Obituaries 319
Izim Greer-Plummer, 19, community protector who ’embodied family values’
Lucretia Greer believes in the power of forgiveness. It has been 15 years since the tragic murder of her brother, Izim Kareem Greer-Plummer. Though she still gets choked up when she mentions Izim’s name, she has a message to any young man boiling over with rage: Stop and think before grabbing a gun. This is […]
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 […]
Amir Parks, 22, new dad who loved making people laugh
When Amir Khalid Parks was little, he learned how to do the Harlem Shake, but he was too shy to perform the dance in front of anyone. “We’d say, ‘Mir Mir, let me see the Harlem Shake,’ and he would laugh and say no, but if you told him you were going to give him […]
Ameen Greer-Plummer, 27, Creative Thinker Who Adored Animals and Fatherhood
From an early age, Ameen Greer-Plummer bent pipe cleaners and twisty ties into stick figure people. He created thousands of “pipe people” — as his mother, Gwendolyn, called them — stowing them in an orange suitcase. Among Ameen’s collection were fuzzy reproductions of his large family, including his seven siblings and godbrother. Their three-bedroom family […]
Steven Williams, 24, ‘Woke’ Rapper Who ‘Gave Superhero Love’
Steven Williams’ rapper name was FMG (family, money, grinding) Smurff, and his songs involved teaching young kids how not to follow in his footsteps. After dropping out of high school and having his first child at age 18, Steven understood the importance of earning his GED and setting a better example for his family. “His […]
Juan Carlos Robles-Corana Jr., 15, charismatic go-getter who was determined to create wealth for his family
Before he even learned how to walk, Juan Carlos Robles-Corona Jr. would shake his chubby baby body to the beat. As a toddler, he would stop cold in the middle of the street and start dancing to blaring music from a passing car. “Whatever rhythm he had, he wanted to make sure that he was […]
Levan Kennedy, 18, gifted wordsmith who had a thirst for knowledge
“I get fly like Peter Pan. But I’m not from Neverland. I’m from Philly you can die in here if you don’t got a plan”-Levan Kennedy Levan Colin Kennedy had too many plans to accomplish in one lifetime. He set his sights on rapping and producing music, owning a solar-powered vending machine business, buying a […]
Charles Campbell Jr., 31, father of five who bent over backwards for his kids
Charles Campbell Jr. lavished attention on his four daughters and baby son. Even though some of his children had different mothers, he made sure to gather them together as one family, booking hotel rooms multiple times a year so that they could order room service, go swimming, and pick out toys at Five Below. After […]
Jeremy Pizzichil, 35, fixated on success while dodging demons
On the outside, Jeremy Pizzichil was an insatiable entrepreneur and a born salesman, a mix of Batman and Jordan Belfort from “The Wolf of Wall Street” with a chiseled jaw, dazzling hazel eyes, crisp suits, and a propensity for living on the edge. “FAST CARS, FAST BOATS, FAST GIRLS, FAST LIFE,” he proclaimed on his […]
Craig Hatchett Jr., 37, incognito poet and devoted caregiver
“F.E.A.R. has two meanings…face everything and run, or face everything and rise.” “Fake friends are like four (4) quarters, they change for a dollar.” “Death is most likely the single best invention of life. It is life’s change agent, [it] clears out the old to make way for the new!” These were some of Craig […]
Kamaj Rudd, 19, ‘Big Kid’ Excited About Upcoming Graduation, Move to Florida
Katrina Juanita Crump knew that her fourth child would be her last, so she gave him her initials “KJ.” Born on March 9, 2002 in the Frankford section of Philadelphia, Kamaj Juanir Rudd was his mother’s sweetheart and a little gentleman. Whenever he saw her truck returning from work, he asked her about her day […]
Jose Aces, 23: ‘He just always wanted to be the one to take care of everything and everybody’
Savannah Stein met her first boyfriend at a cousin’s party when she was 14 years old and living in the Port Richmond section of Philadelphia. Jose Aces, one year older and a full foot taller, was the yin to Savannah’s yang. His father had been deported to Cuba when Jose was only about seven years […]
Steven André Golden, 19, unbeatable gamer who mentored students
It could be Monopoly, cards or the latest PlayStation release, Steven André Golden was always 10 steps ahead of his opponent. “If you were playing any game with him, you would lose,” recalled Steve’s mother, Rosalind. A strategic thinker, Steve was more interested in the arcade than the rides at Coney Island. He spent all day […]
Michael Mines, 21, ‘Mr. Congeniality’ Who Outwitted Boxing and Chess Opponents
When the teacher made the kindergarten class line up by height, Michael “Mike Mike” Mines was always at the front. Small but speedy, Michael became everybody’s favorite class clown, mocking his friends for their jacked-up haircuts and burping loudly in class. One time, while waiting for his punishment in the principal’s office at W.C. Longstreth […]
Byron Dessiso, 36: ‘He’d always find a way out of nowhere”
Byron Dessiso, 36, of Hunting Park, a former high school football player and jujitsu enthusiast who would burst into tears at the sight of his young daughter bawling with a boo-boo, died July 11, 2022 — the same day he was about to start a new job — after being shot in Hunting Park, less […]
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