Pearline Cleo Yearwood

After spending three decades in her home country, Pearline was motivated to build a better future for her children, immigrating to New York in 1969. She worked for many years as a caretaker before entering the nursing field, beginning a long career of service at St. Luke’s Roosevelt Hospital in New York City. Pearline was known for going above and beyond the call of duty, and was beloved by her patients and colleagues. She also enjoyed spending time with family and friends, learning new things, and mastering new crafts. Pearline was a talented seamstress, gardener, baker, and cook, as well as a budding organist.

Everywhere she lived, Pearline enjoyed building community. Upon retirement, she resettled to Florida, joining the Senior Center, and volunteering with Keepers at Home and Reformers Unanimous. As a devout Christian, she served those in need at her local church and developed a reputation for her deep faith, generosity, and cheerful spirit. Pearline also traveled the world to see God’s wonders, from Paris, to Egypt, to Israel. She relished her role as a grandmother, and delighted in celebrating the life milestones of her grandchildren as they grew into adults.

Pearline’s legacy of service, perseverance, faith, hard work, righteousness, and education can be seen in the lives of her children, who each followed her example. They went on to dedicate their lives to the medical field as a nurse, the United States Navy as a mechanical engineer, the healthcare system as an executive administrator, and the legal field as a regional director in human rights.

Pearline was loved by all who knew her, and will be dearly missed by those who loved her.

She is survived by her four children, Yvonne, Deborah, Kenneth, and Joyce, her grandchildren Killah, Claude, Shadae, Kenneth Jr., Shana, Sierra, and William; and her great-grandchildren Saige, Malia, Aarya, and Hudson.