Ms. Ayanna Singleton, 18, of Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, departed this life, Thursday, July 25, 2019. Ayanna was a life long resident of Bay St. Louis. She attended St. Rose De Lima Catholic Church and was a graduate of Bay High School. She was the embodiment of a scholastic student athlete.

Ayanna...beautiful flower, the meaning of her name, was affectionately known as "YaYa". She was a member of the Bay High Soccer team for six years and she played on the volleyball team for five years. Her high school involvements included, The National Honor Society, Bay High Football Team Manager, SADD, Student Ambassador, Spirit Club, Homecoming Queen, Prom Princess (crowned her junior year), Leukemia Lymphoma Society Honored Hero-2019, and she was chosen by her peers as a class favorite and most likely to brighten your day. In addition to her high school sportsmanship and extracurricular involvement, Ayanna soared academically. She received numerous scholarships, accolades and academic recognition. She received the Hancock County NAACP Book Scholarship, Academic Excellence Scholarship, MGCCCC Foundation Gala Scholarship, MGCCC Opportunity Scholarship, William Carey Scholastic Excellence Scholarship, Pearl River Community College- American Legion Certificate of Distinguished Achievement Award.

Ayanna was such a joy to be around. Her comical and live wire persona would light up any room that she entered. She refused to allow cancer to stop her from living life to the fullest. She would often say that cancer needed to be scared of her. Ayanna was not afraid of cancer and so with every bout and every treatment, she took it on with a fearless smile. It is a huge understatement to say that she will be missed dearly, so we delight in the life, love and legacy that she left behind.

She is preceded in death by her maternal grandparents, Paula and Melvin Belle; paternal great-grandparents, Georgia and Maurice Singleton, Sr. and Yvonne and Ernest Magee.

She leaves to cherish her memory her parents, Maurice Singleton III- Long Beach, Mississippi and Kristi Belle- Pass Christian, Mississippi ; her paternal grandparents, Vonretta and Maurice Singleton- Bay St. Louis, Mississippi; her boyfriend, Jeremiah Smith- Pass Christian, Mississippi; two brothers, Rahien Lyons- Pass Christian, Mississippi, Maurice Singleton, IV- Long Beach, Mississippi; three sisters, Kristian Lyons- Hattiesburg, Mississippi, Marley Elliott-Long Beach, Mississippi, Marissa Singleton- Long Beach Mississippi, and a host of family members and friends.