In Memory of our Dad, Simon Kamanu Ndichu

Our father Simon passed away unexpectedly on March 30th, 2023, at 43 y/o, leaving behind his two children: Ryan and Kayla Kamanu, and a granddaughter named Sophie whom he never got a chance to meet. Our extended Kenyan family wants us to send his body back to Kenya for burial which adds $7,000 to our funeral costs (see itemised list at the bottom)… So my sister and I created this Go Fund Me to help cover those costs so no one has to put themselves in a critical position and honor his Kenyan traditions/wishes. Simon was the embodiment of what you would expect from any strong spiritual leader. He loved God as Christ loved the church and positively impacted hundreds of church members' lives through his commitment to being a servant leader.

Simon, our father, was born in Kiambu, Kenya. He traveled to the USA around 18 and met a beautiful lady that he later married and started a family with. The father we remember never missed an opportunity to play games or sports with his kids. He ALWAYS volunteered to come into our schools and educate both the students and staff on the unique and interesting traditions of his culture and tribe. He also brought us to Church every Sunday and encouraged us to make friends and network with the other churchgoers.

In his efforts to ensure his kids were aware of Kenyan traditions, he taught us some Swahili that we still remember to this day, native food dishes, dances, and songs; and always took us to Kenyan parties as often as possible.

When we begin to look for photos, we are saddened by how few we took together as a family now that he has passed and even more so that he never got to meet his one and only Granddaughter. It is with great sadness I write this post as I remember all the positive qualities our father had. We were not prepared for this.

Because this was unexpected and because the family wants his body to go to Kenya, any help however small would be greatly appreciated. We thank you in advance and may God Bless you.

Please live every day like it's your last because you don't know how much longer the people around you have.

Total Itemised Cost to Send to Kenya is in the photo below: