General News of Monday, 1 February 2021

Source: www.ghanaweb.com

Meet Rawlings’s only surviving paternal sister

Step sister of former President Rawlings, Judy in an interaction with her elder brother Step sister of former President Rawlings, Judy in an interaction with her elder brother

Mrs Judy Nkansah Nee John is the only surviving sister of former President Flight Lieutenant Jerry John Rawlings from the paternal line.

With her maiden name as Judy John, she was the younger daughter of James Ramsay John, following the first; the former president.

Paying her final respects to a beloved elder brother in her tribute, Mrs Nkansah narrated how she got separated from Mr Rawlings after they had to change schools because there had been a relocation of their basic school to a different area.

Despite this, however, she added that they continued to be a beautiful pair of siblings as she regularly got ‘constant Sunday afternoon visitations’ during their high school days.

“You gave no one a farewell hug or kiss, nor ever said Goodbye and were gone before we knew it. Only God knows why. My elder brother- Jerry: a million times, I’ll miss you; a million times, I’ll cry. As the only children of our father James Ramsay John, the bond we had together, I’ll cherish dearly.

“As infants, our father’s driver – Ataa Nortei of Osu regularly drove us to and from school. At that time, you were staying with your mother Auntie Victoria and Auntie Joyce at Adabraka Farrar Avenue and I with my mother, Auntie Kwarley at our house behind the Holy Spirit Catholic Catherdral, Adabraka. We both attended Mrs Sam Nursery School then at a location which now has the Accra Accra Ministries’ traffic intersection. This school relocated to Nima as New Nation School which meant we changed schools; you went to St Joseph Catholic School, Additrom-Adabraka and I to the Ghana International School, Cantonments,” portions of her tribute indicated.

“We continued being a beautiful pair of siblings in company with your constant Sunday afternoon visitation to me from the Achimota School when I was at the Accra Girls’ Secondary School. As an officer of the Ghana Air Force, you preferred my company anytime you attended functions or visited the Air Force Mess. I still remember the outburst of joy and praise-singing by my Quartey/Allotey and allied families that heralded your arrival at our Osu Nyaniba Estates residence; even before you became the Head of State.

This was at the 'kpojiemo' of my eldest boy child Paa Kwesi and you entered in your elegant military uniform…” she wrote in her tribute to her late elder brother.

Mrs Judy Nkansah Nee John is widowed with four sons and four grandchildren.