By Kwame Okoampa-Ahoofe, Jr.
(Atumpan News Agency)

The death of Nana Akua Pokuaa Sarkodie-Mensah (alias Kiya), was reported in Boston, Massachusetts, on March 24, 2015. She was 25 years old and was the younger sibling and only sister of world-famous professional wrestler Kofi Kingston, known in private life as Mr. Kofi Sarkodie-Mensah.

Born on Sept. 27, 1989 in New Orleans, Louisiana, to Dr. Afua Sarkodie-Mensah, Instructional Liaison Librarian at Merrymack College, North Andover, Massachusetts, and former President of the Ghanaian Association of Greater Boston, and Dr. Kwasi Sarkodie-Mensah, Manager of Instructional Services at Boston College Libraries and an adjunct professor, Nana Akua Sarkodie-Mensah graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree from University of Massachusetts (UMASS), Boston Campus, in May 2014.

Earlier on, she had schooled at the Dartmouth Campus of UMASS, as well as the Massachusetts Maritime Academy where she successfully completed the widely remarked rigorous boot-camp exercises. She was set to begin an MBA program in Hospitality Management at the Johnson & Wales University, Providence, Rhode Island in June this year.

A multi-talented artist, painter, muralist, social and community activist with a fabled passion for the welfare of animals, particularly a great variety of canine breeds, Nana Akua Sarkodie-Mensah attended the High Grade Nursery School at Dansoman, Accra-Ghana, and the Lord's Academy in Woburn, as well as the Lynch and Fox Hill elementary schools in Winchester and Burlington, all in Massachusetts. She would also attend the Marshall Simonds Middle School in Burlington, Massachusetts, and Malden High School, in Malden, Massachusetts, from which she graduated in 2008.

Those who knew Nana Akua Sarkodie-Mensah described her as one who was very friendly and sociable as well as kindly-hearted. For example, the story is told of how the gregarious and vivacious Nana Akua, affectionately called "Kiya," spearheaded fundraisers for the urban homeless and campaign drives aimed at reducing the costs of textbooks. Once, Kiya reportedly offered her taxi fare to a homeless man and had to call her mother to pick her up from Boston to their suburban home, a considerable distance away.

Funeral arrangements are as follows: There will be a viewing on Saturday, April 25, 2015 from 9 am to 1 pm at the A. J. Spadafora Funeral Home at 865 Main Street, Malden, MA 02148. For directions to the funeral home, contact: 781-324-8680.

There will also be an observation of Final Funeral Rites at Beebe School, 401 Pleasant Street, Malden, MA, 02148. Recommended attire is black and white.

Nana Akua Pokuaa Sarkodie-Mensah, who had also been active in the Rotaract Club and MassPirg (Massachusetts Public Interest and Research Group), also left behind another older brother, Mr. Kwame Sarkodie-Mensah, a composer and cyber-specialist.