Aden Okubai

Aden Okubai, the fifth child of Okubai Tesfamichael and Mhret Zerigyorgis, was born in Keren, Eritrea, on July 23, 1972. Kind-hearted and intelligent, Aden was an exuberant child with twinkling eyes and a beautiful smile. She could always be found tending to her father’s goats or running around with her siblings and cousins. Aden expressed her faith and love of God at an early age and would always hold and kiss the prayer card of Mother Mary holding baby Jesus. In the late 1970s, at the age of seven, Aden immigrated to the United States with her older sister, Mikela, and her sister’s children, Samrawit, and Eri; to escape the civil war between Eritrea and Ethiopia, and to reunite with Mikela’s husband, Dawit Teclemariam, who was already living in the United States. Aden and her family’s arduous journey from Eritrea to Sudan was filled with great tragedy, loss, and strife that left an indelible impact on their lives. They finally arrived in the United States in 1980 to begin their life in Gainesville, Florida. Aden’s family was the first group of Eritreans to immigrate to Gainesville, a college town in northern Florida. Dawit and Mikela’s family grew, welcoming their daughter Lula in 1981, and their son Yobial in 1984. Aden loved her nieces and nephews like siblings, and they were all raised as sisters and brothers. From a very young age, Aden was a giving and unselfish person. Although still a child herself, Aden helped care for her family in the U.S., so that her older sister and brother-in-law could continue to work and provide for their family in the United States and back home in Eritrea. Aden could make the perfect braid, cook the best spaghetti, help the kids with their homework, clean the house until spotless, and no matter what, she would make sure you were not going to leave the house without looking like a beautiful shiny penny (Aden loved baby oil!). Aden soon adapted to life in America, quickly learning English and making life-long friends, like Charlotte Jenkins, Areriye Ayala, and Charisse Jackson, who remained close to Aden throughout her entire life. Aden consistently thrived in school, despite academic and cultural challenges as an immigrant in a new country. She trusted her faith in God and thrived. Aden excelled in math and science, and often tutored her friends and family, especially in calculus. Jeopardy was one of her all-time favorite TV shows, and she loved winning the family competition to correctly answer the most questions. Aden also loved sports. Her natural talent for running and her passion for athletics influenced her siblings, as she would often stage races with other neighborhood kids. Some of Aden’s passions as a child and teenager included reading, cooking–her pasta sauce and fit-fit were unmatched–and listening to music. She exposed her family to so much music—Prince, Run-DMC, Pat Benatar, Anita Baker, Madonna, Michael Jackson, Robert Palmer, Cyndi Lauper, and the list continues. Aden loved it all! Her appreciation for a wide variety of musical styles reflected her open-minded nature, fun-loving heart, and free spirit. Aden’s unrivaled work ethic, integrity, and can-do attitude is something that she passed down to her siblings. After graduating high school, she proudly attended Sante Fe College while working a full-time job. If there was an extra shift at work, you could always count on Aden to pick it up. In her late twenties, Aden was diagnosed with an illness that gravely impacted her mental health. Despite her diagnosis, Aden continued to build a life that had moments of joy, connection, integrity, respect, and love. She fought hard every single day to live a life with meaning and purpose. In her mid-thirties, Aden suffered a catastrophic accident that left her paralyzed from the waist down. The strength and courage Aden summoned for the fourteen years she lived with this disability was nothing short of a miracle, as she was determined to face each day with faith, love, and hope. This is a testament to the type of person Aden was. Although her world was turned upside down, Aden knew that God promised she would have an abundant life. Her faith and love for God and her family remained steadfast. Her curiosity never lessened. A voracious reader, Aden loved immersing herself in biographies of her heroes, like the Obamas and Muhammad Ali. She still loved beating you in a card game or Jeopardy, and listening to her favorite artists including 2Pac, Anita Baker and Nipsey Hustle. The strength she possessed to persevere each day was one of the greatest lessons she passed down to her family. Aden’s selfless and loving spirit guided her daily life. If she had two of anything, she would give you one and a half of it. She was so proud of her siblings and of her great niece and nephew, Ethan, and Emilia. She was her family’s greatest cheerleader and motivator, and her love and encouragement are forever in our hearts. Our love, gratitude, and respect for her are incomparable. Aden peacefully passed away on Tuesday, January 3, 2023. She was predeceased by her loving great-grandmother and family matriarch, Lete Melak, her father, Okubai Tesfamichael, her mother, Mhret Zerigyorgis, sister, Medhin Okubai, and niece Samrawit Dawit. She is survived by her sisters Mikela and Brikti Okubai, brothers Bashy, Gebre, and Yosief Okubai; nieces and nephews, Eri, Lula, Yobi, Amanuel, Samrawit, Yonatan, Robel, Daniel, Emnit, Okubai, Yohanna, Semhar, Yohanas, Yosan, Evan, Delina, Bilen and Jaden; great-nephew and great-nieces Ethan, Emilia, and Anouk, and many other loved cousins, friends, and loved ones. We also want to honor and acknowledge Aden’s dearest childhood friends Charlotte Jenkins, Areriye Ayala, and Charisse Jackson and her kind nurses, Kathy, Sylvia, and Christina. They all loved and cared for Aden dearly. In lieu of flowers, the family welcomes donations to the Eritrean-American Community of Georgia. Donations can be made online at atleritrea.org, or mailed to Eritrean-American Community of Georgia, 720 Hambrick Rd, Stone Mountain, GA 30083. Please note that the donation is made in memory of Aden Okubai.

Aden Okubai

July 23, 1972 - January 3, 2023