Janet Ononye

Dear Family and Friends,

We are very sad to announce Janet Nchekwube Ononye (“Grandma”) went to be with Jesus on December 20, 2020 in Claremont, California at the age of 88 years.

Janet Ononye was born in Ogwashiuku, Nigeria on June 10, 1932 to Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Abuah as the eldest of nine children. After completing Standard 3 (high-school equivalent) in Sapele, she became a Grade 2 Teacher. In 1952, she married Mr. Vincent Chukwuma Ononye and they had four children together. Her first two children died in infancy of sickle cell anemia, but her third child Maureen Ojukwu and her fourth child Uchenna Ononye survived. After the conclusion of Nigerian Civil War, her husband lost his business, and Janet responded by starting her own businesses to keep the family afloat while her husband financially recovered. Janet’s husband passed away June 1st, 1983. Four years later, Janet moved to the United States to help raise four of her grandchildren (Nkiruka, Onyekwere, Ifeanyi and Chukwuma) and became a foundational piece of her daughter’s household. Janet’s youngest son, Uchenna, passed away on August 31, 1997. She spent her time traveling between her daughter’s home in California and her home in Onitsha where she lived with her niece, Jojo. When in Onitsha she would spend time with her grandchildren: Tochukwu, Bosa and Chizoba. In addition to "Grandma," Janet was also known as “Mama Jo”, a nickname given to her due to her close relationship with Jojo. In 2013, Janet moved to Houston to help raise two of her great-grandchildren, Asher and Annabelle, and in 2018 she moved back to California.

While Janet was known for being a gentle but powerful presence in the Ojukwu household and having a large hand in helping to raise her grandchildren, perhaps her greatest legacy was being a grandma to her broader communities in Onitsha and California. Throughout her life she demonstrated the ultimate servant’s heart through cooking, cleaning, caring and visiting a community of people that she built and constantly expanded. She helped to watch and raise children that were not her own, and she often spent hours every month preparing meals for people outside of her house. She was generous with her time and money with anyone that would ask. Her personality was paradoxical in being both a quiet and gregarious person. She was her happiest in spaces filled with people and activity, but never wanted to be the center of attention. Whether in Onitsha or in California, wherever she called home was a place where you felt the love of God and where she attracted people that were once strangers, but were now adopted as family.

Janet is survived by her daughter and son-in-law: Dr. & Mrs. Linus Ojukwu, her former daughter in law: Chinewe Lorliam; her siblings: Mrs. Chibuogu Ejor, Mr. Edward Abuah, Mrs. Rose Obiesie, Mr. Fidelis O. Abuah and Mr. Chukwuka P. Abuah plus all their spouses and children. Her grandchildren and spouses; Dr. & Dr. (Mrs.) Rhema Ehiemere, Mr. & Dr. (Mrs.) Onyekwere Ojukwu, Mr. & Dr. (Mrs.) Ifeanyi Ojukwu esq, Mr. Chukwuma Ojukwu, Miss Tochukwu Ononye esq & Mr Bosah Ononye and her great-grandchildren: Asher Ehiemere, Annabelle Ehiemere, Judah Ojukwu, Caleb Ojukwu and Abigail Ehiemere.