Andrew Obiechina Ofolomah

Andrew Obiechina Ofolomah was born to Josephine Ofolomah and Ben Ofolomah in Aboh, Nigeria, on December 9, 1957, the second oldest of their five children. He spoke Igbo in the home with his parents and family but learned British English at school.

He was 24 years old when he moved from Nigeria to the United States to attend college in order to help his family back home. He began his loo studies at Penn Valley Community College, then transferred to Central Missouri State University where he studied computer information systems. While at the university, he played soccer and tutored students in computer science courses. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, with an emphasis on Computer Information Systems shortly after. 

In his sophomore year of college, Andrew met his future wife Charlene Reed, who at the time had just graduated high school. They dated for a couple of months before tying the knot at a courthouse on December 2, 1982. Andrew still had a drive for education and to facilitate that, in the spring of 1986 he enrolled in post-graduate courses at Central Missouri State University focusing on Industrial Technology. He graduated with a Master of Science Degree in 1987. During his graduate years, he served as the president of the Nigerian Association for two years.

For a few years, Andrew worked as a systems analyst for Cerner Corporation in Kansas City, MO. In the decades that followed, he developed his skills to work as a senior software engineer for various computer technology companies such as Eclipse, Emtek and Motorola in Phoenix, Arizona. During this time his family quickly grew to a household of eight consisting of six children. From 1995 on, Andrew was actively involved in his sons’ soccer and basketball teams, his daughters’ volleyball, basketball, track and speech & debate teams. He served as assistant coaches and was a dedicated parent supporter who attended practices and games. When his grandchildren joined soccer teams, the game-side support continued, and once again he was back to watching soccer practices or games. Beyond soccer, Andrew attended dance recitals, music performances, and pageant competitions in which his grandkids participated.

He loved spending time with his grandkids, making pudding, teaching them to dance at family events and boring them with stories of days gone by. He could often be found sneaking them candy, cheering on his beloved Arizona Cardinals or Phoenix Suns, yelling UNO while dominating everyone at cards, or teaching his grandchildren about African music.

Among family and friends, his good reputation and high esteem grew over the years; to some, he was known as “nnam”; to his grandchildren, he was known as “paw-paw” because of his supportive presence. 

He died at the age of 66. He was predeceased by his parents, his brother Emmanuel with whom he was close until his death in 2001, his stepdaughter Lashandla Reed who died in July 2024. He is survived by his wife Charlene Ofolomah; step-daughter Layonda Reed and her children Latayona and Kenny; stepdaughter Lashandla Reed’s children Abraham, Devon, Kevin and Kamryn; daughter Nneka and her husband Colin Hoskins and their children Josephine, Benjamin and Gracie; daughter Ngozi Ofolomah and her son Emeka; son Nnamdi Ofolomah and his children Amaka, Amaya and Raimen; son Martin Ofolomah; goddaughter Amaechi Johnson and her children Ace’Sonn and DeNate. Andrew will be missed by extended family; brother Martin Nduka Ofolomah, Alice Nneka Nwokocha and her children Nwachukwu and Collins; sister Beatrice Ngozi Ike and her children Elizabeth, Sarah and Isaac; cousin Anthony Nwangwu and his child Amarachi; grandmother Earlene Reed and her children Alicia, Jerry, Latonia, and James; great-aunt Alice Trammel; family friend Dwayne Baker and father of Devon, Kevin and Kamryn; plus nieces, nephews, and great grandchildren; family friends Loretta and Calvin Johnson and their other daughters Tempestt Jordan and Ashley Johnson.

 A special dinner will be held in his honor. In lieu of flowers, the family requests special messages be placed below this passage.