Obituary of Pamelia Lucretia Evelyn

Pamelia Lucretia Evelyn passed away on Saturday, February 15, 2020, at her home in Brandywine, Maryland, surrounded by her loved ones after fighting early onset Alzheimer's disease for approximately a decade. She was 65 years old. Pam, as she was commonly called, was born July 17, 1954, in Silver Sands, Barbados, the last child of the late Mitchenson and Enid ‘Fancy’ Drakes of Rollins Road, Christ Church, Barbados. As the last child (and youngest of twelve children), Pam grew up under the watchful eye of her brothers closest in age to her – Wyman, Duan and George, the fourth, third and second youngest children, respectively. She loved being spoiled by visits from her elder siblings, who had already moved abroad, like Lloyd Drakes, Frank Drakes, Leila Drakes and Wendell Drakes. She was extremely close to her mother, Fancy, whose fiery personality and deep love for family she emulated. In fact, Pam grew up surrounded by nieces and nephews, who were relatively close to her age, that were raised, in part, by her parents. In Barbados, she was educated at St. Christopher Girls’ School and Barbados SDA Secondary School. Through George, she met Lloyd Henderson Evelyn. After a brief courtship, they were married on December 19, 1976. Their union produced three children – Tashida Aloma, Janssen Everette, and Shallun Devere Evelyn. Pam and Lloyd were married for 43 years. Much like her parent's marriage of contrasting personalities, Pam and Lloyd brought balance to each other. Lloyd was the love of Pam's life – and he had the hearts of her siblings for his ability to be a calming force in her life. In late September 1986, she, her husband, and three children migrated to the United States – initially to Boston, which was not a good fit for Pam – and she let it be known. At Duan's urging, she promptly moved her family and settled in Riverdale, Maryland. After settling in Riverdale, Pam enrolled in nursing school at Prince George's Community College in order to provide her family a better quality of life. An intensely focused woman, Pam was also working full-time as a certified nursing assistant and commuting via Metrobus between home, work, and school. After receiving her Associate's in Nursing (RN) in December 1992, she promptly passed her boards and started working in the same hospital where she had been a CNA in prior years. As a nurse, Pam's compassion shown. She was particularly fond of the elderly and found great joy ensuring that they were treated with dignity, humanity, and love towards the end of their life. It is no wonder that this level of dignity, humanity, and love was returned to her by her home-aide, Dominique Stewart in the final two years of Pam's life. Family and close friends who became family were everything to Pam. She was always ready to fight on behalf of her children, her nieces/nephews, and the friends of her sons (that she approved of). She instilled in them a sense of pride. Throughout the years, family members from siblings, nephews, nieces, a sister-in-law, and her mother lived with her for extended periods of time. Her home was always filled with her off-key singing, her laughter, and her telling off someone (for their edification, of course). She poured herself into her Drakes clan – both near and far and was big on investing in people and thinking generationally. Pam will be sadly missed by her husband of forty-three years, Lloyd, children, Tashida (Marquis), Janssen (Sonya), and Shallun (Kenya); grandchildren, Jabari, Jadon, Jahleel, Simone, Adia, and Sinclair; brothers, Wendell, Joel, Duan (Gracelyn), and George (Dale); sister, Leila. The "matriarch" of her extended family, she was the beloved aunt of Louise David, Enid Forde, Babbitie Williams, Claudette Smith, Steven Drakes, Michael Drakes, Paul Drakes, Felicia Cunningham, Sandra Drakes, Stephanie Drakes, Enid Forde, Stenicia Frederick, Michal Forde-Sanders, Brian Williams, Brianna David, Gregory David, Wesley Reid, Rachel Reid, G Hudson Drakes, Alandre Drakes, and Benjamin Drakes. She will be missed by a host of other nephews and nieces in the U.S.A., Barbados, United Kingdom, and Europe. She was preceded in death by her siblings Lloyd Drakes, Frank Drakes, Vaughn Drakes, Norman Drakes, Wynona "Pet" Reid, and Wyman Drakes. In accordance with her wishes, her body has been cremated and her remains will be buried in Barbados, alongside her parents, and in the land that she loved. Memorial services will be held Sunday, March 1 at 12:00 p.m. at New Hope SDA Church, 12350 Hall Shop Road, Fulton, Maryland 20759. A repast will follow at 2 p.m.