Olajide Adedokun Koleoso passed away peacefully in his sleep and with family by his side on August 31, 2018, at the age of 82. He rejoins his parents, Florence Olayonu Adeniyi and Emmanuel Olafa Koleoso; brother Olatunji; and sister Mojisola, in Eternity.
Olajide will be deeply missed by his wife of over 50 years, Elaine (née Childs); children Catherine Smith (Ola), Bruce Koleoso (Mara) and Anthony Koleoso; grandchildren Joshua, Myles, Philip and Stephan; sisters Omotunde Odueko, Oyinlola Falade, Modupeola Olufukunbi, Adetola Awomolo, Kofoworola Jagboro, and Olaitan Akinola; brothers Ayodeji Koleoso, Ajibade Koleoso, Mobolaji Koleoso, Bayonle Koleoso and Aderemi Koleoso.
Dr. Olajide Koleoso was a very proud, loyal and dedicated Nigerian who worked tirelessly to improve the lives of his fellow country men and women. His optimism that Nigeria could be great never failed. He readily helped anyone who called on him for help or advice. He also took his position as head of the family seriously and often counselled younger members.
In 1970, after completing his PhD in Saskatoon, Canada, he returned to Nigeria, with his young family, ‘to help develop his country’. He obtained an appointment at the Federal Institute of Industrial Research, Oshodi where he rose from Senior Research Officer in 1970 to Director General in 1985. He retired in 1990. In 1999, after his parents had passed on, he returned to Canada to be near his children.
During his time at FIIRO he worked on projects to expand the market for local raw materials, to improve the shelf life of local foods and drinks, to substitute local grains for imported ones and to develop small scale technology to process local foods more hygienically. Most of these products and technologies are still in use today. Cocoa butter skin cream, soy-ogi, bottled palm wine which is market all over the world, and beer made from sorghum rather than barley are just a few.
Mr. FIIRO, as he was called by journalists, will be greatly missed by all.
A visitation for Dr. Koleoso will be held on Thursday, September 6, 2018 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Giffen-Mack Funeral Home at 4115 Lawrence Ave. E. in Scarborough. A funeral service will be held the following day, Friday September 7, 2018 at the Church of the Nativity at 11 a.m., with a viewing prior at 10 a.m. at the Church of the Nativity at 10 Sewell Rd. in Scarborough. Interment to follow at St. Margaret's Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Olajide’s memory to the Rouge Valley Health System Foundation (also known as Scarborough Hospital and Rouge Foundation) at https://srhfoundation.ca/ways-to-give/gifts-in-memory/
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