IN KENYA, Goans were blessed with many superstars. The late Olivia Ignatia Martha Theresa Fernandes (wife of the late Sennen Nazareth) was born into a family of superstars, of which she was the guiding light. Leandro (Nairobi Heroes) and Alex (Nairobi Heroes and Kenya) were both household soccer superstars, the late Alba (Collegians) and Bertha (GI Nairobi, Kenya and other clubs) were both stunning hockey stars, and Marjorie had many gold stars to show for her own skills. Olivia will always be remembered as being among the first to reach for the sky in many ways. This was the family of one of the greatest achievers in colonial East Africa. Goans in East Africa excelled even when the colour bar threatened to stop them in their stride. Olivia allowed nothing to stop her on her mission to succeed.
Olivia worked for BOAC as a cashier. I will always remember her as a vibrant, always with a big smile, she was always one of the great women of our time in Kenya> (Cyprian Fernandes)
Olivia Ignatia Martha Theresa Nazareth, Wife of Late Sennen Nazareth, sister to (Late) Leandro Fernandes, Alex Fernandes, (Late) Alba Mendonca, Bertha Fernandes and Marjorie Fernandes.
Mum, Grandma Olivia, Mummy Olive, Olly, Olivia – meant so much to so many people! Thank you all for being here today to honour the life of my Grandma Olivia and share memories about the ways she touched our lives.
Beautiful, kind, elegant, independent, loving – just some of the words people have used to describe Olivia. I’d like to share with you a little more about her... Olivia was born on 3 October 1931 to Angelina and Joseph Sebastian Fernandes. The story goes that my great grandfather Joseph was out at work and Angelina was at home, heavily pregnant. This was in a remote village in Kenya called Makindu, where my great grandfather was working on the railways. You may have heard of the “Man Eaters of Tsavo”(?) – well, Great Grandma Angelina was out on the veranda and saw a lion approaching... Neighbours heard her scream and next thing you know, Olivia was born!
When we heard the story, we nick named her Lion Lady! And indeed she was strong & courageous. As the railway progressed from the coast at Mombasa to the shores of Lake Victoria, so the family moved from place to place. Olivia delighted in telling us the story of when she and her brother Leandro were playing hide and seek in Tororo, he hid under the bed and found his father’s stash of whiskey. He called out to Olivia and together they helped themselves to it, making them both very sick, but blaming each other for the deed! I expect they must have been punished for this, but latterly Olivia found this story amusing The time spent in Tororo must have been very happy. Since Covid, Olivia had been looked after by live-in carers, all lovely ladies from Uganda, and despite her dementia she enjoyed talking to them about her childhood in Tororo. They too enjoyed their conversations, sometimes in Swahili – a language she had not used for nearly 50 years, but spoke with some fluency. A special thanks to Olivia’s carers – for them, caring was not just a job; they did it with such love, even pampering her with manicures, hair colouring and all sorts– they are family.
Olivia attended the Catholic Parochial School in Nairobi. The school was run by Loreto nuns some of whom were still teaching when Olivia’s children attended the school. One of her favourite teachers was Miss Rita; and it just so happens that Rita’s children went to school with Olivia’s children so the friendship lasted and so did the children’s. Truly a friend for life.
When Olivia left school, her first job was as an assistant health visitor. Whilst there, she worked with a lady called Jenna. They too forged a life-long friendship. After Kenya became independent, Jenna and her family moved to Canada. A few years ago, Olivia visited Jenna, but by then Jenna was hard of hearing and needed things written down; and Olivia was suffering from carpel tunnel syndrome so couldn’t write much! They just looked at each other and smiled – a smile we will always remember.
When Olivia was just sixteen, her father was diagnosed with terminal cancer. His dying wish was to see at least his eldest daughter married, so the family travelled to Bombay (now Mumbai) where a marriage was arranged with John Sennen Nazareth. He was nearly twice her age, but he knew that this young lady was special and he would love and cherish her forever. They learned to love each other - Dolores, Carmen, Rosemarie and Peter will all tell you about their very happy childhood in Kenya. (They moved back to Kenya as Olivia was missing her mother, Angelina). Like many married couples, they were forever bickering but when it came to things that mattered, they were solid. When Olivia was suffering with dementia, she had “forgotten” that Sennen had passed away and she worried that he had not eaten or dressed properly etc. We can all learn from such love and devotion. I don’t think it is coincidence that she passed away on their wedding anniversary.
Olivia was ahead of her time. It was quite unusual for married women to go out to work in the 1950s. Despite having children, she landed a very glamorous job with East African Airways, allowing her to travel the world. Here Grandma also brushed shoulders with Clark Gable, Ava Gardner and Grace Kelly who were filming “Mogambo” in Kenya - so we are told. It’s not surprising that my dad, Peter, loves cars and driving. He gets that from Olivia, who used to put him on her lap – no seatbelts in those days – and drive all over the place! I think he learnt how to steer a car before he could walk!
Of course, she never forgave him for “taking her car away” shortly after she was diagnosed with dementia, however this was after having two accidents within about 2 months of each other. In the second accident she pushed the Garage door completely off its frame and four feet into Garage, where she mistakenly hit the accelerator instead of the Brake. Sadly I don’t think she ever got over the loss of her independence.
That all said, Olivia was gifted in so many other ways too. She was an excellent seamstress. She used to make dresses for all her sisters and then for her daughters too. New dresses for birthdays and Christmas – that was the tradition. Until Carmen learnt to sew and followed in Olivia’s footsteps making new dresses for every party nearly every weekend! And what parties they were! So many tributes to Olivia remember the wonderful parties at Olivia and Sennen’s house.
Of course, no parties would be complete without food. And guess what, Olivia, like her mother, Angelina, was a brilliant cook. This gift she has passed down to her eldest daughter, my Godmother, Dolores. It’s hard to imagine a time when samosas were not easily available in the supermarkets, but quite a few people remember Olivia for her great home-made samosas. You could taste the love in them!
Another of Olivia’s great loves was her garden. In Kenya, the most beautiful flowers grew wild everywhere. But here in the UK, gardening takes hard work and dedication. While she was able to, she created a garden with fruit trees, flowering shrubs and bedding plants. There is a story about my cousin, Rachel, who used to play in Grandma Olivia’s garden making up all sorts of stories.
Aged 5, she said she felt creative because “Your garden is just heavenly, grandma!” They are now reunited in the real heavenly garden. The family were forced to come to live in the UK following many Jobs in Kenya being Africanised and arrived in London on the 8 th April 1972. That said, Grandma being the resilient person had already been promised a Job in Central London setting up a new Travel Agency. Sadly George Suares who was the co- founder of this business venture was on an East African Airways VC10 that crashed at Addis Ababa on the 18 th April 1972 killing 43 of the 107 passengers n board including George. Again, although somewhat gutted, Olivia didn’t waste much time, going down to the Job Centre, securing an interview with Essex Police at Basildon and started work on the 22 nd May 1972, which coincidentally is the Day and Month (but obviously different year) that I was born and retired on 2 nd Oct 1996 ie a day before she was 65. Here Grandma worked in the admin department issuing licences for firearms and for aliens –which always amused the family. Many friends she made working there have stayed in touch throughout the years and have become family friends.
Olivia loved to spend time with her family especially all her grandchildren – Carl, Ken, Brendon, Marguerite, Valerie, Andrew and myself. Seeing the grandchildren (and great grandchildren) were the highlights of her visits to Canada and America. She especially loved helping to look after her late granddaughter, Rachel when Rose returned to work. Lately having got to grips with the latest technology, she would often face- time her great grandchildren – Riley, Kelton, Maeve, Maxson, Savvy, Enzo and Chiara. Of course, there would be no grandchildren or great grandchildren without the in-laws! Mothers-in-law always seem to get a lot of bad press; but not Olivia…she loved Silvano, Arnold, Peter L and Nicki and they loved her too.Despite the dementia, she never forgot any of them. Silvano and Dolores made a point of videocalling Olivia every weekend and a few years ago she would even exchange recipes with Silvano. Carmen, the chatterbox of the family, videocalled nearly everyday and sometimes let Arnold get a word in and they joked about Carmen’s latest antics! Up until recently, if she wanted to know about something obscure, she would tell Rose to ask Peter Lunn or “ask Peter Lunn to google it”. I don’t think she had a clue what Google was!
Here I would also like to make a special mention for my Auntie Rose, who visited Grandma religiously every day without fail, taking Grandma through her emails and Facebook messages and caring for her with love. My mum, Nicki, was very close to Grandma Olivia - even more so after my other Nana, Diane passed away. Olivia and Diane were neighbours and good friends who enjoyed their whisky macs whilst they put the world to rights!
When Olivia retired, she joined the Ladies Group of Our Lady of Good Counsel Church; and the Tuesday Club – where she made many more friends – literally “friends for life” – you know who you are – thank you for being here today! There are no words that are enough to describe Olivia. While we know that she is at peace and that she is no longer in pain, we can't help but feel the loss and sadness. But even though she is gone, she has left the legacy of her love and perseverance. The ways she touched our lives will remain, and I ask you to keep those memories alive by sharing them with us and with one another as we celebrate her interesting and fulfilling life.
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