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Jaleisa Wilcox died on Wednesday, May 31, in Mechanicsville when a suspected speeding Corvette crashed into her and another vehicle, Maryland state police said. Wilcox's Camry rolled over after the impact and slammed into an earthen barrier. She died at the scene.
Her friends have started a GoFundMe to help provide for her family. The campaign has raised over $8,000 of its $25,000 goal from more than 100 donors as of Monday afternoon.
Jaleisa started her cleaning business, Quality Cleaners LLC, in 2017 in Southampton before moving to Maryland, according to her LinkedIn. Her family and friends said she was hardworking and built her business through perseverance, persistence, and perspiration.
But her passion laid with her family.
Jaleisa was loved by her family and many people in the community. She was a young 33 year old entrepreneur who opened her own cleaning business and made it successful in both Western Mass and Maryland. Jaleisa had a personality unmatched by any other and that made her a very unique person. She was straight forward and to the point and would tell you how it is, no matter who you were. She was also deeply caring, loving, and generous, always lending a helping hand when she could. Jaleisa leaves behind her fiancee Edward Gardner and their 4 children; Alana, Carter, Khaliah and Junior.
A memorial service is set for 11 a.m. Saturday, June 10, in Charlotte Hall, Maryland, followed by a private burial, per her obituary.
Jaleisa's death was so sudden and her future so promising that many of her loved ones have struggled to process their grief. Particularly those who would have turned to her in their times of need.
"(Jaleisa) was the light of one of the darkest parts of my childhood," friend Jade Laurèn Elias posted on Facebook. She was my protector, she taught me to be brave and smart. She loved me when no one did. She went through more than me and worse than me and she made it look like a breeze — all while wiping my tears and making me tough. ... She stood up for me. She made my life a better life. She was my Jaloopa. She was my best friend. And she was stolen yesterday from her husband and her 4 children by the most selfish act imaginable."
Her fiance, Edward Gardner, has been posting updates for the family.
But the common thread through dozens of social media posts was a need for justice — a desire for answers in a world left a little darker with her not in it.
Click here for more information on the GoFundMe for Jaleisa Wilcox's four children and fiance.
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