Public offer condolences to Theodosia Okoh’s family
Sympathizers have been visiting the house of Mrs Theodosia Salome Okoh, creator of the national flag, to mourn with the family on her death.
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Born Theodosia Salome Asihene on June 14, 1922, Mrs Okoh died on Sunday, April 19, 2015 at the age of 92.
During a visit to her house yesterday, some friends, family members and other sympathisers were seen trickling in to confirm her death and offer their condolences to the bereaved family.
A nephew of Mrs Okoh, Mr Emmanuel Victor Asihene, and Madam Florence Obiri-Boateng, a cousin of the deceased, were on hand to receive visitors.
Mr Asihene described the death of Mrs Okoh as a great loss to the family.
He said the family was yet to hold a meeting to decide on the funeral arrangements.
In an interview with the Daily Graphic in 2008, during Ghana’s 51st independence anniversary, Mrs Okoh said she was inspired by the words in the patriotic song “Yen Ara Yen Asase Ni”, composed by Dr Ephraim Amu, to design the Ghana flag, which has the colours red, gold and green with a black star in the middle.
Profile
Born to a former Moderator of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, Rev. Emmanuel Victor Asihene, and Mrs Dora Asihene, Mrs Okoh, a Presbyterian from Anum, was born at Akyem Wenchi.
She had her elementary education at Asante-Akyem Agogo and after completing Standard Four, proceeded to the Agogo Presbyterian Training College, where she passed out as a qualified teacher.
Mrs Okoh later trained in Fine Art at the Achimota School for three years and qualified as an artist.
A specialist teacher, Mrs Okoh was also the first certified female teacher to teach in and around the Kukurantumi area in the Eastern Region. She was, therefore, referred to as “Teacher Awura” (lady teacher).
She taught all her life.
Sports
In sports, she was described as the “Joan of Arc” of Ghana hockey by the then Chairman of Ghana Sports, Mr Ohene Djan, for her immense contribution to the development of the game.
She was the chairman of the national hockey team in 1961 and established the national hockey pitch in 1964. Mrs Okoh was also the first woman to become the president of the National Sports Association. She was a patron of the Sports Writers Association of Ghana, and the Director of Ghana’s Junior Red Cross and a fund-raiser for the YWCA.
Awards
Mrs Okoh received a number of awards for her various contributions to national development. In 1992, the Entertainment Critics and Reviewers Association of Ghana (ECRAG) presented her with the Mahogany Award for designing the national flag.
She also received a Grand Medal from the state during the country’s 40th independence anniversary in 1997.
In 2004 she was awarded by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports, for her role in building the national hockey pitch.
Writer's email:rebecca.quaicoe-duho@graphic.com.gh