(Sash, Curtis, Karma), named Sashanna T. Curtis was born on September 19, 1990 at Victoria Jubilee Hospital in Kingston, Jamaica to parents Michelle Crownie and Richard (Mark) Curtis. She was the first of three siblings and the first grandchild to Doreen Pitt-Murray.

Sashanna spent most of her life in her country of birth, Jamaica. She attended Rock Hall Basic School, Rock Hall All Age School and later attended The Queen’s High School. After five years of high school education, Sashanna proudly graduated in the class of 2007, where she earned her High School Diploma along with five CXC subjects.

In March 2008, Sashanna along with her family migrated to the United States. It was there she met Paul Thomas, son of Donna Thomas better known as Bibsie who became her best friend. The friendship eventually evolved and the two later produced two beautiful children, Amaya Thomas, age two and Dominic Thomas now five months old.

It wasn’t long before Sashanna’s true bloom started to show itself, as she became a strong, resilient, ambitious woman. She enjoyed life, especially as she raised her children, which became her reason for living and fighting what sometimes were hard challenges. Sashanna had many talents, expressed in the form of singing, drawing, graphic design and her very favorite, culinary arts. Sashanna had a passion for cooking, growing up, Sash would “run a boat” as we say in Jamaica. That is, cook a feast to share for everyone at the residence, using whatever ingredients were at hand and reasonably accessible, often on a constrained budget.

She was an absolute perfectionist with her cooking; always going well beyond average to create first class meals, especially her well loved baked products Sweet and sour chicken, pina colada cake and bread pudding were some of her most requested culinary masterpieces. It seems she poured all her love into her meals, and if you ever tasted that bread pudding, you’d know exactly what I’m talking about. One of her latest creations was for her Aunt Debbie’s baby shower, earlier in January, show stopping! She had a dream to open a bakery, “Karma’ʑ Kreationʑ” she called it. She was in the process of launching in true Sashanna perfectionist style, but sadly, we were unable to see her achieve her goal.

“A heart of gold”, Sashanna would give her last to anyone who was in need, many of us can attest to this. She mothered not only her birthed children, but she also played the role to her brothers, sister, friends and cousins. Curtis was very jovial, high spirited and energetic, even through sickness. That smile she wore lit the faces of those with whom she came in contact. She was a fighter, incredibly strong, and very determined to live. “I have to watch my children grow up” she would say, as she wrote in one of her final Facebook chats with one of her good friend. Sash’s children were her motivation to survive, even up to her very last day with us. She was an exceptional, outstanding, nurturing mother. Sashanna fought hard, but sadly and though none of us can understand it, or even expected it, she had to leave us to continue her mission of loving and giving with the angels where she belonged all along.

Sashanna transitioned in hospital on Monday, January 19, 2015. She leaves her children Amaya and Dominic, parents; Michelle and Mark, siblings; Kiona and Mourice (Bunny), grandmother Dorean ; many aunts and uncles; grand aunts and grand uncles; cousins; other relatives and friends. Sash will be missed but the memories she created in our lives will never be forgotten. Even in our time of mourning we remember that infectious laugh she had, (most times the laughter was funnier than the joke being shared). We were fortunate to have such a strong, resilient, loving and special soul with us, even if only for a short period. Sashanna T. Curtis, Sash, Curtis, Karma, rest on, smile on, and cook on, always, always, always living on in our hearts. May your soul rest in peace!

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