Obituary of Abasi J Malik

Abasi Jymi Malik was born James Jones and officially changed his name in 1976, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was born in Philadelphia to Catherine Smith and James Jones on August 12, 1940. He had four brothers and four sisters (Ronald Saunders, George Saunders, Helena Saunders, Lynda Jones, Kenneth Jones, and Toya Smith), five children, James (Jymi) Jones, Jerri Jones Hart, Ayanna Jones, Abasi Chapman, and Khalil Chapman, five grandchildren (Abasa Phillips, Jasmine Diaz, Makai Chapman, Kennedy Chapman, Asher Chapman) and three great-grandchildren (Zen Phillips, Gray Diaz, and Izumi Phillips). At the age of 17, Abasi was married to Jane Rose, mother of Jymi and Jerri, and later married Ruth Frasier in 1976, Abasi and Khalil's mother. Abasi and Jane owned an African shop in Willow Grove, PA (Uhuru-Kataba/ Freedom Book Store) and a publishing company Uhuru Publications. He was a writer and taught creative writing at the Germantown Area School project, was a Professor of English Literature at Clemson and Clark Universities, and was Dean of Education for Rutledge College. He was an author of a collection of poetry entitled, The Fruit Theory and Guerilla Warfare in Philly. He loved the arts, theater and Jazz and was very creative. Abasi earned his Bachelor of Arts from Temple University and a Masters from Goddard College. Abasi served in the US Air Forces in Turkey from 1957 -1960, from which he was honorably discharged. Abasi died on November 22, 2020, at Cooper Hospital in Camden, New Jersey, with his son Jymi by his side. Abasi is survived by his children Jymi, Jerri, Ayanna, Abasi, and Khalil, son-in-law (& former Student) John Hart, five grandchildren, three great-grandchildren, brother & sisters, Kenneth, Lynda, and Toya, and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends ABASI’S LEGACY Abasi was a man who lived by heart – he had strong beliefs and lived them out loud. He loved the Lord, and his Christian life was met with passion and reverence. Anyone who knew him knows how strongly he held to his beliefs, and right or wrong, he was not easily swayed from his opinions. He was true to himself. He was strongly connected to the civil rights movement of the '60s and continued his advocacy through his teaching and writing. Abasi was kind-hearted and helped numerous people. He would give all that he had to a person in need and never lost his connection to the suffering of the broken and poor. Abasi was funny and charismatic and used his charm and wit to communicate his ideas and make people laugh. Until he lost his eye sight, he was an avid reader and writer.