Serena Maggie Holmes

Serena Pearsall Holmes-RN, daughter of the late Rev. Ezra Pearsall and Maggie Jane Pearsall, was born on October 21, 1917 in Whitesboro, New Jersey. She departed this life on September 15, 2002 due to a sudden illness. Serena was molded by parents that devoted their lives to delivering the Word and civic leadership. Her Christian upbringing instilled uncompromising high standards of decorum, integrity, modesty, intuitiveness, pragmatism, and respect for others and captivating words of wisdom. God and strong stock gave her exceptional beauty and good health. She graduated from Middle Township High School, Cape May, New Jersey and Provident Hospital School of Nursing, Baltimore, Maryland (June 1950, she married a young medical resident, the late Dr. John H. Holmes III, in a historical wedding performed in the chapel of Provident Hospital. Although she put her career on hold, she channeled her energy and intellect, into being a devoted wife, raising a daughter and civic activities, to include: Past President of the Women’s Monumental Medical Auxiliary, Health Committee Chairman-Continental Society for underprivileged children, one of the founders of the Les Onzes; board member-The Kidney Foundation; Board member-Advocates for Children; and Executive Board member-The Garrison Blvd. Neighborhood Association. In 1966, she turned in the apron and checking homework, to put her talents to “ good use,” as a Senior Public Health Nurse-VCPH. After 27 years of service and recipient of several citations, she retired, and continued to be a devoted wife, mother, and grandma and involved in her civic organizations. She leaves and indelible print in our hearts and mind for her timeless beauty, keen insight, professional, dignified, and mild manner, poise, love for her civic activities, kind, supportive words for friends, and neighbors, and a powerful love for her husband, daughter, grandchildren and great grandchildren. She leaves to mourn: her daughter, Adrienne Marshall (her joy); grandchildren, Imara Lewis (her right hand girl) and husband, Jermaine Lewis (sparked her new interest in NFL Football), Kyle Johnson (her heart), Quay Marshall (that’s grandma’s boy); great grandchildren, Jermaine Lewis Jr. (her smart little fellow), Ali Lewis (her reason); two brothers, Elnathan Pearsall (the hero) and James Pearsall (Ding-the athlete); two sisters-in-law, Prezealia Byrd (the Redbird of happiness), Naomi Pearsall (the Perfect homemaker) and a host of nieces, nephews, friends, and neighbors. Her death is preceded by two sisters, Edna Jane King and Pauline Betty Pearsall and one brother, Moody Talmadge Pearsall.

Tributes

Serena Maggie Holmes

October 21, 1917 - September 15, 2002