Obituary of ASHIRA PACE

Obituary Ashira Pace was born on November 2, 1938 to Mozelle and Walter Graddy, Sr., in Cleveland, Ohio. Ashira attended Cleveland Public Schools, and graduated from John Adams High School. Ashira loved to learn and was a lifelong student. Ashira received several certificates and degrees throughout her life and had intentions on pursuing a Masters Degree. For many years, she was the owner/operator of an ethnic store and restaurant called The Land of the Pharaohs in downtown Tucson. Her talents were endless, she was an artist of the spoken word and the author of "Reparation, Now" and produced a music CD entitled "Reparations". Ashira had exceptional God given gifts, she was "the one who sees" and was a member of the Mami Wata Healers Society. She did her work in Tucson, at Holistic Health Retreats, and shared her talent wherever she was, wherever she worked and wherever she traveled. Ashira embraced the Islamic Faith and held true to her beliefs. Ashira was without question, a strong advocate for social justice. Her compassion was for children, the homeless, widows, and battered women. She was a women's counselor and mentor at the Emerge Woman's Shelter in Tucson, Arizona; she loved and was loved by those she mentored. She worked tirelessly in this field and may have been one of the longest workers as a direct domestic service provider. She also was a tutor at Roskruge Middle School. Ashira loved to travel and was fortunate to visit Kenya and Ghana on the Motherland-Africa, was proud to have participated in "The Million Man March" in Washington DC in 1995 and traveled to Houston and Washington DC to speak with the Reparations Movements. She enjoyed folk festivals, African dance, singing and was famous for her honey lemonade and green falafel sandwiches at the Tucson Annual Juneteenth Festival. In her spare time she enjoyed reading, she loved spending time with family, friends, and her two dogs "Ms Malcolm" and "Lenox Ali". Ashira was preceded in death by father Walter Graddy Sr. her mother Mozelle Chaney; "Pops" Jesse Chaney and her beloved brother Ludie Graddy. She leaves to treasure memory, her two loving and devoted sons, and their father Michael (Sherry) & Keith (Maya) Cross, Earnest Cross; a brother Walter Graddy Jr., Walter Graddy III, a sister Rev. Gloria Chaney-Robinson, & her sis-in-law Lucy Graddy, her uncle Harold Dillworth and 7 Grandchildren- Michael Jr., Delilah, Marcus, Lyshae, Keith, Tatiana, & Ashira Cross; 2 Great-Grandchildren: Taylor and Amoz Cross. The Family list also includes Best Friends Joanne Corbin, Mildred Martin, & the women and co-workers at The Emerged Women's Shelter in Tucson, AZ. Also, The Pace , The Graddy, The Cross, The Jones , The Isham, The Robinson, The Manuel, The Jordan, The McTier, The Drummond, and The Harris Families, along with countless, nieces, nephews, cousins, friends and neighbors in Cleveland, Ohio, Detroit Michigan, and Tucson, Arizona. Ashira will be greatly missed; she was a gift to the world!