A Farewell Shared Across Continents: Honouring the Life of Ezra Tsegaye
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Obituary: Ezra Tsegaye
15 April 1948 – 23 February 2026
On Friday 20 March 2026, family, friends, and members of the Ethiopian and wider Bath community gathered at St Nicholas Church, Kelston, to honour the life of Ezra Tsegaye a man whose quiet strength, intellectual depth, and unwavering generosity shaped countless lives. The service, which began at 13:00 and was livestreamed for those unable to attend, reflected the breadth of Ezra’s influence and the deep affection felt for him across generations and continents.
Born on 15 April 1948 in Addis Ababa, Ezra was the eldest of eleven children. Much of his early childhood was spent in Kabana ቀበና under the care of his grandparents, grounding him in the traditions, language, and spiritual rhythms of Ethiopia. At the age of five, he entered priest school, where he began learning Ge’ez a language he would later master and teach with profound reverence.
His education continued at Haile Selassie I Primary School and the Sanford School (now the English School), where he became known for his generosity, calm presence, and ability to mediate even the most heated student political debates. Friends remembered him as a “voice of moderation,” someone who carried books everywhere and approached life with balance never too high, never too low.
Ezra’s early years were marked by service. He volunteered at a Pony Club and at a home for street boys, even arranging for some of the children to be interviewed by Emperor Haile Selassie a gesture that revealed both his initiative and his compassion.
In 1968, Ezra travelled to England, studying in Oxford and London before embarking on a remarkable journey through Sudan and Egypt in the 1970s. He enrolled at the Coptic Theological College in Cairo, where he learned Arabic and deepened his theological understanding. This period shaped his lifelong commitment to faith, scholarship, and cultural preservation.
On 17 July 1976, Ezra married Josephine, beginning a partnership defined by love, resilience, and shared purpose. Together they raised three children Sophia, Philippa, and Mikiyas and later welcomed seven grandchildren, each of whom he adored. His son described him simply and powerfully: “He was my hero. He taught me resilience, humour, and kindness. I am who I am because of his guidance.”
Ezra’s talents were wide‑ranging. Beyond theology and history, he was a prize‑winning landscape gardener, known for his artistry, precision, and deep understanding of the natural world. Friends affectionately called him “the intellectual gardener,” a man equally at home with soil on his hands and books under his arm.
His younger brother spoke movingly of Ezra’s role as the eldest a natural leader whose words carried weight. He recalled how Ezra and Josephine opened their home in Bath to every Ethiopian who arrived in the area, helping build a community “one by one.” Ezra was remembered as a thoughtful observer, gentle in nature, with a mischievous smile that revealed his warmth and humour.
The funeral service itself was a tapestry of readings, testimonies, and spiritual reflections. The clergy of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church Qesis Dereje, Qesis Berehnu, and a Deacon led the liturgical elements with solemnity and grace. The detailed life history was read by Dr Belete, whose delivery captured both the breadth and intimacy of Ezra’s journey. Alongside him, Ato Kifley, Lij Mulugeta Asrate Kassa, Dr Beqele, Chachu, and Engineer Fisseha offered heartfelt speeches of remembrance, each illuminating a different facet of Ezra’s character.
The service was attended and recorded by several individuals who travelled specifically to honour Ezra. The Editor‑in‑Chief of the Ethiopian Tribune, Endex, together with Lij Mulugeta Asrate Kassa, Ezra’s schoolmate from Sanford School, drove from London to Bath to attend the ceremony and livestream it for friends and family around the world. Professor Shaun also recorded the service, ensuring that the day was preserved with care and respect.
Following the church service, the gathering continued at Fairfield House, the historic residence of H.I.M. Emperor Haile Selassie I. In the bright, crisp spring sunshine, guests were welcomed with Ethiopian food and traditional coffee, lovingly prepared by friends and family. It was a warm, communal farewell a celebration of Ezra’s life in a place deeply connected to Ethiopian heritage. Special thanks are extended to the Fairfield House management team for their support and hospitality.
We also give thanks to the organisers of the coach from London, led by Athlete Berahn, who ensured that many could travel together to honour Ezra. The beautiful remembrance portrait created by the artist was another touching contribution to the day.
Above all, we acknowledge the extraordinary strength and grace of Ezra’s family, his wife Josephine, and his daughters Sophia and Philippa, who welcomed and hosted friends and relatives with resilience and warmth during such a difficult time.
For those who could not attend, the full ceremony remains available to watch here:
https://www.youtube.com/live/Re4uiwRjVgI
Ezra leaves behind a legacy of kindness, integrity, and intellectual generosity. He will be remembered not only for what he accomplished, but for the way he lived with balance, dignity, and a deep, abiding love for his family, his culture, and his community. His presence will be profoundly missed, but his influence endures in the lives he shaped and the knowledge he passed on.
To Ezra’s beloved wife Josephine, his daughters Sophia and Philippa, his son Mikiyas, and the entire extended family, may you find strength in the love that surrounded Ezra throughout his life and in the extraordinary unity shown on the day of his farewell. The depth of affection expressed by friends, schoolmates, clergy, and community members is a testament to the man he was: steady, wise, generous, and profoundly cherished.
To his friends, colleagues, and all who travelled from near and far including those who journeyed from London, those who spoke, those who served, those who recorded, and those who simply stood in quiet solidarity may you be comforted by the knowledge that Ezra’s legacy lives on in every life he touched. His kindness, his humour, his scholarship, and his gentle leadership continue to echo in the memories shared and the stories retold.
May the warmth of community, the beauty of the spring day at Fairfield House, and the shared prayers of the faithful bring peace to every heart that mourns him. And may the hope of resurrection, so central to the service, offer reassurance that love does not end it transforms, endures, and continues to guide us.
This obituary was composed and written by Endex, Editor‑in‑Chief of the Ethiopian Tribune.
