Melissa I Ali-Cassim

Melissa was born in The Baltic, St. Peter, Barbados, to Ione Ethel Caddle-Edwards and Clyde Banfield on September 20, 1943. She attended Boscobelle Girls School before migrating to Manchester, England as a teen.  There she worked at the British Railway while attending nursing school. After graduation, she worked at Prestwich Hospital. Melissa started her family in England, giving birth to two sons, David and Ronnie Peltier.

In the late 60’s, she relocated to Brooklyn, New York, to find better opportunity and provide a good future for her sons. In those years, Melissa worked as a private-duty nurse, and as a cashier at Key Food. In Brooklyn, she would later meet the love of her life, her future husband Asar Ali-Cassim. In the mid 70’s, Melissa’s sacrifices paid off when David and Ronnie rejoined her in Brooklyn. She proudly watched them graduate after attending school in New York. Eventually, both moved away to attend university - as she had always hoped.

Melissa and Asar relocated to Miami, Florida in 1982. Their daughter, Khadija Ali-Cassim, was born there in 1984. For years, Melissa continued her career as a nurse, taking care of preemie and cesarian babies, where the moms were either unable or afraid to take care of their newborns. Melissa’s compassion, laughter, and kind-heartedness helped many families in difficult times.

She also worked as a cashier at Miami International Airport, where her cheerfulness and ability to find humor in most things helped brighten the day for many weary travelers. She herself was a world traveler; she especially enjoyed taking annual family cruises and visited Europe, the Caribbean, South and Central America over the years.   

Melissa loved animals, but her greatest lifetime passion was gardening; she had the greenest green thumb! Anything she planted, air-layered, or grafted would flower, blossom, and bloom. Throughout her retirement, and despite her illness, she continued to plant and tend her flower, fruits, and vegetable gardens around her home.

Melissa is fondly remembered as a beautiful and bright light by her friends and family. She is survived by her husband Asar Ali-Cassim, her children David Peltier, Ronnie Peltier, and Khadija Ali-Cassim Gomez; her son-in-law Emilio Gomez, grandchildren Shamar Peltier, Roneesha Peltier, Kelly Isabella Gomez, and Alia Melissa Gomez; late brothers Garret Caddle, and Keith Cadogan; surviving brother Joel Caddle, and sisters Ursaline Ifil and Maryline Griffith; and many cousins, nieces, nephews, and in-laws.

In lieu of flowers the family kindly asks you to support the ALS Clinic (Phil Smith Neuroscience Institute) 

The family extends heartfelt gratitude to all who provided loving support and care.