Obituary of Valerie Gillis-Covin

Valerie Gillis Covin passed from this life to be with Christ at the age of 71. Valerie was born to the late Emmanuel Lawrence Pleasant Jr. and Indiana Lavinia Staples Gillis on July 11, 1953 in Bridgeton Hospital in Bridgeton, NJ. She attended Bridgeton Public Schools as a young child. In 1967 she met Richard Terry’ Smith. In 1989, she fell in love with the late Victor Covin, and on January 12, 1991 they were joined in holy matrimony. She was baptized August 21, 2005 at Voice of Deliverance New Covenant Church by Pastor Charles Hawkins and was currently an attending member of Love Oasis Ministries under the spiritual guidance of Pastor Billy Dee and Elite Lady Tanisha D. Williams. In 1972, Valerie earned her GED and attended Manpower Training Center where she received a certification in Bookkeeping. In 1975 she began attending college and earned multiple awards for the President and Dean’s lists. She earned multiple degrees and educational certificates while attending colleges and other training institutes. She attended Stockton state, Cumberland County, Colorado State and Rowan Colleges receiving a total of 163 college credits. As a young women, she worked in the local factories: Deer Park Baking Co; Hunts, Seabrook Bros & Sons; P J Ritter’s, Owens Illinois, Wheaton and Kerr Glass Industries. While attending college, she worked in the medical health field and worked at the local health care geriatric institutions: Bishop McCarthy, Rainbow, Greenbriar, Vineland Nursing and Vineland Developmental Centers. She also worked at the American Institute of Mental Studies and the NJ Memorial Home. In 1993 Valerie Worked for M.L King Academy and Community Outreach Center as an Executive Director, designing and implementing programs for the Center for Disease control in the area of teaching HIV Prevention education. She received the CEO Award for Outstanding Performance in 1995 and 1996. While working in this capacity, she served as a member of the Cumberland County Child Assessment Resource Team (CART), the NJ HIV Prevention Community Planning Group and the NJ Protection and Advocacy Advisory Board. Valerie spent her adult life as a volunteer tutoring young and older adults in a variety of subject’s at Cumberland County College. She began a business preparing income taxes at 17, helping people in this area until her death. She hopes to be remembered for her love of children, her devotion to helping others, her love for sharing, her sense of humor, her smile and her love for traveling abroad as well as throughout the United States. In addition to her wonderful son Rome Smith Sr., her memories will be cherished by her 8 grandchildren, Rome Jr., Rashaun, Chanele, Ventrelle Jr., Ti’Zyah, Fashionette, Niyahn and Rowen Smith; a daughter-in-law, Linda Logan- Smith; three sisters; Andrea Marie Gillis, Rhonda (Jule) Harrison and Donna Williams of Bridgeton, NJ; three Brothers David Edward Gillis, Ronald and Bruce Williams of Bridgeton, NJ; 23 nieces, Sonya Davis (Brian), Reisha Gillis (Christopher), Precious Richmond (Leopoldo), Ebony martin Griffin (Bobby), Ivory Roya, Pleasure Gillis, Sheila Pierce-Williams (Kenny Sr.), Charlesetta Hughes (Sherman), LaTonya Gillis, Renee Bonner (Steve), Shray Williams (Robert), Sheena Hasan (Ali), Nakia Scurry, Yashicka Frazier, Davina Strickland (Ricky), Indiana Amelia, Maqueba, Antionette Gillis, Marcella Byrd, Amber (Mylon) Johnson, Tameka Woodard, Taray and Shemyera Williams; 14 nephews, Curtis Pierce ( Tania), Ronald Jr. (Shamyra) and Raheem Williams, Ron Lavar Thomas (Reema), Christopher Dickerson, Damien Shaw, Isaiah Nelson, Ray Jones, Quincy Griffin, Tyrone Jr,. David Jr.,Daryl and Lamont Gillis and David Cole, four step-children, Richard Terry Jr., Tilo, Rasheena and Rashad Smith; adopted and spiritual nieces and nephews; Antione Williams, Jonathan Griffin, Latisha Frazier, Calvina (Ronald Sr., AKA (Buddy). Vincent, Roosevelt Jr; Brandon and Tonya Hart-Lee. An adoptive on Rae Robison (Theresa), a special cousins, Denise Staples and Valerie Lovett, special friends, Thomas Chester, Diane Muhammad, Sharon Williams, Pastor Maxine Allen, Pastor Russell and Charlene Alston, Tanisha Jarret, Willie Covin (Cootie), Chevelle Childers, Tanisha Russell, Jerrilyn Hadley and Lloyd Barrett, a host of great nieces and nephews, cousins and other relatives and friends. In addition to her husband and parents, she is pre deceased by her son Ventrelle Smith Sr., two brothers, Charles Louis (Turkey) and Tyrone Thomas Gillis. Her sisters, Marvella (Vimmie) and Sandra Gillis; a great-grandson, Rome Smith, her step-fathers David Edward Williams and Leo Allen Sr., her grandmothers, Winnie R. Echols, Bertha Selina Tilley-Pleasant; her grandfathers, Albert Atkinson and Emmanuel Lawrence Pleasant Sr., her cousins Beverly Brooks (Bam), Loretta Staples (Chicken), Sharon, Glendina and Deborah Wheeler, Yvonne, Jerome, Yolanda, William Jr., Deborah Staples and Cynthia Staples-Clark, Irmajean Howard and Robert Pleasant ; 1 niece, Luvinia Williams, a great niece and a great nephew, Infinity (MommyPooh) Milledge and Robert Williams Jr.; five paternal aunts: Bertha Selina Pleasant Howard Golden, Ethel Pleasant Brown, Doris Pleasant Caroaway, Ruth and Latisha pleasant, two step-ants; Irene Williams and Jessie Gordon and one maternal aunt: Betty Corley Staples.