" Your light continues to shine"

Lynette was born on the island of Dominica  British West Indies. She was a wife ,mother, friend, public speaker, published author and an educator.

 Theresa was the 9th child of 14 children of Clifton and Ethel Pascascio. She was born on Thursday, the 13th of December, 1956 in the beautiful Stann Creek Valley. Theresa was a beautiful, quiet, kind, caring, mild tempered, very obedient girl with a thick head of jet black hair. She was always smiling.  Theresa was always a business partner to her husband over the years, helping to operate Brotherhood Express, Belize Shipping, and Sutherland Construction. She was also very active in the church at Family Mennonite in Los Angeles and Fresno Community Church of God. Her ministry also included feeding the homeless and sending clothes to Belize for those less unfortunate. 

Born to Elsie and Gladys Crumpler she attended school in west Fresno where she was also in the Edison Tigers marching band, and graduated from Fresno state college with a degree in nursing. Upon graduation and getting her RN license, she worked in several fields and positions in the hospital. Such as nursing, psychiatry, surgery, public health, and finally school nursing where she stayed until retirement. Rita was recognized by her peers for her outstanding work and abilities. She was always willing to assist others, and while being a school nurse was her happiest job, working in surgery was her second favorite.

She was a long time member of the black nurses union and was a founding member, and spent many years being a mentor. Upon retiring she pursued her love for sewing, doll collecting, knitting, cross stitch of landscapes, and genealogy studies while watching her movie collection. Rita was married to Lance Leitch in 1976 and had two sons, Ernest and Daniel Leitch. 

Janeth was born in St. Elizabeth, Jamaica in March 1955. She graduated from Bethlehem Teachers College at the age of 21 years old and would spend the next 15 years as an educator in Jamaica, teaching and mentoring many students. After migrating to Toronto, Canada, Janeth would return to college, where she earned her degree in nursing and start her new profession as a Registered Nurse. In 1999, Janeth would migrate to Fresno, CA where she would spend the next 24 years at St. Agnes Medical Center as a Registered Nurse.

Victor attended Bethel Bible College in Saint Mary, Jamaica and earned a diploma in ministry in 1969. He was a confidante to his brotherhood which truly set him apart. He valued his friendships deeply and went above and beyond to support them. What made him extra special was his willingness to share with his friends and strangers alike, knowing it would only strengthen their bond. One of his college classmates reflected on Victor always sharing the contents of his care packages with his closest friends; he was a friend indeed.

While in college, he met his lifelong partner of 51 years, Lois Dawn and they would later be united in marriage on April 8, 1972. Together they lived a life dedicated to God, family, and the church.

After immigrating to Fresno, California in 1981, Victor would become an Administrator in the Healthcare industry serving the elderly community. He would spend the next 31 years ministering and providing words of comfort and guidance to those in need.

Dr. Lily B. Small has made outstanding contributions to the Africana and American Indian Studies Program (formerly Ethnic Studies) at California State University, Fresno for thirty- three years. Lily is a pioneer in the field of African American Studies coming at a time when the field was raw, when only anthropologists, sociologists, or historians were teaching about the Black experience in America. She brought passion, intellectual rigor and humanity into this newly designed discipline. Her accomplishments speak volumes of her dedication to the well being of our students, the Ethnic Studies Program, and the campus community-at- large. No doubt her proudest departmental accomplishment was in gaining approval of the major in African American Studies in 1998.

Dr. Arthur Wint, professor emeritus of criminology, a great friend and colleague to many of us, passed away Aug. 15 after a long, dignified battle against Lou Gehrigs disease, also known as ALS. He started at Fresno State in 1986 and was a seminal figure in our department’s evolution in becoming what it is today. Dr. Wint was also a member of the College Church of Christ for 38 years, serving as a deacon and elder emeritus.

Ms.Inez Elliston. Those who worked with her will remember her as kind, friendly, funny and hardworking. She started working for Fresno State in 1982 as the Teacher Education Department assistant and became the deans assistant in the Kremen School of Education and Human Development in 1996 where she remained until her retirement in 2014.

Her accomplishments include being chosen as the first recipient of the Jan and Bud Richter Award of Excellence in Education in 2000 and diligently pursuing her bachelors degree, graduating in 2013 with a bachelors in Mass Communication and Journalism.

Dr. Noel & Gloria Smith

September 8, 1925 - January 18, 2021

Fresno, California - Dr. Noel Smith and Gloria Smith met in Fresno, California in 1955 where their lifelong friendship began. That friendship evolved from shared values, mutual respect ,discovering, and enjoying what was unique whenever they were together. The recognition of kindred spirits grew into a beautiful love story that inspired friends and family alike, while also having a lasting positive impact on the citizens of Fresno. Our beloved Noel and Gloria are now joined in heaven, reunited for eternity.

Dr. Noel Smith was born in 1925 in La Brea, Trinidad. He proudly served the people of West Fresno as an obstetrician/gynecologist, providing much needed medical care to the medically underserved.

Gloria Smith (March 18, 1931-January 10, 2021) was born in Memphis, Tennessee. The epitome of kindness and grace, Gloria consistently dedicated her time and talent to help build and nurture the community she loved so much.

Dr. Fitzalbert M. Marius was one of two doctors in 1958 who performed the first open heart surgery, pioneering heart surgery in Fresno. Dr. Marius performed over 11,000 such surgeries during his 50-year practice before retiring at 91 years of age. Born in Panama and raised in Harlem, he first trained as a tailor and an artist before serving with the 725th Medical Sanitary Company during World War II. Dr. Marius was an accomplished musician, poet, author, painter, and golfer. He was also associated with the Hometown Heroes and Central Valley Honor Flight. As a dedicated teacher and mentor at the Fresno School of Mission, he remained active in the community through teaching, speaking, seminars,

motivational talks, and working with young people..