Sample Eulogy for a Boss

"Today, I stand here to pay tribute to my mentor, senior colleague and boss Mrs. Sarah Jones. Mrs. Jones was a dynamic, strong and hard working woman who invested most of her life in humanitarian works. She touched the lives of so many vulnerable and under privileged women around the world.

I have known Mrs. Jones for over thirteen years now and my first encounter with her was a remarkable one. I was an ordinary young lady pursuing a Master’s degree in Gender Studies at the Florida International University. I had a keen interest in empowering vulnerable women and was particularly interested in focusing my research on Africa. That was when my supervisor told me about her very good friend Mrs. Sarah Jones, whom he thought was the right person to help me with my thesis since she had first-hand experience working with rural women in Africa. I was also told she is a no-nonsense person who wouldn’t find time to attend to students who were not serious. I still remember how afraid I was to call her, especially as I didn’t know if she would be willing to assist me. Well, I eventually did and was pleasantly surprised at how calmly she took her time to find out who I was and what I wanted. That particular call was the beginning of a new relationship with an extraordinary lady, who helped shaped my career in humanitarian works.

Mrs. Jones was quick to give me an opportunity to do my internship in her nonprofit organization. She even gave me a chance as an intern to travel to Gambia, where she was working on a project on gender based violence. Through her supervision, I was able to write a good thesis, which earned me an A grade. Upon my graduation, she continued mentoring me, by sending me links to apply and participate in different seminars and conferences that focused on making the world a better place for women. To be totally honest, I got bored at one point and just wanted to take out time to live my life and to explore the world. But as smart as she was, she found some of the best ways to tell me not to give up on myself. She would encourage me and also assist me financially. I won’t forget how she covered all my expenses to attend a seven day conference in London in 2013. That to me was the definition of selflessness.

I remember how excited Mrs. Jones was when I landed my first job in an international NGO, two years after graduation. As usual, she had played a great role during the process by writing a recommendation letter for me and also preparing me for the interview. What a wonderful thing for a boss to do for an intern! Three years into my job, Mrs. Jones was appointed the Country’s Director in my organization. Working in the same institution with her again was truly rewarding as it accorded me an opportunity to learn from her and to get to know her on a more personal level.

As I got closer to Mrs. Jones, I realized she wasn’t just a workaholic, but also a woman who had great family values. She was a happily married woman with two kids and four grandchildren. Her first daughter was a medical doctor, while the second was a lawyer. She had a beautiful family portrait hung on the wall in her office. Her grandkid’s pictures were displayed on her working desk. It was evident that she loved her family and that they meant everything to her.

Mrs. Jones also loved adventures. She would not miss out any opportunity to travel to a new destination during her vacation. If she couldn’t take her family members, she would carry along with her a few colleagues. Looking back now, I feel fortunate and privileged to have shared a few of such moments with her. I had an opportunity to travel with her and her family to the Caribbean and to Greece in 2015 and 2016 respectively. During these trips, we would explore our new environment and also try out new things, including food. We would also relate on a more personal level. It was actually during the Greece vacation that I officially announced to her that I was two months pregnant and that my fiancé and I were looking forward to planning our wedding as soon as it was possible. She was so happy and assured me that I could always count on her for any form of support. That melted my heart.

Another thing that stood out about Mrs. Jones is the fact she was a great philanthropist who loved giving. She wouldn’t hesitate to use her personal resources to make people happy. A few times in a year, she would prepare emergency packages and distribute to the homeless people in her city. I have particularly watched her use her personal money to finance IVF treatment for a couple who wanted kids very badly, but couldn’t afford the procedure. She was indeed a rare human. Most of her friends can testify about her selflessness.

Unfortunately, Mrs. Jones was diagnosed with stage four breast cancer three years ago. She was forced to take time off work and attend to her health. As devastating as the news was to me and most of her colleagues, she was rather hopeful that she was going to make it. Whenever I visited her while she was in treatment, she was always so full of life. She would ask about everyone in the office and would even assure me that she was returning to work soon. But as fate would have it, she succumbed to the battle against cancer on July 1^st 2020.

Her death has been a bitter pill for me and many others to swallow. Most often, I wonder how my life would have turned out if I didn’t meet a selfless boss like her. Nevertheless, I’m so grateful that she taught me that all dreams can come true as long as we are consistent in our pursuits."