Obituary of Ashley Zirobwa

With heavy hearts, we announce the passing of our dear daughter, sister, aunt, cousin, and friend, Ashley Kudzai Zirobwa, on September 3, 2019. Born in Kwekwe, Zimbabwe on May 8, 1984, she was the daughter of Rebecca Senelani (Ncube) Zirobwa and Never Zirobwa of Zimbabwe.

Ashley was gifted and excelled at everything she put her mind to; from athleticism, to an artistic flare, we often referred to her as the “whiz kid”. One of her favorite pastimes was to visit her grandmother’s home in Gutu, with her mum and dad, where she’d enjoy wearing ambuya’s (grandma’s) gumboots to plough the fields and herd livestock. She often reminisced of those days with great fondness. Ashley moved to Saint John in 2003 to study at UNB and earned her Bachelor of Science in Computer Science.  During her time in Saint John, Ashley touched many lives by her generosity, gentle demeanour and warm smile. She spent a lot of time with her nephews Jack and Dylan, and made several trips to Calgary to bond with her nephew Karl. Ashley also had a strong network of friends who loved her deeply and were family to her. That was Ashley; she loved family and she brought warmth and strength to our lives. 

In addition to her loving parents, Ashley is survived by her sisters: Beverly Guimond (Josh) of Saint John, Gamu Babalola (Mayowa) of Calgary, Florence Dube (Nkosi) and Stephanie Guimond of Saint John; mother-in-law, Brenda Guimond; nephews: Jack and Dylan Guimond, and Karl Babalola; and many other family members and friends who were family to her. She was predeceased by her grandmothers, Mrs. Farirai Zirobwa and Mrs. Agnes Ncube.

Arrangements are under the care of Brenan’s Funeral Home, 111 Paradise Row, Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada, (1-506-634-7424). Visitation will be held on Thursday, September 12, 2019 from 4 to 8 pm. A funeral service will be held on Friday, September 13, 2019 at 12 noon. Interment will follow in Holy Cross Cemetery. For those who wish, remembrances to the Children’s Wish Foundation would be appreciated by the family. www.BrenansFH.com