On March 8, 2021, the world became a little less bright with the passing of a wonderful man, a devoted  and loving Husband, Father and Grandfather, Aleem Khawaja. Aleem lost his courageous battle against cancer, and passed away peacefully at home, surrounded by family and loved ones.

Aleem had a real zest for life and for everything it had to offer. Those close to Aleem knew he was very passionate and dedicated to his work, clearly respected and beloved by colleagues who had the good fortune to work with him. The news of Aleem's passing sent a shock-wave of grief across a number of former and current coworkers of Aleem's.

I was one of the fortunate ones who was able to meet Aleem through work, and over time, build a strong friendship with him. Aleem was not only extremely knowledgeable and gifted with his work, but also being morally sound made him a role model to many across all levels of the organization. I once wrote that "I have heard the words ‘gentleman’, ‘professional’, ‘genuine’ used to describe Aleem."  He was all these and so much more, and I am sure everyone who met Aleem would agree.

I am creating this GoFundMe page to honor Aleem on behalf of Aleem's family, and those who had the privilege to work with Aleem. Aleem was passionate about his work, and even more so for the people he worked with. Aleem was definitely one who went to work with passion, drawn not only by the job at hand, but to also be with friends. The number of friendships Aleem developed is immeasurable.

Donations made through this website will be shared with two organizations special to Aleem and his family.  Below are statements from Aleem's family:

"Aleem was actively involved in his local religious community, and was helping to build and establish a new local mosque in Mesa, AZ called Masjid Abu Bakr. The mosque was a cornerstone in his life, where he prayed weekly and broke fast in the holy month of Ramadan. Donating to "his" mosque would be a beautiful way to contribute to his spiritual legacy."

https://masjidabubakaraz.org/

"In the last weeks of his life, Aleem was supported tremendously by Infinity Hospice Care. He was given such great attention and care from a team of nurses, nurses assistants, and social workers - all from the comfort of his home. Donating to Infinity Hospice would be a beautiful way to allow this gift of comfort at end-of-life to others. As his family, we cannot emphasize enough how much Infinity Hospice did for Aleem and for us."

https://infinityhospicecare.com/contact/locations/hospice-care-phoenix-az/


May you rest in eternal peace my dear friend, Aleem, and thank you for teaching me, inspiring me and making me an overall better person.

Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji'un إِنَّا لِلَّٰهِ وَإِنَّا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُونَ.
"To Allah we belong and to Him we return."