Obituary of Bezunesh Benti Worku

Mrs. Bizunesh was born in 1958 in the city of Sendafa located in the former Shoa province, Menagesha district to her father Mr. Worku Benti and her mother Kebebush Aboye. She completed her primary education in Addis Ababa. In 1979, she travelled to Greece to visit her sister where she stayed for about a year. In 1980 she immigrated to the United States along with her sister and started her life in Denver, Colorado, where she met Mr. Kahsay Workie, whom she loved and considered not only a husband but also a brother and a good friend. They got married in 1987and had a daughter and a son. Bizuye had profound understanding of mother's love and she brought her mother who lived with them as member of the family. In her professional career, Bizuye worked as an employee of two big hospitals in the Denver Metropolis. She was initially employed at St. Luke Hospital. Then she was hired by the University of Colorado Hospital, where she worked diligently for thirteen years in the department of environmental services until she was confined to her bed because of her illness. She was so much loved by her colleagues and her supervisors. As a result, she was addressed with her nick name "B U." In her twenty-three years of service, Bizuye had been nominated as a celebrated employee, and she had received awards and certificates frequently along with promotions.Bizuye was endowed with amazing behavior and she had special respect for any humanbeing. All this has already become a story of the past. Bizuye used to say, "Listen to me my friends, mothers, fathers, brother and sisters, as well as my children. Heed to me attentively. Love each other, help one another, think about each other, and I tell you all these from the bottom of my heart. Never quarrel; never denigrate each other; help people while they are alive. We should help people in need and address their problems; we should amend their broken heart and wounded spirit by sharing what we have in the name of God. If we fail to do this and somebody passes, it would be disgraceful and reprehensible to get together to mourn and to eat and drink." She was at the forefront in keeping her words, always available for those who undergo grief and sorrow, inspiring those who needed encouragement, wiping the tears of those who were disheartened and suggesting solutions to those in adversities. Her entire being was filled with the spirit of doing noble deeds to the good of others. She was a sister, a mother, and a friend to everyone, and she never made any discernment in race, ethnicity and color. She loved anybody without any prejudice from the bottom of her heart. She was resilient in her faith and a diehard for truth. She hated hidden agendas and had no covert behavior. She expressed her feelings straightforwardly and she was a proud Ethiopian. Just like his wife, Kahsay Workie has also been endowed with these attributes, and their house was just like that of the Biblical Abraham and Sarah, where people go to eat and drink, get pleased, smile, become comforted, and get solutions to their problems. Both husband and wife are blessed by God and they are sources of our pride. Today Bizuye is not with us, but we are comforted by the wellbeing of her respectable husband, her adorable children, her beloved motherand overall family. Bizuye's close friends who love her dearly used to refer to her as an angel. She was truly blessed by God. She was always smiling, and her smile was contagious. She is articulate when speaking but she was also keen when listening. She does not want to spare time on trivial things. She was more focused on more vital issues. Just like her name, Bizunesh truly had many unique attributes. Bizuye had profound love and respect to her mother. She was also faithful to her husband whom she cherished and loved dearly. She was always unwavering. She cherished her original Ethiopian heritage. She was determined to maintain for her culture, history, religion and marriage. Even though Bizuye loved her children from the bottom of her heart, she equally loved her friend's children as her own. They were all equal to her - equal when she offered advice to them, equal when she fed them, equal when she dressed and disciplined them. She was a truthful, duty-bound and exceptional mother. All people who knew her, young and old, would express their testament to these attributes. Today we no more have access to Bizuye's generosity and kindness, her bright mind which generated worthy issues, and her golden mouth which offered good advice to strengthen and comfort many others. She finally preferred to depart from us and to be reunited with the Lord. Bizuye is not really dead. She passed only in flesh. Her commendable deeds will remain in our hearts eternally. May the Almighty God rest her soul in peace! May the Lord send her mother, her husband, her children, overall family and loving community a comforting spirit. Amen!