Ava M. Ogu

Born: 12/20/1945
Died: 9/9/2011

Mrs. Ava Marie Markham Ogu, age 65, of Newark, DE, passed away on Friday, September 9, 2011, at Christiana Hospital. Born in Los Angeles, CA, on December 20, 1945, Mrs. Ogu was the daughter of the late James C. Markham and Florence (Bessey) Markham; and a sister to the late William Case and George Case.

She is survived by her beloved husband of 38 years, Dr. Echeazu Ogu; children, Uchenna, Chinyere, Ahamefule, and Emeka; grandchildren, Amee, Xeniyah, Anthony and Aaron; sisters-in-law; brothers-in-law; and many nephews and nieces in the USA and Nigeria.

Ava graduated from Cleveland High in St. Louis, MO in 1964, and obtained her B.S. in Education from Harris-Stowe State College in St. Louis in 1979, earning a Lifetime Missouri Teacher’s Certificate.

Ava, a member of the Baha’i Faith, truly celebrated the oneness of mankind in her multi-cultural family. Ava and family previously lived in St. Louis, MO; Lagos, Nigeria; Norwich, NY; and Clermont-Ferrand, France. Prior to volunteering her time as an educator and raising her family, she worked at Barnes Hospital and in the Dean’s Office of the School of Engineering at Washington University, both in St. Louis.

She was an advocate for racial justice. Soft spoken and witty, her interests included anthropology, genealogy, the local antiques auction circuit, and solving media crime dramas.

Visitation will begin at 11 am and funeral service will be at 12 noon on Friday, September 16, 2011, at the SPICER-MULLIKIN FUNERAL HOME, 121 West Park Place, Newark, DE.
Interment will follow in All Saints Cemetery, 6001 Kirkwood Highway, Wilmington, DE.

To sign her guest book, visit www.caringbridge.org/visit/avaogu