Obituaries 316
Rashaan Harrison-Smith, 26, a ‘tough-love guy’ who still had a soft side
Relationships between siblings can be complicated. But when Rashaan Harrison-Smith finally saved up enough money to buy his first car, his sister was one of the first people he called. “Rashaan was obsessed with cars,” says Latasha Hall, Rashaan’s younger sister. “I couldn’t even tell you what kind of car it was, but he knew […]
Karon “KP” Payne, 21, Presbyterian Hospital worker with dreams of going to medical school
Karon Payne went by the nickname “KP.” Based on the life he lived, KP could have meant “’Keep Pushing.” No matter how cliché it sounds, this young man was on his way to a promising future. Karon was a person of strong character who did not get caught up in street life, said his mother, […]
Sahmir ‘Smiley’ Toliaferro, 20, a gifted young man who rescued stray dogs
Sahmir Marquan Toliaferro was a voracious reader, even in elementary school, when he received the highest score on an aptitude test and was put in a special school for gifted children. He didn’t even have to study, said his mother, Mercedes. He just had a knack for picking up concepts and applying knowledge to unique […]
David Becton, 31: ‘If you have family, you are rich’
David Becton was one of the most optimistic people his family knew, always looking on the bright side as he went through life with a smile on his face and a strong work ethic in his heart. He had a nickname for everyone, and many of them often stuck. “If you have family, you are […]
Gregory Dennis-Felder, 33, security guard and amazing father who beat the odds
Gregory M. Dennis had a lot of qualities that made him stand out, but most of all it was how he cared for his family. “I had a heart attack in the kitchen one day,” his mother, Mary Felder recalled. “Greg came in and all I said was, ‘I couldn’t breathe.’ He picked me up, […]
Jackson Silva Perez, 23, landscaper and devoted father of two boys known for his wacky dance moves
Jackson Silva loved making people laugh, whether with him when he made a joke or even at him when he was tearing it up on the dance floor with his wacky moves. At family gatherings, he always knew how to start the party. “He was the one hyping the party dancing with everybody even though […]
Ammron Hargrove, 29, was Mr. Elmo to his preschoolers and loved his sister’s salmon broccoli cheesesteak
Sometimes they called him Mr. Elmo, other times Mr. A. But it was because they were preschool kids, and even though they had trouble saying their teacher’s name, they loved him. Ammron Hargrove started teaching preschool around 2012, said his sister, Porscheca Wright. She was surprised he went into it, but she wasn’t surprised that […]
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 […]
Jy’heim Price, 20, life of the party and entrepreneur who honored his slain older brother in the car business
Jy’heim Price was the third youngest out of eight children. “Jy’heim was a good well-mannered young man who would come to your rescue no matter what. Jy’heim was the sweetest, funniest, caring person you would ever know. He was the peace maker of any situation and just loved family. He would stay busy so that […]
Andre Lyles Sr., 37, family man who had just bought a house, with plans to start a youth group home
With children ranging in age from 2 to 21, Andre Lyles’ house was sometimes chaotic and often loud—but it was always filled with laughter. Though the family wasn’t new, the house was. Andre and his wife, LaRoi Lyles, embarked on a promising chapter of life when they bought the house in summer 2023 in West […]
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 […]
Frederick Duggans, 20, dog lover who was saving to go to California to record music
Frederick Duggans’ star was rising, and he was saving money to move to California to reach new heights. Performing under the stage name “Rollin Fredo,” his rap career was getting underway when he moved to Philadelphia in 2022. He had just released his single “Call My Name” and landed a spot at the DMV Fest. […]
John Culberson, strong father figure to his step-children who could dance like James Brown
No matter how long it’s been since a person has been murdered, the pain still rings true years, even decades, later. That’s the case for John Culberson’s family, who was killed in Philadelphia in 1990. He was Yolanda Bell’s step-father, and she contacted the Philly Obit Project because even though she lost him 34 years […]
Rashiek Austin, 39, goofball who had the biggest smile and a bigger heart
Anyone who knew Rashiek Austin knew that when they saw him, that goofball was going to be messing around. “Anything he did was goofy,” said Sharita, the youngest of his there sisters. “All he did was make you laugh because he always had something funny to do or to say.” Rashiek grew up in Nicetown […]
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 […]
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