Shazada “Sha” Khan, 70, passed away peacefully on January 24, 2022, at his home in Des Moines, Iowa, surrounded by loved ones. He was born on October 28, 1951 in Guyana, South America. He was the son of Neezbat and Leonie Khan.
Sha graduated from Ames High School in 1969. After high school, he served in the United States Navy from 1971-1975 during the Vietnam War. After the Navy, Sha attended Iowa State University and Drake University where he earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Philosophy. In 1984, he was united in marriage to Cynthia Naefke and together they had one daughter, Kaitlin (Khan) Scott. Their marriage ended civilly in 2009. After that, he resided in many states but some of his best memories were made in Livermore, California.
Sha had a zest for life and was an incredibly good man. He made people feel like an “old friend” and part of the family. He enjoyed fishing, golfing, working with his buddies and visiting his favorite watering hole, Suzy Q’s. He loved music and you could always find him singing or dancing. His smile and upbeat personality were contagious. Sha enjoyed watching sports and cheering on his favorite teams, the Iowa State Cyclones, New York Yankees and Minnesota Vikings. But mostly, he loved traveling and exploring with his daughter and son-in-law. Their favorite: Las Vegas.
Sha is survived by his daughter, Kaitlin (Jesse) Scott of Cedar Rapids, Iowa. His siblings: Rosh Moore of Oakland, California, Sabi (John) Popelka of Ames, Iowa, Fazeela (Todd) Thompson of Oakland, California, Afzal (Tracey) Khan of Livermore, California, and Haleema (Michael) Silverman of Oakland, California. Many nieces and nephews as well as his “second daughter,” Ashley.
He was preceded in death by his mother, Leonie Khan and brother, Maxoud. His father passed away shortly after Sha.
Per Sha’s beliefs and wishes, there will not be a service. His family would like to thank everyone for their support over the past few weeks. If you would like to make a memorial donation, please consider St. Croix Hospice.
