Ericka Bernice Cousley

Ericka Bernice Cousley, age 70, a resident of New Braunfels, Texas, passed away on Tuesday, September 20, 2022. Born on April 11, 1952 in Jamaica, West Indies, she was the daughter of the late Pearlie Newman and Gilbert McFarlane. In addition to her mother and father, she was preceded in death by her sister Lurline McFarlane and brothers Clement (Devol) Samuda and Wycliffe McFarlane. Left to cherish her memory is her daughter, Kelli-Anne Barrow-Yanez and Son-in-Law, Robert Yanez, Jr; beloved grandson, Logan Yanez; brothers, Verland Green, Ervin McFarlane; sisters, Merlena Blair, Joy Medley; her nieces and nephews, Christopher, Howard, Maureen, Marvette, Winsome, Christopher, Devon, Garfield, Iona, Charm, Donovan, Veronica, Lorna, Pamela, Courtney, Kahlil, Kercol, Jason, Gerome, Tamara, Kharim, Gale, Greg, Samantha, Chelsea, Ariel, Nathaniel, Pam; her uncles Bernardo, Lewellyn and Mervan; her aunt Sister Lee and numerous cousins and friends who will miss her dearly. Ericka spent her childhood in Content, Nain (St. Elizabeth) and Kingston, Jamaica. She lived with her beloved grandmother during her early years. She would tell stories from her time living with her with such adoration and fondness. She credited her grandmother’s strength and perseverance as the reasons she became the strong women we all know and love. At the age of 17, she moved to Montreal, Canada to live with her mother and begin a new life. Ericka embraced her new country and new way of life. It was a hard adjustment leaving the warmth and comfort of the only home she had known but she was a fighter and was determined to make the best of the new opportunity. She went on to earn her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Humber College. While living in Toronto, she gave birth to her daughter, Kelli-Anne. She loved being a mother and made it her mission to develop a strong, loving, and cherished relationship with her daughter. Being someone Kelli could count on, look up to for guidance and as an example of what a strong women should be, was very important to Ericka. In 1986, Ericka moved to Westbury, New York, where she continued her career in the Financial Industry at the Dime Savings Bank (now known as JP Morgan Chase). Ericka made it a point to embrace her family and friends and created a loving environment for her daughter and all who knew her. Canada and New York would prove to be a great learning opportunity and a great place to make lifelong friends. After many years of living and working in New York, Ericka moved to Florida where she began to fulfill her purpose by helping women become self-sufficient and gain independence through Homeownership and self-empowerment. Ericka used her tenacity and was the driving force behind developing a 30 single-family home community in Fort Myers, called Hope Gardens. Hope Gardens was a major success for the City of Fort Myers and personally for Ericka. During her time in Florida, Ericka was involved in many civic activities and enjoyed hosting numerous family functions. Ericka made many friends that turned into family over the years, all of whom have had an impact on her life. Ericka’s move to Texas coincided with her retirement from active employment in Florida, and transitioned into the role of Caretaker for Billy, a ward of the State of Texas. In addition, she spent her time hosting friends and family on their many visits to Texas, exploring her interest in photography, and travelling. Her last big trip was just before the pandemic, where she went to explore Switzerland and Italy with one of her oldest and dearest friends, Erma. That trip was life affirming for her. It gave her another opportunity to see God’s beauty and His love. One of the greatest honors of her life was being a mother to her loving daughter, Kelli. She was so proud of her and wanted only the best for her. She would send encouraging messages, jokes and ‘love you’ texts just to put a smile on her face. She was so happy when Kelli was blessed with Logan. It filled her heart with joy to see her baby girl’s dream come true when she gave birth to Logan. In the last 3 years, she prepared for the birth of her first grandchild, and she was blessed to take care of him after he was born. This experience rejuvenated her as she thoroughly enjoyed taking care, teaching, imparting wisdom and playing with him. Logan was her heartbeat. She poured herself into him as he poured into his Gia (his term of endearment for his grandmother). The love between the two was so deep, they had their own language. The bond between Ericka and Logan was strong and will be everlasting. Ericka had faith in God, was kind, thoughtful, trustworthy, and authentic. All who knew her will attest to that. If you were lucky enough to be called a friend, you were family. She was supportive, encouraging, and loving. For those of us who loved her it will be a long time before the pain of losing her subsides and we come to terms with the reality that we will never embrace her, laugh with her and talk with her again. However this we know for sure – she is in the arms of God, and she is suffering no more. For this we are thankful, and we continue to trust God as we walk through this experience. She will forever be in our hearts, our spirits, and our memories. She is gone but will never be forgotten. “Your life was a blessing, your memory a treasure, you are loved beyond words and missed beyond measure.”