On Sep. 13th, Biola University’s faculty, staff and students commemorated the life of Biola’s associate vice president and chief of campus safety, John “Chief O” Ojeisekhoba, who passed away at the age of 54 from cardiac arrest on Aug. 31st, 2025.
John Ojeisekhoba’s casket, adorned with the American flag, was presented and carried by police officers to the stage while a heavy silence hung over the crowd. Attendees looked on solemnly as a bagpipe played in the background to accompany the casket to its place in center stage. A somber and tearful Dr. Barry Corey began the service with a heartfelt speech commemorating his longtime colleague and dear friend.
“Today is a significant gathering of a significant man, a public servant, a brother in Christ, a campus leader,” Corey said, “We are here to celebrate, to remember, John Ojeisekhoba for a life well-lived on this Saturday – a day his family wants to be called John’s Day.”
Corey remembers the heroic and hardworking character traits of Ojeisekhoba,
“John Ojeisekhoba Sr., who served as Biola University’s Associate Vice President and Chief of Campus Safety was known affectionately as Chief O. Born in a Nigerian village as one of 19 children, John spent his childhood mornings working on the family farm, followed by a long walk to school, instilling in him resilience, discipline, and unwavering work ethic that we all knew so well.”
Dr. Sarah Templeton, an associate professor of nursing at Biola and the director of Biola’s Health Center, remembered him fondly.
“When I stepped into a new leadership role overseeing our campus health center, I approached John for mentorship. And true to his character of service and desire to help others flourish, he said yes. I am profoundly grateful for those iron-sharpening moments…Despite the complex challenges, John would always say ‘We are going to keep putting our best foot forward.’”
Templeton then read a series of Bible verses in Ojeisekhoba’s honor: Hebrews 12:1-2, Romans 5:1-5, Psalms 116:5-14, and Psalm 37:4, the last of which had been inscribed in a Bible given to John by his wife Heidi before they were married.
Fitsum Mulat, the Vice President of Enrollment and a longtime friend of Chief O, then led the attendees in a time of prayer. She shared words from Ojeisekhoba’s older sister, Kate Sambo, who stated that John was beloved and that she was grateful to have him as a brother. She also stated that John acted as a father to her three children, who attended Biola.
“John lived at the intersection of justice and love….he had a very strong sense of right and wrong…He made sure that everyone honored the rules.”
Ojeisekhoba, a well-regarded figure across the nation, received tributes from many outside of the university as well. Representatives of California State Senator Bob Archuleta and California State Assembly member Blanco Pacheco were present, and Corey shared that numerous individuals, such as L.A. County Board of Supervisors Janice Hahn, the FBI Headquarters in Washington D.C., university presidents, distinguished alumni, and members of the police headquarters in Rome, Italy had sent their heartfelt condolences in response to Ojeisekhoba’s passing.
LA County Sheriff Robert Luna presented a video message, saying: “I knew him as a very good man, a family man, a professional man who really cared about the students and the faculty on the campus…I could tell you, he was a professional that I was proud to call a friend and a peer.”
The Board of Trustees signed a resolution of love and support, which was framed and presented to Ojeisekhoba’s wife, Heidi.
Amongst the speakers was Oscar Rodriguez, a Sergeant of the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department, “It was truly an honor for me to have worked alongside Chief O in pursuit of safety. Chief was a consummate professional and served his Lord and Biola University well. I want to close by saying, Chief O, thank you for your leadership. Thank you for your partnership. And John, thank you for your friendship. Well done, John Ojeisikhoba, good and faithful servant.”
Roman Collins, the director of the Biola Gospel Choir, then led a performance of the Gospel Choir alongside Biola’s Chorale.
Two of Ojeisekhoba’s brothers, Andrew and Moses Ojeisekhoba, presented messages to the Biola community.
Andrew tearfully thanked Biola and its greater community, “I tried so hard to write something about my brother. And I couldn’t put it into words. So I just wanted to come here today and say ‘Thank you Biola, thank you Heidi, thank you my brothers and sisters. To the people John worked with, thank you. Thank you to all the students, gone and still here…My family is grateful for everything.”
Moses presented a message on behalf of the entire Ojeisekhoba family for their brother, saying, “John Oziegbe, which is his middle name…loving husband to Heidi and a great father to John, Joshua, Natalie, Nicole, and James, leading them in the way of the Lord. Your connection to God was deep, and it reflected through your thoughts and deeds…Given the name Oziegbe, which means patience or endurance, both precious attributes that will characterize your life’s journey.”
Messages followed from Ojeisekhoba’s brother-in-law, Greg Bradley, Campus Safety’s Manager of Administrative Operations Jason Camorlinga, President of Fresno Pacific University Dr. André Stephens, Biola’s Assistant Dean of Student Care & Conduct DeAnn Decker, and Ojeisekhoba adopted parents, Leroy and Gail Neal.
Leroy and Gail supported a student visa for Ojeisekhoba to come to the United States, though it was denied four years in a row. In the fifth year, he eventually achieved his student visa. During this time, Ojeisekhoba completed a degree and was therefore ineligible for scholarship in the states. Instead, he chose to work as an officer in the Biola Safety Department.
Leroy and his wife somberly remembered Ojeisekhoba’s impact on his community and on their own lives: “Today, Gail and I have heard many wonderful things about our son, John. He was hardworking, generous, kind, loved his family, and loved his Savior…I don’t have to explain how he touched so many lives, because all of you are here for the same reason. He touched your lives too. He was tireless in his search for how he could help as many people as his big arms could hold.”
Dr. Corey gave some closing remarks, reflecting on the story of Lazarus out of John 11 as a model of Christ-like mourning. He noted that even as Jesus’ acknowledged his own power over death, he grieved for the death of his friend.
“Many of us have wept, and we will weep because of how much we love John Ojeisekhoba. Jesus wept and his tears give us permission for our tears. Martha’s questions give us permission for our questions.”
Corey ended the memorial on a hopeful note, with a look toward the future at how Chief O’s service could live on at Biola: “And I know that this is what John Ojeisekhoba would want me to say to you this morning, on John’s day. Even as you wipe the tears from your own eyes, in Christ, the grave is not the victor. Chief O put his faith in Jesus, and because of that, John’s earthly death began his eternal life.”
