By PAMELA EBOH, Awka

It was a gathering of tears and lamentation at Uruagu community in Nnewi on Saturday as prominent Industrialist and philanthropist, Chief Sir Louis Izuchukwu Onwugbenu, aka Louis Cater laid his last son, Louise Chudi Onwugbenu, fondly called Chuboy or Bobo, to rest.

The funeral Mass which was held at St. Louis Catholic Church, Uruagu, Nnewi, the church single-handedly built and donated to the Catholic Diocese of Nnewi by Chief Onwugbenu witnessed the presence of notable dignitaries including the clergy, traditional rulers, and the cream of Anambra’s business and political elite.

Others were Prominent personalities in attendance included Chief Cletus Ibeto CON, Chief Dr Innocent Chukwuma CON, Senator Ikechukwu Obiora, Chief PEN Nwosu, Nollywood actress Genevieve Nnaji, Prof Joseph Ugboaja, the Obi of Uruagu Nnewi Obi Afam Obi, Chief Mbamba Iloka, Bar Donatus Okeke among other captains of industry, political leaders, and traditional rulers from across Anambra and beyond.

In their tributes, the Onwugbenu family that were filled with grief said the family will remain incomplete without “Bobo,” whose warm smile, humour, and zest for life had endeared him to many.

Onwugbenu Jnr. Was born on 15 April 1993 in London, England.

He grew up in Nigeria as the baby of the house — the last of eight children who completed a family of ten — before moving to the United States in 2005 for high school. After graduating from The Catholic University of America, he settled in Pittsburgh, where he built a real estate business.

He returned to Nigeria earlier this year. Family members remembered him as a generous-hearted, fearless young man who loved fiercely, especially his partner Katie and their daughter Camrie, and who never failed to light up a room with his jokes, dancing, and famously out-of-tune singing. A lifelong Arsenal fan, he was also described as the family’s entertainer and a devoted uncle who treated his many nieces and nephews more like siblings.

The burial followed a Vigil Mass and wake-keeping on Friday, November 6, at the family compound, 1 Onwugbenu Street, Ndiojukwu, Uruagu, Nnewi. After Saturday’s Mass, interment and a reception took place at the family compound. A Thanksgiving Mass is scheduled for Sunday, November 8, also at St. Louis Catholic Church.

Chief Louis Carter Onwugbenu, a Papal Knight of St. Gregory the Great (KSG) and holder of the traditional title Okpataozuora Nnewi, is widely respected for his contributions to commerce, education, and the Church. Through the Louis Carter Group and the Louis Carter Foundation, he has supported scholarships, built schools, and funded major church projects, including the St. Louis Catholic Church complex in Uruagu.

The family further said: ”We cannot imagine life without Bobo. His love and spirit will always remain part of us.

“Our dear Louis, you are deeply loved, forever missed, and always in our hearts.”

The burial has been described by those present as a fitting sorrowful, send-off for a young man who lived fully and touched many lives in his 33 years of living.