George Stephen Wangondu was born in 1943 in Thaithi Village in Nyeri and was the third son of Githethuki was Kibui and Wanjiku wa Githethuki. He had two brothers who survived the extremely difficult childhood period of drought and famine, the late Dr. Sam Gatere and the late Mr. James Kagotho.
Life during and after the 2nd World War was difficult in Nyeri, the bright side being the opportunity to go to school. George, like his brothers, attended Kianjogu Primary School and before joining Ngaini Intermediate School where he sat for KAPE exams. He could not proceed to his preferred Kagumo High School due to lack of school fees, and at the height of the Emergency, joined his brother who was working in Mombasa. It was a turbulent time for George and the country as they were trapped at the Coast though they eventually came back to Nairobi, where he joined Ralph Bunche Academy for his EACE and met one of his life-long friends, Amb Stephen Mathenge. On the day he sat for the final paper in 1962, Dr. Gatere’s family, with whom he had been living, left for the United Kingdom and he was taken in by another great man of God, Mr. Stephen Gachiengo who housed until he, together with his friend Stephen Mathenge, was employed by Ministry of Works (MOW) at Embakasi.
He was sponsored to study to be Private Secretary at Kenya Institute of Administration (Now Kenya School of Government) in Lower Kabete before switching careers to Accountancy, which he studied at KIA Maseno. He also worked with MOW in Nyeri before starting what would be his life-long specialty – Payroll Accounting –at the University of Nairobi. He also worked at Nyandarua High School as a Bursar before eventually taking his payroll accounting skills to the private sector in 1970, initially with Kenya Bus Services, and then with East African Oxygen (now BOC Gases) until he retired in 1988.
George met Jane Wanjiru Githaiga, a student of Kagumo Teacher Training College, in 1965 during his working days in Nyeri and they were married in December of 1966. They were blessed with 4 children – Anthony Maina, Joy Wanjiku, David Githaiga and Sam Gatere – and were the proud grandparents of Wanjiru Muthoni, Wanjiku Nyathama, George Waweru, Julie Wanjiru, Tony Maina, Georgina Wanjiru, Willie Wangondu, Waweru Nganga, Njiraini Maina and Muchiru Wambui as well as two great grandchildren Wanjiku and Waweru.
George immigrated to St Louis, Missouri in 1999 and shortly joined by his wife in 2000. They quickly became part of a vibrant Kenyan community and the bedrock of a strong Christian ministry in the St Anne area. Their home was the centre of many fellowships, bible studies and couples’ counselling sessions and they made many close and enduring friendships. They believed in the power of the church in the transformation of people and society and contributed hugely to the growth of many Kenyan churches and ministries in the St Louis, which impact and will continue to have impact in Africa and the US.
George was diagnosed with a rare form of rheumatoid arthritis that attacked the lungs in 2018 though the condition because increasingly serious in 2019, preventing him from working and eventually rendering him house-bound towards the end of the year. He was hospitalized briefly at the beginning of 2020 and most recently spent a week in the hospital under breathing assistance machine.
Sadly, the doctors were unable to regenerate and save his lungs and he went to be with the Lord on the evening of May 1st peacefully in his sleep. His wife, Jane and daughter Joy were at his side to the very end. The family is eternally grateful and gives thanks to the Almighty as he had a chance to call and say goodbye to close family and friends on that fateful day, in his usual jovial and cheerful manner.
George lived his life for the Lord and numerous testimonies have been shared with the family of his selflessness in service to others, his devotion to teaching Sunday school, his love for community demonstrated by their open and welcoming home, both in Kenya and in their years in the US.
He will remain cherished in the hearts of his family and friends as a man who lived boldly for Christ and filled every day with goodness, generosity and grace.
Phil 1: 27 …live your life in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that….I will know that you are standing firm…for the faith of the gospel