Aisha Samira Martin

Aisha Samira Martin, 50, of Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, entered into eternal rest Tuesday, May 21, 2024. Her Funeral Service will be held Friday, May 31, 2024 in the J. Henry Stuhr Inc., Mount Pleasant Chapel, 1494 Mathis Ferry Road at 11:00 am. The family will receive friends an hour before the service. Arrangements by J. Henry Stuhr, Inc. Mount Pleasant Chapel.

Aisha Samira Martin, daughter of Garnett and Shirley Martin, was born on October 23, 1973 at Brooklyn Jewish Hospital, in Brooklyn New York.  At birth, her parents were informed that their daughter had Down syndrome. At that time, the average life expectancy for someone with Down syndrome was generally not past thirty years old. God’s Grace certainly surpassed the early reports of the doctors.

She attended daycare in both Brooklyn and Staten Island, New York. Shortly thereafter, she was enrolled in classes at a New York City public school. During this time, she was very active with the Special Olympics team. She graduated with an IEP high school diploma from the Occupational Training Center (OTC) and was subsequently accepted into a program called Lifespire. She eventually moved on to the Community Resource Center, where she found paid employment.
Aisha was typically very busy. When she was physically able, she would be out and about cooking and showing off her creativity with a program called "A Very Special Place." She especially enjoyed spending time with her friend, whom she called her “boyfriend,” and often talked about learning to drive so she could one day chauffeur him around in her “red car.”

Aisha was a true believer in Jesus Christ and was baptized at Mt. Calvary Holy Church in Staten Island, NY. This church embraced her with love, and she was an active member of their drama team and choir. Christian Pentecostal Church was another church that significantly impacted Aisha’s life. Pastor John Carlo once surprised her mother by inviting her to the pulpit to say a prayer for the entire congregation, and she did it! Pastor Carlo told her mother that he saw Aisha as a prophetess because she constantly reminded people that "Jesus was coming soon" and asked them if they were ready.
In approximately 2014, Aisha was hospitalized in New York due to medical issues and was eventually transferred for rehabilitation to Mt. Pleasant Manor in South Carolina to be closer to her parents, who had recently relocated.

In June 2021, Aisha was placed into hospice care, allowing her parents to bring her home to live with them. Aisha was a testament to the power of prayer. Throughout her life, the grace of God was evident. She had undergone several critical procedures, including two open-heart surgeries, hip procedures, and a battle with COVID that nearly took her life. Despite doctors originally giving her a lifespan of approximately 30 years, God showed through Aisha that He could overcome each of these life-threatening obstacles and extend her life beyond the original expectation.

In September 2021, Aisha moved from hospice to long-term care. In spite of the daily pain she experienced, she strived to give God the glory in all she did. She glorified Him through the gospel music she listened to and sang, the church services she attended online, and the joy she exhibited whenever she heard Pastor John preach.

Aisha will be remembered by her parents Garnett Sr. “Skip” and Shirley “Yvonne”; her siblings, Garnett Jr. (Carmen), and Annelle; her niece and nephews Jalena, Jadon, Joshua, and Brandon; a host of aunts, uncles and cousins, including: Richard II, Barbara, Samuel Jr and Queen, Floyd and Valerie, Patty and Alphonso, and Adrian (Kathy), Bobby and Angelique. Aisha had many friends but will particularly be remembered by her friends Carolyn, and Rev. Annie Cooper. 

When Aisha and her parents started going to church in person post COVID, the first statement she made to a parishioner she had just met was “Jesus is coming, are you ready?” We honor her legacy and we say to all of you, Jesus is coming, are you ready?

Memorials may be made in Aisha's honor to https://timtebowfoundation.org/

A memorial message may be sent to the family by visiting our website at www.jhenrystuhr.com.