Sam was a very close, good, and reliable friend with whom they shared unforgettable and binding events since they met in 1984. “During the Rotary convention in Atlanta, I tried for three days but I was not able to meet Sam because he was so busy. We exchanged mails and we agreed that we would meet either in Toronto or Tororo,” he recalled. “I promised that, come what may, I will be there; either Tororo or Toronto, I will be there.  But now, there is no Toronto but Tororo,” he said with a degree of fatal resignation in his voice.

Rotary International President Ian Riseley sent a message of condolence to the widow Norah Owori and the family and prayed that God gives them strength during this time of loss. In a message delivered by Rotarian John Smarge, he assured Norah, the family, Rotarians across the world, and friends of Rotary that the humanitarian service organization will establish a memorial fund to implement programs the fallen Rotary President elect Sam Owori was so passionate about. Rotarian John Smarge, who was serving as the aide to the late Sam Owori, appeared weighed down with emotions as he eulogized a man he had started working with so closely. But he, gradually standing his ground, said that Sam, who was to start his term on July 1, 2018, “embodied the best of humanity as a championed of the campaign against Polio around the world.” He said that “since the RI President met and later served with Sam, he admired his diligence, humility, and an infectious smile,” the aide de camp to the fallen Rotary icon said on behalf of President Ian Riseley.

Mr. Joseph Baliddawa, President of the Institute of Corporate Governance where Mr. Owori was working as the CEO saluted is fallen colleague and friend by describing him as a man who was always ready to volunteer his expertise to enhance the professionalism of others. “Since Sam was appointed CEO in 2008, he has trained over 500 trainers of trainers including directors on various boards and business executives in corporate governance throughout East Africa,” he said, adding, “He provided all this training on a voluntary basis.” Mr. Joseph Baliddawa, who was in California when the news reached him about the sudden death of his colleague, told the mourners that he had come to the USA to attend a conference of the Lions in Chicago but had made prior arrangements to have a business meeting with Sam in Dallas after the surgery. “Our plans never came to pass,” he lamented. Mr. Joseph Baliddawa, who described Sam Owori as a champion of corporate governance in Africa, said his fallen colleague was a widely respected professional and Rotarian whose leadership and service record are values that must be emulated. “As a President of Rotary International, Sam was going to fly the Ugandan flag very high and for that matter, all of us must do whatever we can to actualize his aspirations he had for Uganda, Africa, and the entire world through Rotary,” the corporate governance guru urged.

Rev. John Sebalugga Kalimi of St. Vincent Cathedral, highlighted, in his sermon, the parallels between Christianity and Rotary: “A Rotarian is a humanitarian who is guided by principles that reflect those that inspire a Christian; engaging in acts of winning the lost and marginalized; serving the greater good; letting love win hate; and serving others above self,” he said as he mapped the intersections of Christianity and Rotary for the congregation. Rev. Kalimi said that as a devoted humanitarian, Samuel Owori lived and practiced his Christian faith as a Rotarian. “He touched people; provided for the forgotten in society; built wells of clean and safe water to people drinking disease-infested water; and availed medical services to ensure that the poor could access treatment; and most especially, promoted and implemented the polio immunization campaign in Uganda and contributed to the eradication of the debilitating disease from the country by the turn of the Century,” he said.

Rev. Kalimi told the congregation which filled the Cathedral that he had received several messages from Uganda which refer to Sam Owori as a 'saint among us'; someone who treated everybody fairly; accessible enough so nobody was too low to have audience with him; and only sought leadership positions to serve a common purpose not for fame,” he revealed to the attentive congregants.  The clergyman observed that based on his record, it is possible that Sam would have won any political office if he ever wanted to join politics but he chose to serve for purpose not fame. “Because Sam’s demise leaves a hole which must be filled, I call upon all of us here this evening to become Rotarians and fight for the greater good as he did,” he urged, adding, “As Rotarians after Owori’s spirit, we should collectively engage in efforts to change adverse conditions for the betterment of humanity.”

Rev. Kalimi challenged his listeners, especially those from developing countries to join the campaign to fight corruption because it condemns the poor to live neglected lives with no hope for a better tomorrow. “It is not fair for children to continue drinking dirty water, study in squalid conditions; shacks for classrooms and often under tree shades,” he admonished. “Let us honor this fallen humanitarian hero by aspiring to serve the greater good,” the cleric said. Rev. John Kalimi thanked Mrs. Norah Owori for faithfully standing by her husband as a loving and supportive wife for almost 40 years. “I would like to commend Mama Nora Owori for being a faithful servant of God; a loving wife and a reliable co-worker with your husband; thank you for keeping your vows,” the prelate said.

The service was punctuated with traditional Christian Hymns widely sang across the Anglican communion and the Church of Uganda in particular; with the popular song, Tukutendereza, a Christian revival song that swept through the East African region in the 1920s as the high climax. To underpin their strong Anglican inclination, the family of the late Sam Owori chose the hymns that were sang during the funeral service. In addition to the hymns, Rev. Joseph Kamugisha and his wife Mrs. Naomi Kamugisha lent their voices to the praise songs with a rendition of the popular Psalm 23 in Luganda.

Later, the EADM caught up with some of the congregants who had flown to Dallas to honor their colleague, friend, mentor, and role model. Past Rotary International President (PPRI) Ron D. Burton, 2013-14 who flew in for the service told the EADM that he was planning to come to Uganda to discuss programs with Sam Owori that would benefit the continent. “Sam and I were elected Governors of our respective Rotary Districts in 1987-88 and that class of governors selected me as their leader. He is my peer and I will do everything possible to ensure that what he was planning to do as President during his term is done,” he pledged.

Rotarian Donald L. Mebus, an Aide to Rotary International President 2017-18 said the only way to pay meaningful tribute to Sam Owori is to double down on efforts to contribute towards transforming human life. “As a Rotarian, Sam aspired to cause positive change in human life and we are challenged to consolidate his gains and increase the time and energy on programs that improve human lives,” he said. “Come join Rotary and we ensure that this transformation takes place,” he said.

Rotarians from the Park Cities Rotary Club in Dallas were perhaps the most overwhelmed by the sudden turn of events in the life of Rotarian Sam Owori.  Rotary International President elect (RIPE) Sam Owori and his wife Norah Owori had a week earlier met with members of the club during the July 4th independence celebrations. And, three days later, on July 7, 2017 the couple met the members of the club again. “We just could not believe it when we had the news that RIPE Sam Owori had passed on July 14, seven days after we had met him,” Rotarian Pam Carvey, a member of the Park Cities Rotary Club in Dallas told the EADM. She came to the funeral service with several of her club members including Rotarian Bill Slicker.

The youthful Rotarian Grace Pulkol Adams, originally from Uganda who drove over 5 hours from Midland, Texas to attend the funeral service was grieving and celebrating at the same time. “I am giving because I have lost a role model. I looked up to him for inspiration and as a young Rotarian; I have lost a trail blazer. But I am also celebrating his life because he lived it for a purpose that benefitted millions of people around the world. I intend to follow his footsteps,” she vowed. A daughter of Mr. David Pulkol, the former Deputy Minister for Education and former Director General of the External Organization (ESO), Grace, now happily married here in Texas told the EADM that she is poised to become the new President of her local Rotary Club in Midland next year. “You are invited to celebrate with me as I assume the mantle of this noble service,” she told a group of Ugandans who gathered outside the cathedral after the funeral service.

Rotarian Joseph Way, President of one of the Rotary clubs in Arlington, Texas, said Rotary had lost a charismatic leader who inspired people from across the world to serve for the good of humanity. He said that his now committed more than ever before to take Rotary where it is needed most as the departed Rotary luminary did throughout his career and as he had planned to do during his term of office. “We invite you to join Rotary if you have not joined. Now is the time to join to honor and immortalize the legacy of our fallen hero,” he said.

The remains of Samuel Owori were repatriated to Uganda on Saturday July 22 and arrived Tuesday. The late Sam Owori will be accorded a state funeral. Past District Governor-PDG Stephen Mwanje was appointed by incumbent Governor of District 9211 Ken Mugisha to chair the burial committee to send off the fallen Rotary icon. Mwanje is deputized by Rotarian Fred Kamya, the president of Rotary Club of Kampala, the home club of the late Sam Owori. The family of the late Sam Owori appointed Prof Charles Olweny of Martyrs University Nkozi as their spokesperson.