Usually, my PR writes a speech for me but not today. Not that they are not available, but I didn’t think anyone could comprehend the pain of my mind that broke the shell that enclosed my understanding of such an incalculable loss.
I decided to do it my way with the will to accept such kind of a pain to win a race of delivering my final words to my legend
True, Good people die every day. Yet not all of them affirm for us the goodness in humanity and leadership the way Dr. Simon did. He has signed out and left a legacy of positive experiences for anyone who took the time to know him – which wasn’t a hard thing to do. To some of us, he was a colleague for 10 years and a friend for a lifetime. We can all learn from the legacy he has left.
It is hard to find suitable words to pay a tribute to this truly remarkable man. It is fortunate that during his life he had the satisfaction of knowing the high esteem in which he was held by his colleagues, family, and friends. He was a mix of several streams that made him different. And later he could become a symbol of honesty, decency and fair play in an era when both are so very missing.
Many friends may be poems but a good friend like this man is an alphabet that you will always be needed to read the poem.
My first season memories of him are the treasures that will keep locked deep within the storehouse of my soul, to keep my heart warm whenever I’m lonely. These feature way back from Smack when he used to visit the school as an OB. It seems trite to say that Dr. Simon will be missed, or that he went away too soon. But it’s true
The second season memories are about all those little experiences as a colleague at work for 10 years. Besides work, there is no person like this legend of mine with whom we have shared our morning days, no greeting like his welcome, no homage like his praise. The bottom line is that he was a great leader. And when you pulled back the curtain of all that entails, you can also see that he was also good a person who cared about others.
This man intentionally built the kind of relationships in the communities he worked in that would bring people together and along. Because he was so good at relationship building, things got done in the least way expected.
As much sorrow as the thought of 31st January 2020 brings me. Little did I know that this day would go on to be his last at the office? In a very jovial mood having completed the compilation of his assets and liabilities for auditor certification as required by Bank of Uganda.
Dr. Simon, thank you for proving to us that Angels come in all shapes and sizes
When fellow angels looked down from heaven on Saturday, they searched for miles afar, and deep within the distance, they could see their very own…….a shining star. They knew that very instant, that the star was theirs to gain. So they took you up to heaven, forever to remain.
For we are thankful to teach is the following;
To live for each day and take it as a blessing, knowing it may not always be this way.
To hold the tears when I want to cry because all I have is memories
To learn that life can be taken in the blink of an eye and that only heaven really knows when that person will have to say “Goodbye.”
That we don’t live forever… Our legacy does
That credibility comes from results. Everything else is just marketing
We are sure to get opportunities as we show ourselves capable of being reliable which a precondition of trust is
That you can demand courtesy but you have to earn respect
Pledge:
We pledge to uphold the values that the Doctor has been espousing. It has always been a doctor who wishes to grow the bank and serve our clients in the best way possible. You embraced professionalism and accountability. You embraced integrity and transparency. You embraced customer service and leadership.
Gratitude:
- Family for allowing Dr. Simon to share part of his life with us
- The doctors who have worked on him for the last two weeks. Dr Nabukenya and the entire team
- Friends who were in his life till the last moments. All the support rendered
- Shareholders of the bank represented by the episcopal conference. The
Archbishop and many other bishops have since called to send condolences. Thank you for your prayers.
Staff and team at centenary who have worked with him for 17 years. He has been a father figure at the bank. Since the time of the hospital, everybody has been somber to the great temptation of closing the bank
God for giving him as a gift to the world. I believe whoever has come across him has benefited
Dr. Simon
The memory of you will always be a happy one.
You have left an afterglow of smiles even when you’re gone.
You have left an echo whispering softly down our ways.
May your soul rest in eternal peace amongst fellow angels my friend.
========================================================================
The writer, Fabian Kasi, is the managing director and chief executive officer of the Centenary Bank, the fourth-largest commercial bank in Uganda