By: Ibrahim J. Conteh
It was celebration of a life well spent as mourners and well-wishers from all walks of life were assembled at the St. Paul Cathedral, Kenema to pay their last respect in honor of the home call of Kenema’s most illustrious hero, John Borbor Squire. The late man who was born on 25th September 1947 had his call to eternity on 8th July 2021, after a lingering illness. The late man was a father to Paul Squire Esq. a Board Member at the National Telecommunication Commissioner (NATCOM). In attendance was the chairman, Board of Commissioners and Staff of the National Telecommunication Commission (NATCOM).
The late man who many described as selfless and a humble personality and whose selfless generosity and uncompromising belief in all that is good has got a positive influenced in the lives of many. In his professional life, John B. Squire worked at the NDMC, one of the biggest diamond firms in Sierra Leone where he rose to the position as a senior store supervisor and later worked with the Ministry of Works in Kenema. He remained a prominent member of the Saint Paul Catholic Church until his death.
A tribute by a friend described the late man as a mentor and a devoted Catholic whose selfless interest and passion for humanity helped the lives of many he came in contact with. “We became friends in the 70’s whilst working at SLST that was later changed to NDMC in Yengama, where he worked diligently. Being a Muslim, he stated, it was the late man who introduced me to the Catholic Faith, for which I’m profoundly grateful. The late man loved people and people loved him, even the best of words cannot truly capture the sense of loss that we are all feeling today, we honor him by profoundly feeling and expressing our loss, but we also remember John Borbor Squire as an amazing man who has played a unique and special role in our lives”, the tribute stated.
He was a loyal colleague to many and a special friend to all. The character of his life he lived might be summed up in few words, he was sincere, earnest and loyal. In his work, he worked with passion, integrity and energy. By his death all those who knew him will miss a highly intelligent, vibrant individual. Many of us found him to be a splendid person of great intellect and big heart.
A statement by his daughter described her late father as a man with an impeccable character, “He taught us how to cope with challenges and how to keep positive mind-set amidst life’s challenges and difficulties. We know how much he loves his family; he was friend to everyone he met, he instilled in us the virtue of how to live a good life. He was a loving husband to his wife and a devoted father to his children. We will all miss him.