Junius Shabazz Higgins

Junius Shabazz Higgins was born November 1, 1975 to Ruby Elzie and Jerome Higgins at Physicians and Surgeons Hospital. Born 2 months premature, he spent the first weeks of his young life in the neonatal ICU being cared for by the nuns and nurses at Schumpert Medical Center. He was baptised at Pleasant Grove Baptist Church by Pastor Herman Anderson as a young boy and spent his formative years living on a family farm on the Copper Road. The multi-acre back yard offered an array of options for a growing boy. It could be said that young Junius never met a bicycle, crawdad fishing pole, a tree branch, or a tractor that he didn't like. Eventually he and his younger brother, Patrick, became enamored with the TV show, The Dukes of Hazzard, which featured "the Duke Brothers" doing acrobatic tricks in their souped up race car. This led to Junius and Patrick creating an obstacle course in the yard for racing bikes. Others joined. It became so popular that the family yard became a gathering place for kids in the neighborhood.

He attended Northside Elementary School, Donnie Bickham MIddle School, and Linear Junior High for lower grades. For high school he attended Green Oaks where he participated in ROTC and learned to play the drums, which he frequently played outside attracting other neighborhood band kids to come and play along. After graduating Green Oaks he joined the Navy. While he loved to travel--being stationed in Florida, Japan, and California, Junius was never one for following rules. He realized quickly that military life was not for him.

He was preceded in death by his father, Jerome Higgins, his paternal grandparents: Martha Higgins and Henry Higgins, his maternal grandparents: Charlie Rae Jasper and John L. Elzie, and a special cousin Larry Higgins, Jr. He leaves to mourn his mother, Ruby Elzie Autrey, four children: Jamontee Jackson, Joshua Higgins, Ja'Quandalyn Higgins, and Jasmine HIggins, one granddaughter, Nova Higgins, one brother: Patrick Wilson, sisters: Hawona Sullivan Janzen (Mark) and Cynthia Williams Hayes (Bernard) and a host of nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends including Miss Margaret Evans and dear childhood friend Joey Jackson, both of whom stuck by him to the end.

Blue was his favorite color. Each time you see blue, we invite you to remember Junius.

"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."

Matthew 11:28