Obituaries 319
Ameya Spratley, 28, ‘only child, best friend’ whose name lives on in domestic abuse center
When she was a feisty, caring child, Ameya Spratley would bring home stray cats and dogs and nurse them back to health. So it was no surprise the her father, William Spratley, when she told him she was expecting her first child at age 16. Though it would be a challenge, she knew she had […]
Neal Isaiah Moore, 35, loving father who dreamed of cooking for stars
From the moment Neal Isaiah Moore was born, his grandmother had a feeling about him, and it’s right there in his middle name. They decided his first name would be his father’s but with a different spelling. But Isaiah was chosen for the middle name because she said he was a prophet. As a child, […]
Amir Izeel Pinkney, 19, had ‘a smile that took everything away’
To his grandmother, Amir Izeel Pinkney will always be a baby in some ways—his image forever one of unadulterated earnestness, unabashed kindness and squished bread. A 3-year old Amir held the bread anytime the two went shopping. Looking up to his grandma, he’d grin ear to ear, his grip on the loaf tight and clammy […]
Nicolas Elizalde, 14, comic book artist, animal lover and Barry Fan-ilow
Nicolas Elizalde packed a lot of life into the 14 years he was here. A kind, gentle, deeply compassionate boy, he was the kind of empathetic soul people were drawn to. Even animals couldn’t keep themselves away. “Each night I tucked Nick into bed, animals would come near his window,” said his mother, Meredith, her […]
Audrey Rhoads, 25, a home health aide and mother of two
In October 2017, Audrey Labrie Rhoads’ mother Lavonne passed away, and it hit the family hard. Audrey, who went by the nickname Brie, had been attending grief therapy and was starting to feel a little better. But now, her family’s grief is compounded. Brie and her fiance Raheem Brown were shot and killed July 8, […]
Tahmir “SBM” Hightower, 18, emerging rapper who was about to have a daughter
When he first got the call that his girlfriend was pregnant, Tahmir Hightower was nonchalant, says his girlfriend, Tanae Dorsey. But by the time she arrived back to his house later that night, he was smiling from ear to ear. “I’m going to be a father!” Tanae recalls. “I want a girl and I’m going […]
Khallid Henderson, 21: ‘We believe he’s our guardian angel’
Khallid Henderson would give anyone the shirt off his back or the shoes off his feet—literally. “I’d tell Khallid, ‘You can’t keep giving away your clothes,’” his grandmother Khalilah Moore said. Khallid had a drive to help others. He volunteered with a community-based program that feeds the homeless, and his goal was to go abroad […]
Henry Peterson Jr., 26, truck driver and ‘a real family man’
Henry J. Peterson Jr. loved to drive. He was usually the one behind the wheel whenever his family went anywhere together, and he never seemed to get tired of the road. In fact, he enjoyed driving so much that he turned it into a career. Henry’s father was a truck driver, and when Henry was […]
James ‘Simmie’ Lambert Jr, 72, a ‘cool old head’ who loved Marvin Gaye
Laughter, light music—especially Marvin Gaye—and people having a good time. “That’s what I would think of each time I saw my uncle, James Lambert,” said his niece, Tania Stephens. James, 72, affectionately known as Simmie to friends and family in his earlier years, cut a striking figure in North Philadelphia, often seen well dressed in […]
Zymiren Best, 19, outgoing guy who wanted to be a welder
Zymiren Best had a special yet unexplainable nickname for his mother: Slime. “Out of the blue, he’d text me, ‘What’s up with you, Slime? Cash App me ten dollars,” Bianca Best remembered with a smile in her voice. It’s the little, everyday things like this that she misses most. Zymiren was a senior at Camelot […]
William F. Douglass, 34, went from “Dooberman” to loving father
When William F. Douglass got the news he was going to be a father, he set out to be the best father he could possibly be to Ashan, now 2. You would always see him riding around with him, and they were together all of the time unless William had to work, said his sister, […]
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 […]
Jamal Hunt, 21, ‘serious soul’ who refused to let fear win
By the time he had reached middle school, Jamal Hunt was mature enough that his younger sister’s teachers would call him first when she got into trouble. “He could hold up a family with his two hands,” remembered his sister, Jasmine, who was two years younger than Jamal but looked like his twin. Born on […]
Ramir Parrish, 21, ‘protector of the family’ who had daughter on the way
Like almost any young father, Ramir Parrish was scared before his son Hakeem was born, but it came easy to him. As he grew, they would play video games with Ramir’s brother, Syncere, who was the same age. Also known by his rap name ChuckyPnb, he also was teaching the boys how to rap like […]
Christopher Davis, 35, jokester who struggled with loss
Everyone in the family knew that Christopher Davis was his grandmother’s favorite. Christopher was Cloieand McDaniel’s first grandson and she raised him on East Stafford Street in Germantown, along with his three younger sisters. Christopher’s cousin and aunt also shared the three-bedroom home. “He could do no wrong in her eyes,” his sister, Ericka Charles, […]
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