In The Beginning...
Beatrice Oluwayemisi Bassey (nee Yakubu) entered this world on January 03, 1984 in Melbourne, Florida as the third child of Engr. Olusegun Samson Yakubu and Mrs. Adunni Yakubu. Yemisi accepted Christ and was baptized at an early age in a Baptist church in Palm Bay, FL. From childhood, Yemisi was very outgoing and had such a bold personality that lit up the room every time she walked in. She attended Columbia Elementary where she participated in the spelling bee and received an award for the top speller in her class. Yemisi was a very intelligent woman and enjoyed reading books such as the Babysitters Club, and even wrote a few scripts at such a young age. She always had a passion to become an author and screenwriter.
The Young Shall Grow
Yemisi graduated from Plano High School in Plano, TX in 2002 with honors. While in high school, she participated in theatre arts and acted in several plays. She was truly a comedian at heart and made everyone laugh without even trying. Yemisi was always the life of the party. She enjoyed listening to music and watching her favorite sitcom, “Friends,” during her free time. She also loved legal TV dramas, which spurned her desire to become an attorney. She always had a passion for helping people and really felt she would make a difference.
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In 2005, Yemisi graduated from Florida State University with a bachelor’s in political science. She was inducted into Phi Alpha Delta Legal Fraternity and was an active member of the African Students Association while at FSU.
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Upon her graduation, she worked as a specialist in investigations for Child Protective Services, where she was responsible for investigating child abuse and neglect claims as well as assisting with family preservation and reunification.
Almost an Adult but not Quite
She later attended American University Law School and graduated in 2010. While in law school, Yemisi was very engaged and participated in several projects like the Marshall Brennan Constitutional Literacy Project and the Mid-Atlantic Innocence Project. She was also an active member of The Moot Court Honor Society, Black Law Students Association, Students United and Phi Alpha Delta Legal Fraternity. As a firm believer in the power of shared knowledge, Yemisi was extremely passionate about impacting others and volunteered her time teaching underserved students at Ballou High School about criminal justice and constitutional law. During law school, she clerked at the United States Attorney’s Office where she concentrated on white collar criminal offenses.
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After passing the bar on her first attempt in 2011, Yemisi started her law career and dedicated 10 years of her career at one of the top litigation law firms in DC, Cuneo Gilbert & LaDuca, LLP. At the firm, Yemisi worked primarily on consumer protection, tort litigation, and products liability matters. She was particularly passionate about representing individuals who have been injured by dangerous products and deceptive marketing practices. To date, the cases she initiated at CGL have acquired over $60M in settlements for consumers. As Yemisi moved upward in her career, she transitioned into a new job position working for the government as the Assistant Attorney General for the state of Maryland in 2019.
Adulthood, Love & Family
Yemisi always made time for the people she loved. She was such a social butterfly and loved to participate in family events and celebrate her friends. She was the glue that held the family together. She was so supportive and always encouraging and motivating. She never hesitated to help when someone was in need, whether it was to plan an event, provide financial assistance, bring a delicious dish to an event, or just to be a listening ear. She was always there for anyone no matter what time it was or what the circumstances were.
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All of Yemisi’s dreams of becoming a wife and mother began to come true starting in May of 2017 when she met the love of her life, Edikan Ifeanyi Bassey at a friend’s graduation party. She admitted to her friends and family that it was indeed love at first sight. She attended the event with her cousin and was introduced to Edikan by a mutual friend. The soon to be love birds sat next to each other and spent the whole night engaging in conversation and getting to know each other and by the end of the night, Yemisi gave Edikan her phone number. She waited a few days for him to call and began to get nervous when he didn’t call right away. But once he finally called her, they were instantly inseparable! Edikan was formally introduced to Yemisi’s family in November 2017 and on December 25, 2017, Edikan asked for her hand in marriage. On August 25, 2018, Yemisi and Edikan became one as husband and wife in an elegant wedding ceremony in Maryland.
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On December 25, 2020, exactly 3 years to the day of Edikan’s marriage proposal, Yemisi gave birth to a beautiful son they named Edikan David Bassey. Yemisi loved the name Edikan so much and wanted to pass it on to her legacy. Edikan means“Victory”in the Efik language. She was adamant about leaving a legacy in the form of a child and it is a blessing to her family that she was able to do exactly that.
Unfortunately, during the last period of her life, Yemisi succumbed to her illness on July 17, 2021. She was such a fighter and despite her battle, she still put others before herself. She is survived by her husband, Edikan Bassey; her son, Edikan David Bassey; her parents, Engr. and Mrs. Olusegun Yakubu; her siblings, Victor, Linda, Wale, Yomi, David, and Matthew, and her in-laws and extended family and friends.
#KeepingItBassey
Yemisi's Wedding was one of the highlights of her life!!