IN LOVING MEMORY OF MY FATHER
RICHARD KOFITSE SEGBEDZI A.K.A. MAY
1935 – 1981 | 45th Anniversary of His Passing
Papa, Forty-Five Years Later
Papa,
It has been forty-five years since you left us, yet somehow, your presence still feels so close to me. Forty-five years have passed, but the memories of you have never faded. Time may have moved on, but it has never erased the place you occupy in my heart.
I still think about you, about the man you were, the life you lived, the dreams you carried, and the legacy you left behind.
Though so many years have passed since that painful day in 1981, there are moments when it still feels as though you are only a heartbeat away.
More Than a Father
Papa, you were more than just a father to me.
You were a pillar of strength, a source of hope, and a symbol of unity to the people around you. You believed in bringing people together. You wanted people to discover their potential, believe in themselves, and become better versions of who they could be.
You had a heart for people, and your dream was bigger than yourself. You wanted to make a difference in the lives of others.
Sadly, your journey on this earth was cut short at the age of just forty-six.
You had so much more to give. So many more dreams to pursue. So many more lives to touch.
A Life Cut Short, But Not a Legacy
Sometimes I wonder what you would have accomplished if you had been given more time.
What more would you have built?
How many more people would you have helped?
How many more lives would you have touched?
How many more memories would we have created together?
Those questions will perhaps remain unanswered.
But one thing is certain: although your life was short, your impact was great.
Your years on earth may have been limited, but the legacy you left behind continues to speak for you.
The Father I Wish I Had More Time With
Papa, I wish I had been given more years with you.
I wish I could have sat beside you and listened to your stories. I wish I could have asked you questions about life, about your dreams, your struggles, and the lessons you learned along the way.
I wish I could have simply enjoyed the blessing of having my father around.
There are so many things a son wishes he could say to his father when the years are taken away too soon.
But life did not give me that opportunity.
Instead, I have the memories. I have the stories. I have the values you stood for. And I have the responsibility of carrying your legacy forward.
The Space You Left Behind
Papa, the vacuum you left behind has never truly been filled.
Your place remains your place.
People have come and gone. Generations have changed. Forty-five years have passed. The world itself has changed in countless ways.
Yet nobody has ever been able to take the place you hold in my heart.
A father is not replaceable.
And you, Papa, are not forgotten.
Your Legacy Lives On
You were the Founder and C.E.O. of May Construction Limited, but your greatest legacy cannot be measured only by the company you established or the structures you helped create.
Your greatest legacy is found in the people whose lives you touched, the values you represented, the dreams you inspired, and the example you left behind.
Buildings may stand as monuments to a person’s work, but the lives changed by that person’s humanity are monuments that time cannot easily destroy.
Your legacy lives on.
A Son’s Promise
As your son, I am deeply proud to carry your name.
I am proud to remember where I came from and to honour the man who gave me the gift of life.
I may not have had the privilege of knowing you for as many years as I would have wished, but I have spent a lifetime carrying your memory.
In my own little way, I hope to uphold the values, humanity, courage, and sense of purpose that defined you.
And I hope that, wherever your soul may be, you can look down with pride and know that your son remembers you.
You Will Never Be Forgotten
Papa, forty-five years later, I still miss you.
I still remember you.
I still speak of you.
And I always will.
Because a man who touched so many lives deserves to be remembered. A father whose life was taken too soon deserves to be honoured. And a legacy built on humanity, strength, hope, and unity deserves to live on through the generations.
Death may have taken you from this world, but it could never take you from my heart.
My Final Prayer for You
As we mark the 45th anniversary of your passing, I pray that the Almighty God continues to grant your soul eternal rest.
May the Lord preserve your memory and let the light of your life continue to shine through those you left behind.
May the legacy you began continue to inspire us.
And may we always remember the remarkable man you were.
Richard Kofitse Segbedzi A.K.A. May
Born: 1935 | Died: 1981
Founder & C.E.O., May Construction Limited
Rest Peacefully, Papa
You may have left this world forty-five years ago, but you have never left my heart.
Your memory lives within me.
Your legacy lives among us.
Your name lives on.
And your son will always remember you.
Rest peacefully, Papa.
You are loved.
You are missed.
You are remembered.
You will never be forgotten.
With eternal love and remembrance,
I am your son,
Elliot Awuku (Semekor)
