Obituary of Given Shasokwe

On June 20, 2020, Given Shasokwe, lost his battle with cancer and died in Tucson, Arizona. He was 47 years old.

With his perpetual kindness and sweet smile, Given formed many long lasting friendships during his lifetime. He was loved by many.

Given was born in Siameja Village in Zambia on August 1, 1972. Given excelled in school and became an IT professional in Africa.

In 2004, Given had an opportunity to come to the United States. Upon arrival in the US, he quickly went about furthering his education. Given went on to obtain his master’s degree while living in several US cities including Denver, Tucson, and Newport News, Virginia.

At time of death, Given was on a leave of absence from his job as a radiology/oncology technician at Hampton University Proton Treatment Center (HUPTI) in Hampton, Virginia. Given enjoyed his job as he was able to help the sick get better. He loved everyone he worked with at HUPTI and talked very fondly of his coworkers.

Upon receiving a diagnosis of cancer, Given temporarily moved back to Tucson to seek treatment at the Mayo Clinic in Phoenix. Being back in Tucson enabled Given to spend time with his family friend, Nephus Simundini (Audrey), and his cousin, Mayako Garde (Paul), both of whom cared for Given tirelessly in his last days on this earth.

Given is survived by his three daughters, Chipego, 19, Maleele 18, and Tabo 4, and their mother, Maureen Muchana. He is predeceased by his parents and his beloved sister, Phyllis. He is also survived by his brother’s Bernard and Kebby, and his sister’s Irene and Cecilia and many other family members and friends back home in Zambia.

A small memorial service will be held at 10:00 am on Friday, July 3, 2020, at the Adair Dodge Chapel in Tucson. Attendance for the service is restricted because of the current COVID pandemic.

The Zambian community in Arizona showed an outpouring of love for Given. In an unselfish act of kindness, compassion and generosity, they came together and rallied to raise money to get their brother’s body back home. As a result, Given’s body will be flown to Africa and a funeral will be held in Siameja Village, Africa. Afterward, Given’s body will be laid to rest on his family’s farm.

The world has lost a beautiful person. Given we love you and miss you. We know you are with God and we trust that we will see you again one day.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the GoFundMe account titled "Give For Given", https://www.gofundme.com/f/give-for-given/share

All money raised will go to his daughters to help with their education.

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