Remembering James P. Raspberry | A Family Man

Today, we buried another person from my paternal bloodline: retired Chicago police officer James P. Raspberry. He was known as "Uncle Jimmy" due to our age difference and his sibling-like relationship with my father, AB Raspberry-- his first cousin.

Uncle Jimmy died on June 6 from congestive heart failure. However, his life story is what intrigues people who never met him-- including Maureen O'Donnell from the Chicago Sun-Times. (Click the link above for her amazing obituary) 

Ms. O'Donnell was the perfect person to tell his story because she has a gift for analyzing the right details of someone's life after they have passed. One detail that caught her ear in phone interviews was Uncle Jimmy's stature. He was 6-foot-4 without shoes; with his police cap, he appeared much taller.

For me, the greatest thing about him was that we shared the same birthday: July 23.

He and his wife, Aunt Joan (pictured right), were married for over 57 years. During that time, their greatest accomplishment was being loving parents to their daughter Joni Jayne. 

According to others, his work with troubled youth on Chicago's West Side was what made him so great.

In his own family, he helped my siblings, cousins, and I experience the finer things in life. He believed in sharing what he had with others; he believed in family. 

Today, we kept that going. We shared love with one another and shared memories of how great he was. This Father's Day is going to be a bittersweet one because we won't be able to honor him physically. But we can rest assured that his spirit lives on and he will forever be in our memories.

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"Good Times" Actor Ben Powers Dies

UPDATE (April 19, 2015)

The funeral home has posted an official obituary.
 It has been confirmed true.

Some media outlets are reporting that Alton "Ben" Powers (a cast member of "Good Times") passed away on April 6. While the news is very saddening, I want to see more evidence that this story is true. With so many celebrity death rumors online, I hate reporting things without proof. If I can't see a link to an OFFICIAL announcement from a blog, a tweet, or Facebook post-- I don't want to confirm anything.

As bloggers, we still must provide better information to the public. We might not have the manpower or budget as journalists but all it takes is a screenshot of a post from a reliable source to confirm proof.

However, I would still like to offer prayers to his family and friends because this story is still most likely true. 

I just want better reporting next time.

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A Tribute To "Mama Brenda" (Editorial)

Mama Brenda Matthews was a speaker who didn't need a microphone. She had a loud, resonant style of presentation which made her words echo days after you heard them. 
When she passed last Thursday at the age of 53, Mama Brenda's friends and family became her echo and continue to keep her memory alive through tributes.

When I first heard Mama Brenda in 2009, I was captivated. I had never heard a poet deliver words in such a passionate manner. She spoke with a sense of urgency but exuded a familiar charisma with the audience. You didn't feel uncomfortable calling her "Mama" because she treated her listeners as if they were family. 

Mama Brenda didn't believe in watering down the truth. She spoke the truth without boundaries and lifted her voice so loud that you could not ignore her.

I will miss her physical presence but I'm glad that she shared a gift that will always live on.

I send prayers and condolences to her friends, family, fans, and supporters. 



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Funeral arrangements have been announced:
Friday, November 28, 2014
Visitation 
4:00 to 7:00 p.m. 
Calahan Funeral Home

7030 S. Halsted St, Chicago, IL
1-773-723-4400

Celebration
7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Evangel World Outreach Center
4538 West Fullerton, Chicago, IL
1-773-252-5727

Saturday, November 29, 2014
Wake/Funeral
10:00 a.m. / 11:00 a.m.
Evangel World Outreach Center
4538 West Fullerton, Chicago, IL
1-773-252-5727

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Remembering A Chicago Hero, Ms. Sharon "Boo" Evans

One of the reasons why I became a journalist was to be a voice for the people who really matter. And after a family friend was buried today, I began thinking about how a person's life can inspire others even after they pass on.

Ms. Sharon "Boo" Evans was that family friend to us and countless others. For countless years, she served her Chicago community of Washington Park and the congregation of The Greater Metropolitan Missionary Baptist Church-- a place where her family and my family began our longstanding friendship.

And according to scripture, the service Ms. Boo gave is what made her great in our eyes. In fact, the spirit of community service which she exhibited could be considered a familial trait. She worked with her sister, Condena "Connie" White, and their late mother, Mrs. Doris Evans who passed last year, in various capacities at Greater Metropolitan Church. The two sisters were ushers who also assisted their mother with feeding the community. 

Yet, Ms. Boo never received a key to the city or a spot on the evening news. She was just a regular Chicagoan who did some very incredible things for people.

Today, my family learned that Ms. Boo was a mother to more than just her son Demonte and daughter Katrina; she was a mother to young people in the community looking for a sense of family. She provided babysitting for working parents with children and gave some a place to stay who had fallen on hard times. 

And she never did it for any acclaim. 

That is what I admire about people who serve; they give freely excepting nothing in return. 

This is why I am proud to give back to her by keeping her memory alive on this blog.

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