Joska Akot Kitara

Sunrise: January 1, 1972 – Sunset: March 15, 2025

With profound sorrow and deep love, we celebrate the life and legacy of Joska Akot Kitara, a beloved Wife, devoted Mother, Godmother, Grandma and resilient woman whose story is woven with courage, compassion, faith, and unwavering love. Joska departed this world on March 15, 2025, leaving behind a powerful testament of strength, family, and spiritual grace.

Joska was born on January 1, 1972, into a world already preparing her for a life of purpose. From a young age, she was marked by wisdom beyond her years and a quiet, radiant strength that carried her through both joy and hardship. At just 15 years old, Joska embraced a traditional role that many young women of her time did—becoming a wife and soon a mother, not through pressure, but through a deep and genuine love. It was then that she married her lifelong partner, Joseph Oyat Kitara, the man who would walk beside her through war, displacement, and renewal.

By age 16, Joska welcomed her first child. As her family grew, so did her heart. She was not only a mother to six beautiful children but also a Godmother to three, a responsibility she took on at age 15 with reverence and pride.

The 1980s and 1990s brought tremendous upheaval. Her homeland was torn apart by prolonged civil conflict. Amidst the chaos of war, Joska’s strength was a beacon. When violence reached her village and threatened her family’s survival, Joska, Joseph, and their children sought refuge in neighboring Uganda. These were years of great trial, living between settlements and relying on faith, community, and resourcefulness to survive. Still, Joska remained unshaken—building homes out of tents, meals from little, and hope from prayer.

After two long years, a new chapter unfolded. The family was granted asylum and the opportunity to begin again in the United States. Carrying with her the stories of her homeland, the love of her people, and the fire of survival, Joska embraced this new life with open arms and unwavering purpose.

In North America, she nurtured her children’s growth, guided her family with prayer, and found ways to uplift others—never forgetting where she came from, and always honoring those who walked with her. She lived with humility, always offering hospitality, counsel, and a safe place for others. Her home became a sanctuary of culture, wisdom, and warmth.

Joska’s legacy is one of resilience, sacrifice, and an unshakable faith in God. She was a woman of prayer and purpose, a protector of children, and a pillar to her community. She was a storyteller, a quiet warrior, and the keeper of generational memory. Her presence brought comfort, her words brought peace, and her love bound many hearts together.

She is survived by her loving husband Joseph Oyat Kitara, her six devoted children, —Cesar, Martin, Joseph Jr, Jugbear, Alexandar, and Travion— her three Godchildren,-Angelo, Rose, Veronica Sabino, her Grand Children –Max Emilio, Tahiri- her extended family, and the countless lives she touched along her journey.

Though Joska has departed from this physical world, her spirit remains. It echoes in the lives of her children, the stories of her people, and the faith she carried through every season of life.

May her soul rest in eternal peace.

May her memory be a blessing.

May her legacy endure through the generations.

A visitation for Joska will be held Friday, May 2, 2025, from 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM at Riverview Branch the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 2530 Brooklyn Ave, Kansas City, Missouri 64127. A funeral service will occur Saturday, May 3, 2025, at 10:30 AM, Riverview Branch the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints 2530 Brooklyn Ave, Kansas City, Missouri 64127. Committal service will follow at Woodlawn Cemetery, 701 S Noland Rd, Independence, MO 64050.