Fitzroy, the Sarcastic Dad and Protector

Fitzroy Yearwood

But Yearwood would never recover. His family said that even though he had rebounded well in the past from near-death situations caused by health complications, this time the prognosis from the get-go was grim. His brain had swollen and was hemorrhaging and it happened at a spot where doctors decided they could do nothing to help. Yearwood slipped away on Tuesday, April eleventh, leaving behind nine children, ranging in ages from twenty-six to seven years old. He shared three of those children with his wife, Adilean. She explained that Fitzroy, in all his jovial personality, was a serious family man who protected his loved ones.

Adilean Yearwood

Adilean Yearwood, Wife of Fitzroy Yearwood

“He was a protector. You wouldn’t want to cross his children because you’re crossing him. So he was very protective, not only of his children, but of his loved ones, you know, his family. He took family very seriously. He liked to joke around with the girls. He would come in the room and especially the last one, Destiny, he would mess around with her. She does very well in school, so he had this thing at home where every test you – every test you pass, sorry – and you get 90 or above, you get $5. So it so happened that she got a lot of tests at school and she was racking up the $5. So he would, when she would bring the test paper at home she would lay on his pillow. So when he comes home, as he opens his bedroom door, there. Maybe three test papers on his pillow. And he’s like, you are breaking me. I’m gwein bruk. I gwein bruk. You need to slow down. You need to get some things wrong on your test. And we always made a silly joke out of it. But he always supported us in whatever it was, whether it was getting up at four o’clock in the morning to get ready to go for a marathon with the kids at school, or helping with bake sale for one of the girls at school. Any little thing that was in a positive direction, he was all for it. And he always took the time and he explained to the girls, you know, life is hard and I will do my very best to be here for you and support you and make sure that you are okay. Lean on me, let me know what’s happening. Don’t feel that you are walking a journey alone because I am your father and I am here to guide you and protect you.”