Lonie Kaipah

Published on 09/09/2020

LONIE KAIPAH (1938 2020) died on Sunday 23 August 2020 at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Blantyre, Malawi, Central Africa and was buried on 24 August 2020 in Limbe CCAP church cemetery in Malawi where she was a devout member. Sadly she and the family will be disappointed that she was not able to be returned Home to her beloved Chididi in Dowa District; to the family graveyard where her late father (Lloyd Fraser Liabunya, born 29 October 1911 and deceased 16 July 1969), her late mother (Belita Liabunya, born 5 May 1917 and deceased 19 June 2014), siblings and many other members of her family are buried and rest in peace. Neither, alternatively, was she able to be returned to her matrimonial home graveyard at Ntenje Parish in Chigumula, where her late husband, Lucius Batholomy Kaipah (born 15 December 1929 and deceased 14 November 2009), is buried and rests in peace. Lonie was born in Limbe, Blantyre Town on 17 October 1938; the first of 13 children (one of which, Peter, deceased shortly after birth) and is survived by her four children (Rabson, Paul, Margaret and Peter), six of her siblings (Loiwe, Olive, Stewart, Kanthunkaku, Michael and John) and eight grandchildren (Sandram, Kelvin, James, Makana, Noel, Noah, Vivienne and Nelly); the latter four whom she sadly never had the opportunity to meet and hold. She is survived also by many nephews, nieces, cousins and their numerous children on a long list too lengthy to mention individually. Five of her siblings (Unwin, Hobson, Robbie, Willoughby and Fraser) all also deceased prematurely before her in the 1990s and prior to her return to Malawi. She was also a grandmother to her namesake, late Lonie Alexandra Milne (born 22 October 1991 and deceased 6 April 2018) and a great grandmother to late Anaiah Tawonga Kaipah (born 20 December 2019 and deceased 23 December 2019); who she sadly never had the opportunity to meet and hold. Lonie came to the UK in 1962 to join her late husband Lucius Batholomy Kaipah living initially in Scotland where she studied midwifery at the Bridge of Earn Hospital in Perth before moving down to England in early to mid 1968. They were later joined in September 1968 by their first three children from Malawi and lived initially in Cholsey, the village where they both worked at the now decommissioned psychiatric Fair Mile Hospital; after some years working as a midwife in the maternity unit at the Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading. She also worked some years at the Wallingford Community Hospital; where she practiced general nursing. Peter, their last-born, came along in 1970 before the family later moved to Benson village until Lucius and Lonie retired in the early to mid 1990s to return to their beloved Homeland of Malawi. Lonie and Lucius both loved and were equally loved in Cholsey village and Wallingford Town, but most especially Benson village; where they integrated socially into the communities and had a large allotment where they found and shared their peace. Lonie was a well known and respected woman in the community where she lived and took part in many social activities including Women's Institute meetings, village activities and local church gatherings; which she continued in Malawi upon her retirement in 1995. She was also a selfless, good, loving and caring mother, grandmother and great grandmother; providing adequately for her nucleus family and siblings; including a large extended family in Malawi and helpful also to her many friends in every community that she lived and worked. Lonie loved her life and indeed also people of all walks of life. She had many friends, colleagues and acquaintances that she had come to know during her long and fruitful life. She would be happy, proud and privileged to have seen her four children successfully settled and accomplished in their respective lives in Malawi, two in the United Kingdom and Germany and into their ages of three in the 60s and one at 50 years old. Lonie, you will truly be missed by your nucleus and extended family and all those friends, colleagues and acquaintances that knew you. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ May your soul rest in eternal peace ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Janet Gardner September 9th, 2020

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