Obituaries 346
If Joseph “Jose” Anthony Ceballos, 32, wasn’t fishing, this proud dad was probably fixing something for you
One afternoon Jose Ceballos and his uncle, Carlos, got the opportunity to get down by the water. To Jose this was the golden opportunity to impress him. Jose was telling himself all day, today is the day I catch one. As they waited for a bite, Carlos had plenty of bad jokes lined up, but […]
Francisco Rosario, 53, jack of all trades who had a mean sweet tooth
Francisco Rosario had the kind of hands that seemed like they could do anything. They could repair a car, paint a room, lay concrete or fix a bathroom. They could also cook a meal, sketch a picture and turn an ordinary moment into something his family would remember. Whatever needed to be done, Francisco usually […]
James Bolden, 49, ‘superb’ barber who survived near-fatal car crash
James Bolden was a gifted artist — not only on canvas, but on hair too. “He was a superb barber,” said Ernest Rouse, an old friend since grade school. “And when I mean superb, he could have won hair contest.” James and his family lived for a time with Ernest in the 1980s, and Ernest […]
Braiheem Jamison, 21, jokey father of three whose favorite color was ‘the color of money’
Long after her son was too old to fit comfortably beside her, Braiheen David Anthony Jamison Sr. still had one childhood habit he never outgrew. Whenever he got sick, no matter how old or how big he had become, he would sneak into bed with his mother, Wendy Jamison, looking for the same comfort he […]
Rasheen Naseeb Robinson, 22, aspiring actor who had that “MJ” smile
This story was produced as part of our Writing Heals program, in which we hire a family member of the deceased to write the story of the loved one they lost. For more information or to sign up to write about someone you lost to gun violence, click here. “This story was made possible through a […]
Matthew Thomas, 47, left behind 7,000 pieces of artwork—and one terrible tattoo
We all make mistakes in life, but the mistake Matthew Thomas made was so ridiculous that he ended up on TV. The show was “America’s Worst Tattoo” on TLC, and you can guess where this is going. His tattoo was on his lower back, and he headed straight to South Jersey when he heard the […]
Tyhesia Street, 46, funny in out of the kitchen, with a heart big enough to hold all six of her kids
This story was produced as part of our Writing Heals program, in which we hire a family member of the deceased to write the story of the loved one they lost. For more information or to sign up to write about someone you lost to gun violence, click here. “This story made possible through a collaboration […]
Khalil Ford, 40, loved his children, burpees and his amazing fruit salad
When Lakisha King first moved into her North Philadelphia neighborhood, Khalil Ford noticed her struggling with the bags, so he stepped in without hesitation. “Hey, you need help with that?” he asked, carrying her things from the car and up to her door. At first, it seemed like a simple act of kindness. But over […]
Giovanni Canales, 27, tough exterior disguised ‘a soft heart’
As I lay me downHeaven hear me nowI’m lost without a causeAfter giving it my all– “I Look to You” by Whitney Houston Giovanni Canales was a confident, fearless kid who had a mischievous streak, especially when it came to daring family members to break the rules. His cousin, Amber Canales, remembered how Giovanni goaded […]
Eric Robinson, 27, Consummate Caregiver Who Was Saving for the Future
Eric Robinson was nicknamed “Wrecker Hess” as a kid because he barreled through his grandmother’s bedroom like a Hess Truck. He would emerge stomping around in her size 12 high heels, a silky nightgown slipping off his shoulders, wearing underwear on his head like a fashionable bonnet. “Look, Nana!” he announced. Navella Bassette would bust […]
Nick ‘Bean’ Richardson, 27: ‘When I look at my grandson, I’m looking at my son’
Back in the day, Nick Richardson knew how to handle the ball. As a star player with his rec center basketball team in Southwest Philly, he helped the team take home so many trophies his mom didn’t know what to do with them. Now the trophies have mostly fallen apart, worn and torn by being […]
Anthony Pinkney, 14, goofball who loved Fortnite as much as his family
One cold afternoon in the Pinkney household, the family was left to entertain themselves in the midst of a cold rainstorm. Anthony, who wanted to brighten up the mood, found the perfect song on YouTube and cranked up the sound. “Momma what you know about this?” he told his mom, Tyra, as the O’Jays started […]
Andres Lopez Wyatt, 35, loving, upbeat person who cherished family
Andres Lopez Wyatt’s goals were simple: A steady job, a place to call his own, the love of a good woman. After serving time, he was finally believing in himself and on the cusp of fulfilling his dreams. “I love life,” he confided in his older sister, Odalys. “I feel so good.” But Andres would […]
Ajanai Stinson-Downing, 22, Level Up Philly volunteer and choreographer who ‘saw potential where others saw uncertainty’
This story was produced as part of our Writing Heals program, in which we hire a family member of a victim of homicide to write the stories of people who have been killed in Philadelphia. For more information or to sign up to write about someone you lost to gun violence, click here. Story by David Bratcher, who […]
Alaysia Smith, 13: cheerleading captian who was ‘like a sister to everyone’
After breaking a leg, most people just want to go in the house and mope around. For Alaysia Smith, that wasn’t an option. “All she wanted to do was go get some tacos and watch videos of the rest of the cheerleading contest,” said her cousin Dezeray Jones. “You woulda thought it was a normal […]
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