Ambassador Fernandez was born in Lagos on August 12, 1929, to the famous Olumegbon Royal Family of Isale-Eko, from where Oba Rilwan Akiolu, Olowo Eko of Eko is also from.
He is survived by nine children including Chief (Mrs.) Olateju Phillips, the former Commissioner for Commerce and Industry in Lagos State.
Chief (Mrs.) Teju Phillips’ mother is the late Princess Ibilola Lipede, the younger sister of the late Oba Folorunsho Lipede, Alake of Egbaland. Her mother was Ambassador Fernandez’s first wife.
Chief (Mrs.) Teju Phillips is followed by Gbemi Fernandez and Anthony Fernandez, who are children of his late wife, Mrs. Folashade Bankole.
Akintokunbo Fernandez, Titilayo Unzicker and Adekoyejo Fernandez are Ambassador Dehinde’s children from his white American wife, Barbara Joyce Fernandez.
Barbara, who was fondly called BeeJay by her loved ones, was married to Fernandez for 25 years. The couple divorced in 1987. Barbara died in 2013 and she was in her early 70’s. While their marriage lasted, the American born lady was known to have held a special place in the life of the celebrated businessman and ex-diplomat.
Antoinette Oyinkansola Fernandez is Fernandez seventh child from Erelu Abiola Dosunmu, another of his wife.
Atinuke Fernandez and Abimbola Fernandez are his children from late Mrs. Aduke Olufunmilayo Fernandez, who divorced him in July 2003 and also died in 2013.
Tragically, the event of Beejay’s death occurred barely three months after that of Aduke, Fenandez’ second American wife, who died in Edinburgh Scotland, after a protracted battle with cancer. Aduke, who was in her mid-60’s, was married to Fernandez for 21 years and she was the mother of two of his children -Atinuke and Abimbola.
In 2003, the news of the Fernandez’ crashed marriage had caused a wave of shock across the world. Since the couple was living in Edinburgh , Aduke ,went to a Scottish Court, to seek a 300 million pounds pay out, claiming half of Dehinde Fernandez’s estimated 600 million pounds fortune, at that time. Aduke pleaded the court to force Fernandez to sell his interest in gold, oil and diamond as well as luxury property around the globe, to settle her in the supposed 50 -50 splitting. She also claimed ownership of half of their Edinburgh property, their 25-acre Chateau de Bois Feuillette, in France and two plots of land in Palma, Majorca. Also, Aduke demanded for a fair share of all the sales of Fernandez’ shares in his various companies.
But Fernandez refused to be brow-beaten by Aduke’s demand. He, reportedly, moved out of their Georgian styled Edinburgh, property into Ritz Hotel, Paris,where he contested the action, claiming that he was not legally married to her. The warring couple later settled out of court, since Aduke could not substantially prove they were legitimately married. The couple had only solemnized their union with a traditional marriage rite, which was performed in Nigeria.
After the separation, Aduke has lived in the couple’s 7-storey, townhouse in Edinburgh’s West. Although, Aduke made several attempts to reconcile with her former husband, her effort turned out to be an exercise in futility. However, Fernandez’ children facilitated a reconciliatory meeting between them when they persuaded him to speak with Aduke on her sick bed on the phone. Fernandez was reported to have kept a close contact with Aduke until the event of her death.
Unlike his marriage to Aduke, which was mired in many controversies, Fernandez enjoyed a very eventful union with Beejay. The two were reported to have maintained a very close contact till Beejay breathed her last. So devastated was Fernandez by Beejay’s death that he refused to mark his birthday celebration that year.
Fernandez’s marriage to Halima Maude, his last wife, produced no children. However, Halima has two children from a previous marriage.
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