Kwasi Amoako Kwakwa was born on Sunday 4 August 1946 in Obuasi in the Ashanti Region to Mr Reynolds Benjamin Kwakwa of Asante Mampong Adidwan and Mrs Mary Agnes Agyekumaa Kwakwa née Dakwa of Akyem Abuakwa Asiakwa.
He was baptised and confirmed into the Presbyterian Church at Asiakwa and remained a committed Christian throughout his life grounding his work and relationships in faith and humility.
His childhood was defined by mobility following his father’s postings as a civil servant He began primary school in Tamale with his sister Patience and continued his education in Agona Swedru Abetifi Kwahu and Akyem Tafo under the guidance of his maternal uncle a teacher He later attended Asem Boys School in Kumasi one of Ghana’s oldest government schools.
These years exposed him to Ghana’s cultural diversity and instilled in him adaptability resilience and discipline Following independence he was inducted into the Young Pioneers an experience that shaped his early sense of leadership and national service.
It was also during this period that he developed a lasting love for music mastering the piano with notable skill.
Amoako’s academic ability quickly became evident He excelled in the Common Entrance Examination and gained admission to Mfantsipim School in Cape Coast one of the country’s most prestigious secondary schools before proceeding to university.
The death of his father in 1969 was a defining personal loss Nevertheless he pressed forward with determination and graduated in Civil Engineering from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in 1970.
Like many graduates of his generation Amoako began his career in the public and civil services working with the Public Works Department the State Construction Corporation and later West Coast Construction.
Driven by a desire for deeper expertise he specialised in geotechnical and pavement engineering at the Technion Israel Institute of Technology in Haifa and later at Ghent University in Belgium.
In the early 1980s he spent two years in Nigeria working in Otuocha Enugu with AGBIM and Partners a civil engineering consulting firm at a time when many Ghanaian professionals were contributing their skills across the region.
On his return to Ghana he began a long association with Associated Consultants and the Ghana Institution of Engineering He served with distinction as president of the institution and became widely respected for his integrity diligence and principled leadership.
Over a professional career spanning more than three decades he contributed to major civil engineering projects that helped shape Ghana’s infrastructure during periods of reform and economic recovery.
In 1976 Amoako married Sylvia Ashie Together they raised three children Kwadwo Amoateng Akua Agyekumaa and Kwasi Amoako Junior.
As the eldest male sibling resident in Ghana he naturally assumed the role of family anchor offering guidance and support to his siblings nieces and nephews He lived by the belief that leadership is expressed more in service than authority often quoting the words of the American Quaker missionary Stephen Grellet on the urgency of doing good while one can.
Outside engineering he devoted considerable time to Rotary International He was an active member of the Rotary Club of Tema and served twice as its president.
His Rotary service included support for immunisation campaigns through POLIOPLUS and leadership of the Group Study Exchange programme through which young professionals benefited from international exposure and mentorship.
These efforts reflected his belief that professional success carried a responsibility to uplift others.
Retirement did not diminish his engagement He continued to provide expertise on major projects including the Pokuase Interchange commissioned in 2021 as West Africa’s first four tier interchange.
In his personal life his greatest joy came from his grandchildren whose presence animated his later years Curious and engaged he embraced technology and remained connected to the world around him.
After surviving a mild stroke he faced further health challenges Following surgery his life came peacefully to an end.
From his birth in Obuasi in 1946 to his final days in Tema nearly eight decades later Ing Kwasi Amoako Kwakwa lived a life of measured impact rather than loud acclaim.
He leaves behind his wife children grandchildren extended family colleagues church community fellow Rotarians and a profession shaped in part by his steady leadership.
He will be remembered not only for the infrastructure he helped build but for the character with which he lived.
May his gentle soul rest in perfect peace.
