Tribute to Tom

TRIBUTE TO TOM PAFE

I knew Thomas Pafe for 52 years. I first met him in 1970 in Bali College. The bonding was spontaneous , facilitated by the fact that we had all come from Buea. He contributed in making my early years in Bali relatively comfortable, protecting me, and many of us the younger boys, from the considerable, sometimes rather brutal, bullying, of the day by more seniour students.

We later met in Yaounde as we pursued our respective professional activities. We had various fora of interaction, including the Bali Old Boys Association (BOBA) and other social groups. Perhaps our most enduring and protracted interaction was linked to our intense passion for the game of tennis. Yes, this gave us the innumerable opportunities to spend time together, have passionate , stimulating and ,sometimes, rather heated discussions , about life and living ; the very essence of life here on earth and our role in making the world a better living space.

A reflection on Tom’s transitition to the Great Beyond reminds me of the poignancy of the words of the hymn :

Fading away like the stars of the morning, Losing their light in the glorious sun, Thus would we pass from the earth and its toiling, Only remembered by what we have done.

Yes. Tom, you have faded away like the stars of the morning , but I am not sure you have lost your light in the glorious sun. You did so much that you will surely be remembered for the good things you have done. The good things are so many that time and space do not allow us enumerate all.

You were one who believed in the truth and was fothright, always making your point in a clear and unambiguous manner. A quality which enabled anyone to know your position on matters. It sometimes did not go down well with some people, but as you kept telling me, this made you not harbour any grudges and enabled you have a free spirit.

You were the very epitome of altruism-the selfless and disinterested concern for the wellbeing of others, especially those less fortunate than yourself.You did not cease to remind us that all that we posses is through God’s grace and it was not meant to be stashed away in a secret hiding place, but to support God’s creation. You believed that » if all people think good, speak good and do good, the circles of goodness will grow in the world ». I recall you insisting that every person has the ability to do good and that every good deed had a ripple effect and continues to grow until we have a whole movement of people doing acts of kindness. Many people will attest to this. Perhaps the most glaring example of this is your legacy in our Tennis Club 88. You were one of the earliest people to initiate supporting our ball boys in their growth. This encouraged other members to emulate your act and have supported many needy children. How many children from humble settings have we been able to lift up to become engineers, university lecturers, secondary school tutors etc?This has certainly made us happier, given optimism to many, increased our sense of belonging and there is no question that Club 88 is a happier place today .

As you transition to that higher level you always aspired to attain, just know that

Only the truth that in life we have spoken, Only the seed that on earth we have sown ; These shall pass onward when we are forgotten, Fruits of the harvest and what we have done.

Farewell Tom

Martin E Monono