Joshua Demetri Sparrow was born on January 7th, 2006, at Harlem Hospital. He was 6 pounds and 15 ounces. I almost died giving birth to him, which caused me to have an emergency C-section. Joshua was meant to be here. He was my firstborn. Joshua leaves behind 3 younger brothers Josiah Sparrow age 15, Cordearo Thompson age 12, and Camron Sparrow age 5. Joshua was always an amazing brother, son, and friend. You barely see Joshua get angry. He wasn’t a trouble maker nor disrespectful to adults. After losing my mother, Sheila Sparrow to cervical cancer on January 11th, 2005, God sent me my angel, Joshua, the following year. He gave me something to live for; he gave me hope, he gave me a new beginning. My baby was a gift to me!

Joshua wouldn’t have left his mark in this world if it wasn’t for his loving grandparents, Sheila Sparrow and Joe Williams. The happily married couple started with two kids, adding five more children throughout the marriage. Steven Sparrow, Tai Sparrow, Joe Sparrow, Christopher Sparrow, Sheila Sparrow, Tabatha Sparrow, and Samantha Wiggan were wonderful loving uncles and aunts to Joshua. Later on in life, the family moved to the Bronx, NY. It was there, where I would meet his father, Jeniere Evans.

Joshua was a bright child and always loved to make people laugh. He was loved by many! Especially by his stepfather, Lawrence Gonzalez who helped raise Joshua. Joshua was everything a mother could ask for, he was imperfectly perfect for me. He loved me through my flaws, cheered me on as his mother, and helped me with his brothers. At the age of 16, he often dreamed of becoming a lawyer. He had so much life in him. Joshua was just AMAZING!

Joshua got his voice from his father and his dance moves of course from his mother. He was very talented and could sing, dance, and rap. His best friend was his brother Josiah. They did everything together and no one could break them up. It was them against the world. They were the definition of “Bonnie and Clyde”, a “ride or die” type of love. Joshua never judged his brother Jojo for his imperfections and never made him feel less than who he was. Instead, he always tried to help and guide him in the right direction. Joshua was a protector. He was also very loving to Cordearo and Camron, they meant everything to him.

Joshua was gone too soon. He was so gentle. His smile could light up a room, and if you had a bad day Josh’s warm spirit knew how to make your day better. His life wasn’t easy, but Josh didn’t allow it to stop him from being a great person. He was only 18 years old when he lost his life to gun violence. He was just trying to survive in this world where hate doesn’t allow love to blossom. Joshua’s legacy will still live on in the hearts of those he touched. His memories will be held dear to our hearts. To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. Joshua will always be my first love and my first son, leaving his footprints in the sand and an everlasting smile in my heart.

A special thank you to all family and friends for the love and support shown to the Sparrow family during this time. A special thank you to Bailey’s Funeral Home.