Leonard Wandili death & funeral
We regret to announce the death of Mr. Leonard Wandili [1969-2021], a beloved community leader and one of the most recognizable Kenyan-Canadians. Leonard passed away on the morning of October 6th 2021 in Bowmanville, Ontario; where he lived with his wife Irene and two sons Paul and Eric.
He was a founding member of Abeingo Association Canada and served as Director for 2 terms.
Leonard was the loving son of the late Paulo Muyi Musomi and Zabet Werengekha Mukongolo. He will be deeply missed and forever remembered by hismany siblings, nieces, nephews, cousin and friends.
Leonard was born in Western Kenya. After graduating from Friend’s School Kamusinga in Kimilili, he taught for one year before immigrating to Canada in 1989. He enrolled in George Brown College (Toronto) where he earned a Diploma in Information Systems. Further education included a B.A. Political Science (University of Toronto), M.Ed. (York University); and was currently working on his PhD at the University of Toronto, OISE.
Leonard was recently appointed to the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (IRB) where he worked until his demise. He was on a leave of absence from the Toronto District School Board (TDSB). Leonard was an experienced education administrator (International Languages and Cultural Heritage Programs). He initiated several international language courses targeting community-specific needs for children of immigrants, including Kiswahili language classes delivered mainly to children of the East African diaspora.
Leonard was a founder member of several academic and community associations in Canada including the African Heritage Educators Network (AHEN) and the Kenyan Community in Ontario (KCO) where he served as the founding President. He also served on the board of CES (Community Education Service) Canada and Abeingo Association Canada as a Director.
A virtual memorial, celebration of life for Leonard will be held on Sunday, October 17, 2021 at 11am-2pm (EST) 6pm-9pm (Kenya Time).
Family and friends may visit at the Jerrett Funeral Home, 1141 St. Clair Ave. W. (1 block east of Dufferin) on Friday, October 22, 2021 from 4-8pm. (Please note that there are still restrictions in place regarding the number of people that can be in the funeral home, when you arrive, you may need to wait in line socially distanced until space becomes available).
The Funeral Service will be held at Crosspoint Church, 700 Ritson Rd. North, Oshawa, ON L1G 7R9 on Saturday, October 23, 2021 at 11am. There will be a short visitation at the church from 9:00am-10:30am prior to the service. (As you arrive, you will be asked to provide your name and phone number. Due to the restrictions limiting the number of people in the church, once the capacity has been reached no one else will be able to come in). For those that are not able to attend in person, the Funeral Service at the church will be livestreamed to be viewed by all.
Interment to follow at Union Cemetery, 760 King St. W., Oshawa, Ontario, L1J 2L3.
The community wishes to pass our heartfelt condolences to his wife, sons and the entire Wandili family. Leonard gave us so much in his life and we owe him a debt of gratitude.
RIP Leonard.
Abeingo Association Canada
~WakenyaCanada
