Family remembers Des Plaines man killed in robbery

It was so early when Ola Fadiya left for work Friday morning she was reluctant to disturb her sleeping husband, Kaycee.

But at the last minute, she changed her mind.

"I woke him up and said, 'Goodbye,' " Fadiya said.

That quick farewell in their Des Plaines home was Fadiya's last glimpse of Kaycee alive.

Saturday, she saw him again at the Chicago medical examiner's office, the victim of a senseless shooting.

Kaycee Fadiya, 46, died of multiple gunshot wounds after a man opened fire on him Friday morning at the convenience store he owned in Chicago, near Loyola University.

Police are still searching for a suspect.

As she sat trying to absorb the enormity of the loss Saturday afternoon, Ola Fadiya was braced by friends who spoke words of comfort and urged her to be strong for her little boy, David.

Too young to fully understand what happened, the 4-year-old tried to coax a smile from his mother, telling her "don't cry."

Friends and family remembered a loving man and father who made a mark in his native Nigeria and his new home in America.

Fadiya came to the Chicago area in 1982 and furthered his studies and entrepreneurial dreams.

He opened the Edgewater Minimart, 1215 W. Devon Ave., and worked hard to make it a success.

"He knew all the customers by name," Ola Fadiya said.

Longtime friend Matthew Akinrinade described Kaycee as "very focused. He worked hard at his business."

But Fadiya had a soft spot for people down on their luck.

"I've seen him with customers who didn't have enough money. He'd say, 'You can pay me back next time,' " Akinrinade said.

"He was very trusting. You could count on his word."

That generous streak extended to Lagos African Church Grammar School in Nigeria, which he attended as a youth.

Fadiya was a prominent member of the Lagos' alumni association, Lafrosa USA, which raises money to improve the school, and a frequent donor.

He just recently returned from a trip to Nigeria where he revisited the school, Akinrinade said.

Blessed with a sunny temperament and healthy sense of humor, Fadiya loved to interact with people.

"I've never seen him angry," family friend Shola Cole said.

"He was always full of life," Ola Fadiya said.

Police have no motive in the killing yet. Chicago authorities said the gunman entered the store shortly after 11 a.m.

The suspect ran from the scene but apparently stopped and looked down at Fadiya before fleeing, a witness said. Fadiya was found outside the store, where he had collapsed.

The assailant is described as 6 feet tall, wearing gray pants and a black leather jacket.

Funeral arrangements are pending.