Netto Akono Kefentse lived a life in pursuit of the fulfillment of education and ideas. He was born in Barbados on a spring day in 1944, the child of Arlington Edgar Trotman and Catherine Victoria Hinds. Although Barbados offered a slow pace – especially in those days – he preferred a busy life, zipping around the island on motorcycles, writing in the national newspaper called the Barbados Advocate, and prancing on stages as a calypso singer. He became a high school teacher and eventually met Monica Bonnett.

As luck would have it, Netto, then known as Clement Livingston Hinds, came of age just as opportunities around the world were beginning to open up for young professionals in the Caribbean. At the age of 24, he embarked on an adventure that would change the rest of his life. He had heard of others ahead of him who had gone to far off places such as England and the United States. But he had heard of Canada, and decided to take a chance on this country. Monica joined a few months later, and one of the first of many milestones they shared was getting married.

His start here wasn’t easy. He recalled working in construction for awhile as well as office jobs with the Ontario government to help make ends meet. Odd jobs in other sectors eventually allowed them both to rent apartments in Toronto’s west end. The money also helped to support his Bachelor studies at Ryerson University and then later his Masters and PhD at the University of Toronto. In the first part of his life in Ontario, he joyfully and willingly served the Toronto West Seventh Day Adventist Church, then known as "Harvie" church. Many credit him for being one of the instigators of bringing a more inclusive style of presenting church services in the Adventist community.

During the 1980s, Netto and Monica bought two houses in Mississauga and they enjoyed the company of hundreds of friends and family. Netto was a Professor at Humber College in Toronto and one of few Black PhD-ranked faculty of his generation. Teaching only interested him to a point though. What he was keen on was developing and tweaking new ideas in the name of entrepreneurship. This passion for researching, seeking new information and sharing his findings sustained him particularly in the latter part of his life. He was also excited about current events and music. He often sang, hummed and bellowed to his heart's content to music of multiple genres - pop, hymns, rock, R&B, folk, disco, gospel, country, reggae - there was no limit to his openness to tunes. He was also excited to share stories about the places he visited or just heard about it.

By the 1970s, like many others, he was swept up by the Pan African movement. He was fascinated by the continent and its stories. During that decade, he changed his full birth name to African names that had meaning for him. He vowed to also give his children African names, and he did just that. He was proud and impressed by the Caribbean's growth as a region. He was imbued by Barbados' bounty. He cared deeply about Canada. And he felt blessed to be a son of the world for 74 years.

Besides dear family, family-friends, and friends, he leaves his wife Monica; his two daughters Dayo and Akua; and his son Kwende. Approximately 200 family and friends participated in a celebration of his life on Thursday, April 11, 2019. If desired, a tribute donation in memory of Netto Kefentse can be made to Credit Valley Hospital or to the library at Ryerson University.

- Written by Dayo Kefentse