Loved ones lay Gigi Myrie and Steve Allen to rest
By Kendra Bryant Special to the AFRO Family and classmates gathered for the homegoing Mass of siblings Giovanna Jennifer Myrie and Steve Fitzgerald Allen at St. Casimir Church on July 21. One by one, loved ones filed into the church for the ceremony that took place just two days after what would have been Steve’s […] The post Loved ones lay Gigi Myrie and Steve Allen to rest appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.
Black News 
By Kendra Bryant
Special to the AFRO
Family and classmates gathered for the homegoing Mass of siblings Giovanna Jennifer Myrie and Steve Fitzgerald Allen at St. Casimir Church on July 21.
One by one, loved ones filed into the church for the ceremony that took place just two days after what would have been Steve’s 10th birthday.
Visitors arrived at the Southeast Baltimore church to pay their respects to the two children who lost their lives to gun violence in early July.
“We called Steve ‘Pops,’”said Reesa Robinson, the children’s mother, in her opening remarks. “Pops loved to play Roblox, like most kids his age. He’d often frequent the pizza shop and the library.”
Robinson described the boy as a “multi-cultural” child who embraced both his Trinidadian and Jamaican heritage. She also said nothing could “keep him away from TikTok and his newfound love for Michael Jackson.”
He also played basketball, wearing the No. 22 jersey.
Giovanna and Steve died from gunshot wounds on July 7 in their Woodlawn home.
The siblings were pronounced dead at their Gwynn Oak home on the 6100 block of Talles Road, after law enforcement responded to reports of a shooting around 7:20 p.m. Two bullet holes were visible on the front of the home.
Police continue to investigate the deaths, with no suspects identified at this time.
Giovanna,15, also known as “Gigi,” was a student at Western High School in Baltimore, which is known as the nation’s oldest public high school exclusively for girls. She participated in golf and also took an interest in karate.
“Gigi was ‘high maintenance,’” said Robinson. “ Her eyelashes, nails and hair were always on point. Most people will describe her as quiet and reserved, but her friends at school knew she loved new activities and took advantage of her strengths.”
“I’m proud of you,” Robinson said to her children before a final goodbye. “Together, you both shared a beautiful bond.”
All photo credits, except for funeral service: Courtesy photo
In honor of the siblings’ favorite colors, attendees of the ceremony arrived wearing black and gold.
Students, staff and alumni of Western, a school that prides itself in sisterhood, gathered to honor the children’s lives. Tori Rose, a 2002 graduate, met Gigi during a school visit and discovered they shared the same nickname.
“We had a ‘sisterhood moment,’” said Rose. “She’s a beautiful girl, inside and out. Everything that has been said about her spirit and personality. She was really a light. One thing I believe wholeheartedly is that not only did Gigi represent the essence and dignity of what we want to see in Western Doves, but I know, had she been given the opportunity, she would’ve gone on to be a very integral part of our community.”
The service focused on finding the light when the power goes out, with that light being community, memories and love.
“Unfortunately, the community may be a little dimmer because that light has now been extinguished,” said Rose. “We know that they’re now in a spiritual place, still guiding, keeping and being only the best.”
The post Loved ones lay Gigi Myrie and Steve Allen to rest appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.
