PLEASE READ ABOUT MY MUM AN AFRICAN AMERICAN, DR PINKIE ANDREWS FAMILONI DIES AT AGE 66 YEARS. Dr. Pinkie Andrews(Familoni) of Pittsburgh, PA,died on Tuesday, October 11 2006, in her home. She had resided in Pittsburgh since 1965, when she relocated with her then husband, Dr. Kayode Adegbola Familoni (a Nigerian, they got married on December 25, 1965) from Troy- Albany, in the state of New York. Born in July 8, 1940 in Stamford, Connecticut, in the USA, she was the daughter of Jesse Maebelle Darby Pollard and Pa Andrews , a World War one veteran. • • She, (Pinkie) attended schools in Connecticut, New York City and the Southern states of the USA before moving to Troy, ( a surburb of Albany, the capital of the state of New York State) with her late parents. • • Indeed, Pinkie had her two children, namely, Brett Russell Andrews-Haynes and Kayode Balewa Familoni, and got married in 1965, in Albany, New York, On moving to Pittsburgh, PA, she worked several jobs at the University of Pittsburgh and in some communities colleges in the area , as well as did voluntary work for many N.G.Os, non governmental organizations and charity organizations in and out of Pittsburgh. • • She also attended the University of Pittsburgh, where she obtained her Bachelors, Masters and ultimately, a Doctorate( Ph.D) degree in education and related fields. Dr. Pinkie Andrews, as she was later to be known, upon her divorce, from her former husband in 1973, was an activist and community leader in Pittsburgh, New York, the entire east coast of the USA and Environs. • • She was a member of the Baptist church from birth and later she joined the Presbyterian Church, where she was noted for her voluntary and organizational skills and work. • Pinkie was also a mentor who worked with the male mentoring programs of the Mt Arafat Baptist Church, Pittsburgh, PA, where her funeral service was held on October 20, 2006. Pinkie Andrews was a life long member of numerous clubs and organizations and particularly, Civil Rights organizations and movements like the National Association for the Advancement of Colored Peoples, N.A.A.C.P and the Urban League, the Republican Party, the Rainbow Push coalition headed by the Reverend Jesse Jackson and numerous other political and Civil organizations and groups like, Y.M.C.A,(Young Mens and Womens) Christian Association. • • She was (also) once the chair and Director of the African American and African studies Department of the University of Pittsburgh, PA.U.S.A Pinkie was once a Chairperson of the African American committee of the NAACP, during which, she met former President Nelson Mandela of South Africa and members of his family. • • Indeed, Pinkie also loved cooking and dress making and she was an avid sports watcher, aside from her numerous political, voluntary, social and church related activities. She was a published prolific writer and poet, as well. Dr. Andrews was highly involved in the Civil Rights movement, then led by Dr. Martin Luther King Jnr. And also in the anti Apartheid struggles, with her deep involvement in the movements, including participating in the demonstrations, matches and sit downs and boycotts and struggles, e.t.c in the USA and Worldwide. • • She was also very prominent in the United Nations Organization (U.N.O), where she presented several papers and attended several conferences, during the dark, but last days of Apartheid in South Africa, and during the anti communist and anti Vietnam war movement on the Vietnam and Korean wars. Additionally, Ms. Andrews , was highly involved in several political and party campaigns in and out of the U.S.A. • • Pinkie, as she was famously known, campaigned for late Senator Heinz and Senator Arlen Specter of Pennyslavania. • • She was also active and noticeable in the Republican party at the state, international national and local levels, particularly, among African American and minority Caucuses of the party, where she contributed greatly, to their activities. • • She was also highly involved in the presidential campaigns of several presidential candidates of both the Republican and Democrats party, as from the early 1970s, when she became politically aware and active, despite her being a registered and card carrying Republican albeit for life. In the course of her political and social activities, she met and socialized with the likes of President Nelson Mandela of South Africa, Winnie Mandela, Mayor David Dinkins, Dr. Andrew Young, President Jerry John Rawlings of Ghana, Alex Haley of the ROOTS fame, Mohammed Ali, the boxer, late Major General Joe Garba of Nigeria and Ms. Onyeka Onweanu, the Nigerian musician, • • Pinkie also worked closely with Civil Rights leaders like Albert Sharpton and Rev.Jesse Jackson, and celebrities like Oprah Winfrey, Chief and late Chief (Mrs) Reuben Fashoranti, the substantive Yoruba and progressive leader in Nigeria, late Dr Chuba Okadigbo former Nigerian senate president whom she once dated from 1965 to the early 1970s in the USA, • • Among Pinkie’s (co fighters) and party friends were also Corretta Scot King, Dexter King, Martin Luther King Junior, Senators Heinz, Senator Arlen Specter, Kunle Sijuwade of the K.S motels,Ibadan,Oyo state fame and brother of the Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuwade, • • Among others of Pinkie’s friends,political allies or fan friends were Tereza Heinz Kerry, President Bill Jefferson Clinton and Senator Hillary Clinton of the U.S.A, • Prince Charles of Great Britain, Queen Beatrice of the Netherlands and President George Walker Bush Jnr. of the U.S.A among others. Pinkie Andrews Familoni was widely traveled, in and out of the U.S.A, in her political, philanthropist and social activities (and) particularly for conferences, where she participated and presented papers in seminars and lectures she was also hooked to ship cruises along the Carribean nations( Bahamas and Jamaica etc) coastal waters and beyond. • Dr. Pinkie Andrews trips included those to Canada, Brazil, Mexico, Venezuela, Argentina, Chile, Guatermala, the Carribean nations and islands, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Spain, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Japan, Egypt, Kenya, South Africa ( several times and till last year), Canada, Germany, France, Nigeria, Ghana, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Russia and Italy, among other places and nations. Ms. Andrews last activities were as a private consultant to numerous organizations and the setting up of an N.G.O and foundation. And as we would later discover with great shock, she also left a big legacy and estate worth Trillions of Dollars for her children and family. She is survived by two children, namely PROF. Brett Russell Andrews-Haynes( born June 27 1964, in Albany New York) of Pittsfield, Massachusetts; an intellectual, and writer and prospective lawyer, and Mr . Kayode Balewa Familoni, a political activist and businessman in Nigeria (born October 21, 1965 in Albany ,New York) and the USA.many step children, nieces, cousins and nephews and brother, James .D. Andrews of Northampton, Massachusetts, and sisters, Rochell Morand of New York City, Lottie Payton of Bascom, N.Y, Marybell of Crestview, Florida, and Anne Andrews of Panama City . Her two other brothers and one older sister, Lulu Dee Jones, of Pittsfield, Massachusetts,(U.S.A) and perhaps, more from her parents---died before her. Pinkie will be highly missed for her good works in and out of the USA, and particularly, by her children, family members and numerous nephews, nieces and friends, colleagues and political associates and friends etc. Her funeral or memorial service was held at the Mount Arafat Baptist Church,271 Paulson Avenue in Pittsburgh. Pa at 11 A.M. She was buried in the Cementary on Oct. 20, 2006. May her soul rest in perfect peace. NOTE; Original article and Obituary cum funeral announcement appeared in the Pittsburgh Courier ( NEWSPAPER IN PITTSBURGH PA,USA) of October 19,2006.
Posted on: Sat, 06 Jul 2013 16:04:36 +0000
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