Khalil Lulu

Khalil Lulu left loving family and cherished friends on August 1, 2018 at the age of 53. Khalil is survived by his wife, Heather, son Hassan, step-son Derek, grandchildren Nylah and Hassan, Mother Fatma, Father Ibrahim, Brothers Mohamed (Lisa), Hassan (Fatmah), Sister Hala (Soulaiman), and many nieces and nephews that adored him. Khalil's greatest passions were his family, music, and exploring the world around him. He made friends and connected with people everywhere he went. His smile and openness invited you into his world and held your attention. His gregarious and joyful spirit, smile, laughter and kindness will be greatly missed by all who knew him. Khalil was Palestinian and, while he grew up in Kuwait, his fondest memories were of his summers spent in Gaza surrounded by family, fresh, delicious food and the sea. Khalil moved to Minnesota in the early 1980's and spent nearly thirty years there. During this time he met and married the love of his life and they raised their sons together. After their kids were grown, they set off on an adventure to live in California. For the past seven years, Khalil and his wife lived in San Diego enjoying the sunshine, the ocean and many adventures exploring the beauty of southern California together. Khalil's passion for music began when he first studied Arabic music during his childhood in Kuwait. When he relocated to the Twin Cities in the 1980's he quickly found the thriving Middle Eastern music and dance community there. Khalil joined the acoustic Arabic music ensemble Oasis, which later became the first and only Middle Eastern rock band in the USA: The Electric Arab Orchestra. Khalil later co-founded two bands; Saharan Nights (Arabic Music) and The Rai Action Collective (a band that mixed North African Rai music with traditional Flamenco and Middle Eastern and dance). Khalil also performed at the MN Renaissance Festival in numerous ensembles over the years. Most recently he had enjoyed performing with local musicians around San Diego. In his career, Khalil was proud to have worked his way up from Teller to Branch Manager and Business Banker. He later transitioned to focus on an Accounting career. Since moving to San Diego, Khalil had completed his Bachelors Degree in Accounting from National University to elevate his career and hoped to one day open his own bookkeeping business. Services were held at the Islamic Center of San Diego in California on Friday, August 3rd and at Al-Isra'a Mosque in Fridley, MN on Saturday, August 4th. Khalil was laid to rest at La Vista Memorial Park in San Diego, CA. A Celebration of Khalil's Life will be held on Sunday, October 7th from 5pm-8pm at Nola Bistro, 204 Central Avenue, Osseo, MN.