Belie Bukobwa, age 57, of Knoxville, passed away on June 14, 2017 at UT Medical Center following a tragic accident. She was born in Congo (D.R.C.) on December 31, 1959 to the late Moses Sebakambwe and Nyirasebura. She grew up in the Democratic Republic of Congo and later moved to Gisenyi, Rwanda and started a family. She had nine children in total, six of whom has preceded her in death. During her life, Belie was a hard-working mother.  Her husband passed away in 1993. Since then she started fighting for the well-being of her kids on her own, doing all she could to feed them, pay school fees and care for their safety. She then started seeking asylum for her family, as the country was not safe. She moved to the Gihembe Refugee Camp in 1997, and from there, applied for asylum to the United States. The process usually takes so many years. While waiting, she struggled to provide meals for her children. She was a farmer, cultivating different crops, and did some small business. In 2016, the family finally received approved to come to the United States. They settled in Knoxville, TN through Bridge Refugee Services. The family will receive friends on Saturday, June 24, 2017 from 12 noon to 1 p.m. in the William V. Powell, Jr. Memorial Chapel of Unity Mortuary, 1425 McCalla Avenue, with the funeral service to follow.  The final resting place will be at Mount Olive Cemetery following the service.  The service will conclude with a white dove release.

This obituary was posted on Wednesday, June 14th, 2017 at 7:07 pm.
You may leave a condolence below.