The Obituary

Sixty-nine years ago, Marva Yvonne graced this world with her great presence. She was born in Philadelphia on January 24, 1955 to Robert and Myrtle Hammond. The oldest of five, she was big sister to Reggie, Cheryl, Chris, and Doug. Growing up in South Philadelphia at 19th & Wharton, Marva attended Smith School right across the street from her childhood home before moving on to J.R. Masterman School and then The Philadelphia High School for Girls. She then went on, at the tender age of 16, to attend the Pennsylvania State University (We Are!) on a scholarship where she graduated with her Bachelor's degree in education.

Marva was a passionate and dedicated educator. She taught in the Philadelphia School District for 35 years with about half of those years spent at McDaniel Elementary in South Philly. Having mostly taught grades 1 and 4 over the years, she did her absolute best to make sure that her students were engaged and entertained while also preparing them for the next level of their education.

With several years of teaching under her belt, Marva then embarked on the next phase of her life: marriage and motherhood. In the late 1980s, she met Rickie Lee Abrams. They eventually married and then went on to welcome their baby girl, Jensine Luanna on February 5, 1990. Marva gracefully and faithfully committed herself to balancing motherhood, marriage, and her career over the course of her good years. She continued teaching until her well-deserved and well-earned retirement in 2011 the same year she got to proudly and excitedly witness Jensine graduate from Penn State (We Are!) just as she did. She and Rick were married for over 30 years before she completed her transition of out this world on February 26, 2024.

Marva leaves behind her daughter, Jensine, and her husband, Rick as well as brothers Reggie and Doug. She will also be remembered by her nieces, nephew, great nephews and niece, aunts, extended family, and of course, a host of friends and former colleagues. She rejoins her mother, father, her sister, Cheryl and her brother, Chris on the other side where they surely are all overjoyed to be reunited once again. She will continue to live on through those of us who remain here on this earthly plane and our memories of her.

There will never be enough words to describe our Marva and what she meant to us. She was brilliance and intelligence. She was beauty and strength. She was kindness and compassion. She was understanding and forgiving. She was selfless and resilient. She was patience and endurance. She was creativity and love. She was sacrifice and devotion. She was joy and light in the suffering. She was safety and security in the storm. She was all the good parts of this life and we will miss her dearly.

Rest well, Marva. You are now free from the burdens of this world.

Sorrowfully submitted,

The Family