Requiem Mass for Fr Robin Crawford (Ben Jabuni)

Good morning, everyone!

Thank you, Andrew, Alison and Mary for inviting me to say a few words about the late Robin Crawford.

I have known Robin since 1963, the year I entered Secondary School. He was the Headmaster of the school, Navrongo School, having taken over shortly after it was inaugurated in 1960.

Robin was totally devoted to his job and quickly and single-handedly developed the school into one of academic excellence and sporting excellence. He had a dream – to create a school that would be constantly top of the academic league tables of secondary schools in the nation. He succeeded because, within four years of his tenure as Headmaster, there was a nationwide scramble for places, especially sixth-form places. The school had become spectacularly well-known and well-respected, both at home in Ghana and abroad.

Robin was passionate about bringing out the best in every pupil who had set foot in that school. He was utterly convinced that, given the opportunity, every one of us could succeed, hence his tireless campaign to achieve this.

Robin was a man of profound intellect, a man with a very high work ethic, and a man of order and discipline. These attributes have also become a part of the way that many Navascans live and manage their lives.

Ladies and gentlemen, Robin will be greatly missed, not only by his family, friends, and the Church; he will also be missed by thousands of his pupils around the world.

I will end with this personal plea to Robin who is now resting in perfect peace.

In my tribe, there is a belief that, when people die they will come back, either rather quickly or later as a different person or even as an object; so my plea to Robin is,

Please come back as a tree so we can plant you in front of the Navrongo School Admin block and water you for ever.

Good bye, and safe journey, Robin.