Benjamin Dominic Blake

Benjamin Dominic Blake, affectionately known as “Bengie,” was born on June 12, 1940, in Bonthe, Sierra Leone, to the late Alfonsus Dominic Blake and Mary (née Sando) Blake. Educated in Sierra Leone as a pharmacist, he opened his own drug store in Liberia before moving to the United States, where he advanced to senior executive roles within a pharmaceutical firm. Guided by a strong sense of duty to his homeland, he later returned to Sierra Leone to serve as a trusted advisor and confidante to President Alhaji Ahmad Tejan Kabbah while maintaining a close friendship with Sierra Leone’s first native Catholic Archbishop, Joseph Henry Ganda.

A dedicated community leader, Bengie was a founding member of the Tegloma Federation Inc., the largest Sierra Leonean nonpolitical organization in the diaspora. He also supported the Pujehun District Descendants Association, the Old Bo School Boys Association, the Bonthe Descendants Group Association, and the Knights of Columbus in the Catholic Church in Mount Laurel, New Jersey. Known warmly to many as “Uncle Bengie” or “Bra Bengie,” he inspired respect and affection across generations. He carried himself with quiet confidence, natural authority, and genuine warmth, leading always by example and embodying dignity in all he did.

He is survived by his beloved wife, Gertrude Blake; his children, Hawa (Blake) Augustus, Ifeoma Ejezie, Senesi Blake, and Boima Blake; his brother, Patrick Blake; his sister, Salwa Chebli; and his grandchildren, Justin Mensah, Sanai Ephraim, Lauren Ephraim, and Chisom Okpala. His loving spirit reached far beyond his immediate family, embracing numerous nieces and nephews whom he cherished as his own children and grandchildren. He leaves behind a wide circle of cousins, in-laws, extended family members, and dear friends across the world who will continue to hold his memory in their hearts, along with a lasting legacy of intellect, leadership, dignity, and love.