Obituaries 346
Kevin ‘Snoop’ Williams, 24, Army veteran and security officer
Kevin Williams was private. His mother, Sonya George, calls him “my mysterious child,” prone to doing things like joining the U.S. Army and announcing the news after he had been sworn in. Kevin, whose nickname was Snoop, had been living on his own since he was 17, so when he asked Sonya if he could […]
Hugh Certaine, 27: ‘He would never hang up a call without saying I love you’
As soon as “That’s What I Like” played at a family event, you’d see Hugh Arthur Certaine Jr. look over towards his mom, Geraldine Nelson, motioning her to dance to their favorite song. Whether it was cracking jokes about being short, making silly faces or attempting to dance, all Hugh ever wanted to do was […]
Ebony Pack, 30, nurse who cared for COVID patients
If Ebony Sequita Pack had a goal, she would not let anything stop her from achieving it. When she became pregnant while attending nursing school, she changed direction and got her nursing assistant certification instead, which allowed her to spend more time with her daughter. She stayed focused on her plan, though. Later, she went […]
Emiliano Montero, 23, Bucks County native who enjoyed working on cars
Emiliano Charles Montero always wanted to know how things worked. He could take anything apart and put it back together, and he enjoyed tinkering on cars the most. He pictured himself opening his own garage one day in the suburbs. After briefly living in Philadelphia when Emiliano was a baby, his mother, Jessica Ortiz, raised […]
Andre Blackshear, 56, peacemaker who extolled education, not guns
The above image, Andre, was created by artist Terry Freemark as part of the 2021-2022 Souls Shot Portrait Project exhibition. ______________________________________________________________________________ Amanda Mills was no more than 13 years old when she and her brother stood terrified outside their twin home in the Logan section of Philadelphia, watching a neighbor beat up his girlfriend. Soon […]
Albert Lee Jr., 27, Kutztown grad who ‘was very intelligent, and he had a plan’
Albert Thomas Lee Jr. was not a fan of vegetables, particularly corn. A friend even offered him $100 to eat an ear of corn, but he couldn’t do it. “He didn’t like how it tasted in his mouth, he didn’t like the kernels, so it was a task trying to get him to eat corn […]
Bahair Walker, 20, event decorator who was filled with creativity
From interior decorating to party planning to poetry, Bahair Walker was bursting with creative energy and a determination to succeed. Through his event decorating business, Bgotti Events, Bahair would create visual statements like columns and arches made of colorful balloons, and Mother’s Day baskets with custom wine glasses and chocolate covered strawberries. Bahair enjoyed coming […]
Terrance Stewart, 35, shared a birthday with his youngest sister
On Terrance Stewart’s sixth birthday in 1987, his mother called him from the hospital where she had just given birth to her youngest daughter Shadeea. He asked what she had gotten him for his birthday, and she said, “a little sister.” His reply: “I don’t want that. I wanted a dog.” Although Terrance and Shadeea […]
Marcus Alexander, 26, opened his home to those in need
Marcus Alexander’s friends always knew they had a place to crash if they were hungry, arguing with their parents, or needed a respite from the streets. Growing up in Southwest Philadelphia, Marcus would invite at least 10 kids to dinner and the occasional stray dog, his mother, Theresa Guyton, remembered. He persuaded a friend to […]
Desiree Shaffer, 37, an outgoing mom and ‘the cool aunt’ who loved to dance
Desiree Shaffer was the cool aunt to her niece Justine Greenwood. As a young teenager, Justine would sometimes skip school to spend the day with her Aunt Desi, blasting Beyonce, watching The Ellen DeGeneres show and hanging out. Desiree, who had memorable bright blue eyes, was the younger sister of Justine’s mother, Misty. At 14 […]
Wahseem Mason, 15, athletic teen who cared for his community
Besides loving sports data, Wahseem Mason was a gamer, and his mother, Nadira Madison, remembers it almost cost her $600 to find out. Wahseem was in fifth grade, spending another afternoon playing video games and enjoying the experience, but he needed extra money to purchase more levels. The system was already set up in Nadira’s name, […]
Anthony Dixon, 29, born salesman who loved anything with wheels
Anthony Teron Dixon’s father taught his son how to drive on the dirt back roads of Georgia. The boy was no more than 8, yet he maneuvered the machine like a champ. “He would get behind your car in a minute and drive,” remembered his mother, Tonya Nesmith. “Anything that got wheels, he would ride.” […]
Juawann Mason, 27, former high school basketball star and Bloomsburg University grad
The above image, Coalesce, was created by artist Bryan Smith as part of the Souls Shot Portrait Project 2021-2022 exhibition. _____________________________________________________________________________ Juawann Mason always strived to do the right thing. While others got wrapped up in drama on the streets, Juawann chose college. And after he earned his bachelor’s degree from Bloomsburg University, he decided […]
Terrance Freeman, 29, protector of the family who dreamed of leaving Germantown
It is not often that an enduring love story is sparked by a blue mixed drink at a neighborhood bar. But Pauline Freeman was immediately impressed by her future husband, Terrance. Although he was 13 years her junior, he was family-oriented, attentive, and carried himself well. He also was a meticulous dresser, careful that his […]
Rasheed Marion, 43, cook who wanted his own food truck
Dawn Victoria Williams was at a bar with a friend in 2019 when Rasheed Marion caught her eye. “I was checking him out, but then I was like, ‘Nah, I’m not at a place where I want to be in a relationship,’” she said. Not long after that, they found themselves at the same bar […]
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