Dushan Kenneth Knox's Obituary
DUSHAN WAS BORN ON JANÚARY 13, 1975, AND PASSED AWAY ON OCTOBER 4, 2025. HE GREW UP ON THE NORTH SIDE OF OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA, WHERE HIS CHARM, HUMOR, AND CREATIVE SPIRIT QJ/ICKLY MADE HIM UNFORGETTABLE TO EVERYONE HE MET.
FROM A YOUNG AGE, DUSHAN HAD A NATURAL GIFT FOR WORDS. HE WAS A TALENTED SONGWRITER AND LYRICIST. HE WAS ABLE TO TURN HIS THOUGHTS AND EXPERIENCES INTO MEANINGFUL VERSES THAT TOUCHED HEARTS, HIS LOVE FOR MUSIC WAS MORE THAN A HOBBY, IT WAS A REFLECTION OF WHO HE WAS: EXPRESSIVE, PASSIONATE, AND FULL OF LIFE.
DUSHAN ALSO HAD A DEEP LOVE FOR BASKETBALL, AND EVERYONE KNEW HIS FAVORITE TEAM WAS THE LOS ANGELES LAKERS. WHETHER HE WAS WATCHING A GAME, PLAYFULLY DEBATING STATS, OR CHEERING AT THE TV, YOU COULD ALWAYS COUNT ON HIM TO BRING THAT SAME FIRE AND EXCITEMENT THAT DEFINED SO MUCH OF WHO HE WAS.
HE TOOK GREAT PRIDE IN HIS WORK AS A PROFESSIONAL SALESMAN, OFTEN JOKING THAT HE COULD "SELL SNOW TO A POLAR BEAR" AND HE REALLY COULD. HIS CAREER TOOK HIM ALL. OVER THE COUNTRY ALLOWING HIM TO MEET PEOPLE FROM EVERY WALK OF LIFE. HIS CHARISMA, CONFIDENCE, AND NATURAL ABILITY TO CONNECT WITH OTHERS MADE HIM ONE OF THE BEST.
MORE THAN ANYTHING. DUSHAN WAS DEVOTED TO HIS FAMILY. KNOWN AFFECTIONATELY AS GOPHER, HE WAS A LOVING SON, FATHER, BROTHER, UNCLE, NEPHEW, AND COUSIN, AND HE CHERISHED EVERY SINGLE ROLE HE HELD. HE FOUND JOY IN THE SIMPLE THINGS LIKE SPENDING TIME WITH HIS LOVED ONES, SHARING MUSIC, TELLING STORIES, AND CREATING MEMORIES THAT WOULD LAST A LIFETIME.
DUSHAN HAD A SPECIAL BOND WITH HIS GRANDCHILDREN AND HIS NIECES AND NEPHEWS, HE LOVED TAKING THEM TO THE STORE AND LETTING THEM PICK OUT ALL THE CANDY AND SNACKS THEY WANTED WITH NO LIMITS, JUST LAUGHTER AND LOVE. HIS GRANDDALIGHTER WAS HIS BEST FRIEND, AND EVERYONE KNEW IT. HE HAD A PLAYFUL SAYING THAT BECAME HIS TRADEMARK: HE'D CALL OUT. "WHO'S MY FAVORITE?* AND WITHOUT MISSING A BEAT. EVERYONE WOULD SHOUT BACK, "ME" THAT WAS DUSHAN-ALWAYS MAKING EVERYONE FEEL LIKE THEY WERE HIS FAVORITE.
HE LEAVES BEHIND A FAMILY WHO WILL FOREVER CHERISH HIS MEMORY: HIS DAUGHTER, AYANNA SPEAKS; HIS MOTHER, EVELYN CAMPBELL: HIS FATHER, KENNETH KNOX: AND HIS BELOVED GRANDCHILDREN, MALIYAH AND AIDEN SPEAKS. HE IS ALSO SURVIVED BY HIS SISTERS, CHAUNCIE AND NAKITA MOSLEY-NUNEY (DANTE NUNLEY), ALONG WITH MANY NIECES, NEPHEWS, COUSINS, AND FRIENDS WHO WILL CARRY HIS LOVE WITH THEM ALWAYS.
HE NOW JOINS IN ETERNAL PEACE THOSE WHO WENT BEFORE HIM, HIS GRANDMOTHER, LUCILLE CAMPBELL, HIS FAVORITE UNCLES, LOUIS CAMPBELL AND RICHARD REVELS, HIS BROTHER, JAMES REDFERN, AND HIS STEPFATHER, JIMMY MOSLEY.
THOUGH HIS TIME WITH US FEELS FAR TOO SHORT, DUSHAN KENNETH "GOPHER" KNOX LEAVES BEHIND A LEGACY THAT WILL NEVER FADE. HIS MUSIC, HIS LAUGHTER, HIS JOKES, AND THE LOVE HE GAVE SO FREELY WILL CONTINUE TO ECHO IN THE HEARTS OF EVERYONE WHO WAS BLESSED TO KNOW HIM.
DUSHAN WILL FOREVER BE REMEMBERED AS A MAN OF TALENT, HUMOR, AND HEART-SOMEONE WHO LOVED DEEPLY, GAVE FREELY, AND LIVED LIFE WITH PURPOSE AND JOY. HIS LIGHT WILL NEVER DIM; IT WILL CONTINUE TO SHINE THROUGH HIS FAMILY. HIS MUSIC, AND THE MANY LIVES HE TOUCHED.
REST PEACEFULLY, GOPHER, YOUR LAUGHTER, LOVE, AND SPIRIT WILL LIVE ON FOREVER IN OUR HEARTS.
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