Jonathan Kpakpa Quartey

Jonathan Nii Kpakpa Quartey 1942-2024

A Treasure to the World

Jonathan K. Quartey, described by friends as a "pleasure to know" and a "treasure to the world," died unexpectedly yet peacefully at home on Friday, April 19, 2024, after a period of declining health. Although he was considered a treasure on three continents, he would say that his most-prized treasures are his three children who were born prior to his arrival in the United States in 1980.

Jonathan was born on September 8, 1942, in Mudor, a suburb of central Accra, Ghana. His parents, Solomon Nii Quartelai Quartey and Mary Naa Larkor Lartey, had thirteen children; Jonathan was their first son and second-born child. At age fifteen, Jonathan's view of life was forever changed when his West African nation gained independence from British colonial rule. He suddenly understood the wisdom of pursuing seemly unattainable goals until they are fulfilled, and this insight shaped his perspectives, choices, and actions for the rest of his life.

Thanks to his mother, Jonathan became a good cook at an early age. He expanded his culinary talent by earning bachelor's and master's degrees in food science, biochemistry, and nutrition from the University of Ghana, Legon and the University of London while preparing to work in the fields of hunger, health and society. In addition, with this combination of skills, Jonathan's cooking continued to improve, and soon his friends were saying that he could cook "better than the ladies."

In his professional life, Jonathan worked first as a Regional Nutrition Officer, then as a Senior Nutrition Officer for the Ghanaian Ministry of Health. He conducted research in the Philippines as a United Nations University Scholar. After marrying Joyce Young, who he'd met at an event in Boston in 1983 that he had been coerced to attend, Jonathan worked in real estate investment and management in Charlotte and Raleigh, North Carolina. His hobbies included World Cup soccer, following world affairs and US politics, computer programming, oil painting, jogging, and T'ai Chi.

Jonathan's real passion-and what he is most well-known for-was his enthusiastic dedication to promoting and preserving the traditional culture of the Ga people of Accra. He wanted to ensure that the Ga culture's important elements survived and were valued in the ideas and attitudes of Ghanaian communities in foreign lands. He was also devoted to pursuing initiatives that helped schools and students in communities of need in Accra and its surrounding suburbs.

Over the years, Jonathan enthusiastically convened Ghanaians to host cultural events for music, dance, and enjoyment of traditional foods, and he worked tirelessly to ensure the events' success. He became a leader in the Raleigh Ga-Dangbe Association and served as president of the Ga-Dangbe International USA chapter between 2015 and 2017. Jonathan's unique contribution to this work and to the Ghanaian community was in inspiring others to envision higher possibilities for their goals and aspirations, to go beyond typical approaches, and to create innovative solutions for initiatives and projects. He consistently promoted these visionary ideas through his communications and actions.

There are many other reasons why Jonathan was considered a treasure to the world. Friends and family found him inspirational, magnetic, funny, innovative, persistent, reliable, wise, and a good dancer. But their most frequent praise was about all the ways in which he enriched their lives as well as the culture of the Ghanaian community.

In speaking to a group of naturalized Americans who had just taken the oath of US citizenship, President Woodrow Wilson once said, "No man that does not see visions will ever realize any high hope or undertake any high enterprise... You are enriching us if you came expecting us to be better than we are." For as long as we have known Jonathan, we have been enriched by his visions and his tireless efforts to realize them. As a result, we will always be grateful that we are better than we were.

Left to cherish his memories are his wife Joyce Young, MD and son Philip Quartey (Chantel) of Raleigh, NC; son Walter Quartey and daughter Evelyn Atror (Levine) of London, UK; twelve grandchildren who reside in the US and UK; siblings Mabel Tagoe of London, UK; Florence Amartey, Felicia Quartey-Acquaye, Samuel Quartey, David Quartey of Accra, Ghana; Stanley Quartey of London; Solomon Quartey, and Rosalind Thelma Graham of Accra; and a host of sisters-in-law, brothers-in-law, nieces, nephews, relatives, and friends.

A memorial service celebrating Jonathan's life will be held on Saturday, May 25, 2024, at 2:00 pm US Eastern time, at Unity of the Triangle. For information, visit https://jonathanlifecelebration.my.canva.site/.