W. Paatii Ofosu-Amaah

W. Paatii Ofosu-Amaah, of Accra, Ghana and Chevy Chase, Maryland, passed away unexpectedly on April 13th, 2016. He is survived by his wife, Waafas; son, Nii Amaah (Sara); daughter, Naabia; siblings, Samuel (Virginia), George (Elizabeth), May (Oko), Vincent (Naa Lamiley); and countless nieces, nephews and cousins. Paatii will be profoundly missed by his family, friends, and colleagues.

Born in Accra, Ghana in 1950, Paatii attended Adisadel College in Ghana, and received law degrees from the University of Ghana and Harvard Law School. Paatii began his legal career as an Associate at Davis Polk & Wardwell, then as a Legal Officer at the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the UN. This was followed by an illustrious 30-year career at the World Bank.

Paatii cared deeply about the legal dimensions of international development. He contributed greatly to the World Bank’s operations, overseeing legal aspects of over 500 project financings in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, Europe and the Middle East. He also pioneered, with colleagues, various legal and judicial reform projects. As the institution’s Vice President and Corporate Secretary, he worked closely with three World Bank Presidents. After retiring from the World Bank, he served as Special Advisor to the President of the African Development Bank. Most recently, he was a member of the African Union High Level Implementation Panel, facilitating negotiations between the Republics of Sudan and South Sudan. He also served on the Boards of the African University of Science and Technology, the Nelson Mandela Institution, and the International Law Institute - African Centre for Legal Excellence.

Paatii will be remembered most for his commitment to Africa and love for Ghana, loyalty to his friends and colleagues, zest for life, quirky sense of humor, and unconditional love and affection for his family.

Funeral arrangements are as follows: Visitation - Joseph Gawler’s Funeral Home, Washington, DC from 5pm to 7pm on April 25th; Funeral Service for family, friends, and colleagues - Grace Episcopal Church, Silver Spring, MD at 11am on April 26th. Burial will take place in Accra, Ghana on Thursday, May 12th.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in the name of W. Paatii Ofosu-Amaah to the following: African Leadership Academy, www.africanleadershipacademy.org or the African University of Science and Technology, http://www.aust.edu.ng/.

Online condolences may be offered at: www.dignitymemorial.com/joseph-gawlers-sons