Malissa E. Pascal

Malissa grew up in Southwest, Washington DC, and attended Amidon Elementary, Anthony Bowen, Jefferson Jr. High, and Ballou High School, where she attended the upward bound program. She was also on the school’s academic debate team and participated in a debate on live TV. Malissa also took modern and interpretive dance and participated in school dance programs. Malissa and I also had a part in a play together at the Little Theater of Alexandria years ago.

Malissa enjoyed working; she held a summer job as a librarian at the Bladensburg Public Library. She also had a summer job as a service representative at Bell Atlantic and became a full-time employee at Verizon (Bell Atlantic). She worked at Verizon until she got sick. During the time Malissa was under the care of the University of Maryland Hospital Kidney transplant department, she got the opportunity to speak to post kidney transplant recipients at their annual meeting. She told me how much she enjoyed speaking to them. When she returned to the workforce, she worked for the Lee Andersen wearable art design and production company in Howard County, Maryland, where she was the Office Assistant. Her supervisor there commented that she was one of the sweetest people he had ever met.

Malissa desired to be a wife, have children, and be a good homemaker; she accomplished that. Her desire to raise a family was manifested in everything she did from an early age. From the time she could, she would clean the house, prepare meals, and boss her brothers around as if they were her children; yes, they did what she said. After a while, when I came home from work, all I had to do was eat and sometimes help with homework. Considering all of the things Malissa accomplished in life, her greatest accomplishment is her dedication to Jehovah God and baptism.

Malissa was preceded in death by her son Brandon Michael Coles and three brothers. She is survived by her husband Earl Pascal, four sons: Demetrius Jerome Coles, Andrew Henry Coles, Avery Lynn Coles, and Christopher Lee Coles; her grandchildren: Jiriya and Jayden Coles (Brandon), Noah and Josiah Coles (Andrew), Kingston Coles (Avery); her grandmother Mary McKelvey, mother Mary Ellington (Alvin), brother Richard Monroe (Kofo); sisters: Arlene, Yvette, Charlene, Marvette, Tianna, Tonya & Mari; Lynn McKelvey (aunt), Henry McKelvey (uncle); and a host of nieces, nephews, grand-nephews, grand-nieces, aunts, uncles, cousins, extended family, and friends.

Anyone who knew Malissa knows that she was a loving and caring person. Family and friends will miss her, but we are all looking forward to the time when we will see her again in a “world that is new” (Revelation 21:1-5).