Hope La’Keisha Garvin affectionally called “Keisha” by close family and friends was born on November. 26, 1974 to parents Johnnie Lee Garvin Sr. and Laurice Garvin-Walker in Brooklyn, NY. The fifth of six children, she loved learning at an early age and was always focused on her studies, this is a quality that she carried into adulthood.

Hope attended NYC Public Schools and graduated from Middle College High School in Queens, NY. She was a self-described “career student” and a lover of writing, reading, and science. Hope was the first in her family to graduate from college and received a Bachelor in Journalism from Long Island University in Brooklyn, NY and a Master of Psychology at Pace University. Her love of helping others led her to pursue a degree in Nursing at Pace University as well. Hope ultimately chose a career in Social Work, graduating with a Master of Social Work from Touro College. Hope was a Licensed Master of Social Work Clinician providing support to adults, children, and families at various nonprofit agencies in NYC including Women in Need, Postgraduate Center for Mental Health and Ridgewood Bushwick Senior Citizen Council. Hope found her love and passion in the field of Medical Social Work where she advocated for underserved populations at Woodhull Hospital and where she provided empathetic care coordination and counseling support to senior citizens and their families at Humana-Senior Bridge program. 

Hope’s love was her five children, they were her world, and she was theirs. She enjoyed spending quality time with them and her 3 year old grandson who she called “pumpkin patch.” Hope cultivated qualities of love and kindness in each interaction with her kids and always reminded them to give love and remain peaceful in their own lives. 

Hope’s diagnosis of stage 4 pancreatic cancer did not deter her from pursuing passions and from loving life. Hope continued to work while receiving treatment stating that “my clients need me” while also supporting her children in all of their endeavors and loving them unconditionally. She was always thinking of others constantly asking “How are you?” and “Do you need anything?” to family and friends who visited her during this difficult time. 

Hope departed this life peacefully surrounded by family on April. 4, 2021. She was preceded in death by her father Johnnie Lee Garvin Sr, older brother Johnnie Lee Garvin Jr, uncle Ronald Frazier, and grandmothers Maggie Aldrich and Odessa Frazier.

She leaves to cherish her memory, daughter N’keya Peters-Camille and husband Pedeche Camille, former spouse Stacey Bishop and their children son Jabari Bishop, daughter Ishari Bishop, daughter Nia Bishop, and her youngest son Kai Clarke, grandson Pedeche Camille Jr, mother Laurice Walker, sisters Linda Frazier (Marietta, GA), Cheryl Garvin, Vanessa Green Hines (Brooklyn, NY) Barnetta Priester Matthews (Barnwell, SC)  brothers Rodney Laury, Joseph Garvin, and Dennis Green (Brooklyn, NY), Anthony Priester (Allendale, SC) and numerous uncles, aunts, nieces, nephews, and cousins.

In her own words: Hope was a “strong and beautiful woman.” She was “stress free, peaceful,” and lived life. She wished “peace and blessings to friends and loved ones” and reminded us that “Life is too short, Life is beautiful, despite the heartache, despite the faults of others…life continues to be beautiful. Take joy in it! Be grateful and forgive. Forgiveness makes life what it is. Never stop loving!” We can all honor Hope by living our life with joy, forgiving each other, remaining peaceful, and choosing love in the face of all life’s challenges.