Solomon Adeoye Banjo

Solomon Adeoye Banjo was born in Lagos, Nigeria on September 21, 1989, the son of George Adeboyega Banjo and Jane Aichi Keenja Banjo. From the start, he was a child of many cultures, inheriting tribal affiliations from the Chaga of Tanzania and the Yoruba of Nigeria. He moved to Zimbabwe in 1996 and the United States in 2003. Upon arrival to any new place, he set about befriending almost everyone he came across. He attended St. Stephen’s and St. Agnes’ School and the University of Virginia, graduating in 2012 with bachelor’s degree in history and in 2013 with a Master of Public Policy. During his time in the professional world of healthcare research and consulting, he was a dedicated, kind, and skilled colleague, and a gifted speaker.

It would be easy to write thousands of words about the incredible person Solomon was. Perhaps, though, his life can be summed up with the following: While it is common to claim that the dead were ‘the best,’ Solomon actually was. The light of any room he walked into, Solomon had an uncanny gift for listening, laughing, and making everyone feel understood and loved. He relished a challenge, whether athletic, professional, or personal, becoming a committed cyclist and completing several 100-mile races. Open to new experiences, he would try anything at least once (including skiing).

He was the best company, bright and well-traveled, with an incredible dry wit. He could quote Shakespeare, Thucydides, and Tropic Thunder with equal levels of fluency. He had a brilliant quip to make in every situation. He seemed to fit in any town, with any group. He called his brothers and father every week, and always had time for his friends’ stories. He adored his many nieces and nephews, and the feeling was mutual. Whether you needed a shoulder to lean on, someone to kick a soccer ball, or a best man, Solomon was there. His definition of family was expansive and inclusive. In all his relationships, Solomon practiced the kind of unconditional acceptance and joy that made others want to be more like him.

He met his wife Kathryn while studying at UVA, and over the course of several years, a close friendship blossomed into a lifelong partnership. Together, they built a life in the mountains of Virginia that he was so proud to call home. With Kathryn, Solomon spent his days caring for a growing group of beloved animals on their small farm, traveling the world, running the dance floor at weddings, visiting loved ones, reading good books, watching professional cycling, going to horse shows, and building a bond of love that was exceptionally ordinary yet also the stuff of fairy tales.

Solomon was a victim of the epidemic of gun violence that plagues America, and while he wouldn’t want his loved ones to dwell on how his life ended, he also wouldn’t want it forgotten. If someone else’s life could be saved through action, Solomon was interested in taking that action. He leaves that legacy in the trust of his closest family and friends, including his wife, Kathryn, his father George, his brothers, Martin and Dayo Banjo, Luke and Michael Babineau, and Michael Dominguez, sisters Stephanie and Maggie, his stepmother Aderemi, his in-laws Terri, Darren, Jon and Beth, and his nieces and nephews. He can rest easy knowing that they, and countless other friends and family, will carry him with them always.