Aisha Yvette Pearson

June 18, 1977 – July 12, 2025

Aisha Yvette Pearson, 48, of Fort Wayne, IN, went home to be with the Lord on July 12, 2025. Though her departure was sudden, her life was a symphony of love, laughter, and a little bit of sass — just the way she liked it.

Born on June 18, 1977, in Fort Wayne to Catherlene Pearson and Leonard Brooks, Aisha came into this world with a sparkle in her eye and a spirit well beyond her years. From a young age, her vibrant energy made people say, “That child has been here before.” And honestly, they weren’t wrong — she had an old soul, a sharp wit, and a heart that knew no bounds.

Aisha was the kind of woman who made you feel like you mattered. Whether you knew her as the world’s most loving mom, the most caring daughter, the “fun one” in the family, or the go-to friend who always had your back (and your snacks), you were lucky to be in her orbit. She had the unique gift of making people laugh even when they didn’t want to and would give you her last dollar without a second thought — and maybe slip in a joke while doing it.

She graduated from Elmhurst High School in 1995, where she held her own on the basketball court and track, proving early on that she had both grit and grace. While still in high school, she completed training as a Certified Nursing Assistant and started her career at Saint Anne’s Nursing Home. There, she gave two decades of compassion, humor, and kindness to residents and coworkers alike.

Never one to sit still (unless it was for Jeopardy! with her mom — she crushed the questions, by the way), Aisha furthered her education at Indiana Tech, where she played basketball and soccer, built unbreakable friendships, and earned her bachelor’s degree in Therapeutic Recreation in 2004.

After over 20 years of service at Saint Anne’s, Aisha embraced a new chapter at the YWCA, where she rose through the ranks to become Director of Residential Services. She made sure every woman she encountered knew she was seen, heard, and cared for.

Aisha lived life out loud. She loved to travel, try new foods, watch movies, and had a healthy obsession with dance — from mimicking music videos to making up routines with her younger sister. She was a Jeopardy! whiz, a movie buff, a professional debater (especially when it came to her baby sister — if you know, you know), and a soul that made even everyday moments feel like magic.

Aisha leaves behind a family who adored her beyond measure: her mother, Catherlene Pearson of Fort Wayne; her father and bonus mom, Leonard and Wilhelmina Brooks of Battle Creek, MI; her children, Te'a Smith of Sandy Springs, GA, and Xavier Sneed of Fort Wayne; her siblings, Damon (Antonia) Ivey, Carlton Pearson (Jill Lowe), Shira Davis, and Nakiesha Pearson; and a tribe of nieces, nephews, great-nieces and -nephews, aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends who now carry her light forward.

She was greeted in Heaven by her loving grandmother, Juanita Ivey, her grandparents, Arthur and Mary Brooks, her aunt Mattie Knight, and uncles Alvin Foster and Chester Brooks — no doubt greeted with music, laughter, and a perfectly timed dance move.

To know Aisha was to love her, and to love her was to have a lifetime supply of joy, kindness, and the occasional friendly roast. As we celebrate her life, we’ll remember her laugh, her spirit, and the way she made every room brighter — and every meal tastier.

In the words of Aisha herself: “Don’t cry too long. Play my jams and dance it out.”

Fly high, our beautiful soul. You are loved beyond words and missed beyond measure.

A Homegoing Celebration will be held Friday, August 1, 2025 at 11:00 a.m. with visitation one hour prior at Turner Chapel AME Church