This archive report was first published on 24 August 2019.
John De Mathew, the renowned Benga maestro singer, was laid to rest at Githambia Primary School in Gatanga constituency on a day filled with tributes and heartfelt condolences.
His children took to the stage to pay a moving tribute to their beloved father, reminiscing about the countless memories they shared with him.
“Dads are someone to look up to, someone to follow, someone to admire, someone to be proud of and someone to brag about, someone to hold, someone to learn from and someone to respect, someone to listen to and someone to talk to, someone to try and impress and, someone, most of all, with whom to share everything this wonderful life has to offer,” they said in a touching eulogy.
They went on to express their gratitude for the incredible life their father had given them, celebrating his unwavering dedication, love, and support. “We are incredibly grateful and happy that we can stand here today and tell you that we have had all this and much, much more with our Dad,” they said.
They also thanked their father for providing them with a sense of physical safety and emotional security, and for showing them what it means to be a good man, a great musician, an extraordinary husband, and an outstanding father.
“To say we loved my Dad would be an understatement – and to say we are going to miss him would be an even greater understatement,” they said, their voices filled with emotion.
