Herbert Chavis
Memorial by Marcus Keys #0722970
Herbert’s friend
About the death of Mr. Herbert Chavis during the pandemic...
My name is Marcus Keys. I am a good friend of Mr. Chavis, because of mutual knowledge, respect, and a shared love of martial arts, or what we called martial science. Our mutual knowledge consisted of our love for GOD and family. We had many conversations about growing up and being aggressive in our neighborhoods. Mr. Chavis grew up in New York. I grew up on the south side of Chicago. Both of us were forced to become combatants at an early age.
Mr. Chavis was respectful and humble in his dealings with people. He became upset when his "rights" were being violated and medical was not fulfilling their required obligations by cutting corners. After being incarcerated for 27 years, it was amazing to see the smile and the joyful demeanor he carried daily.
Mr. Chavis had a love for martial science. We spoke frequently on this topic, as we discussed the healing aspects of internal Chinese kung fu. We used to go over the Eight Brocades and deep internal and external stretching, with correct breathing, for better mobility. Mr. Chavis was 73 years old and continuously trying to prove his innocence in the courts. I know he loved his daughter in New York, who lived with her 5 boys on an Indian Reservation, and his sister in Durham, North Carolina. He will be missed greatly.
Thank you for allowing me to write about my friendship with Mr. Herbert Chavis.
Sincerely,
Marcus Keys
From Mourning Our Losses:
Herbert Chavis, of Rocky Mount, North Carolina, passed away from COVID-19 on February 15, 2021 while incarcerated at Nash Correctional Institution in North Carolina. He was 73 years old. Herbert was born in Queens, NY on August 16th, 1947. After serving more than 23 years in prison, he was the third incarcerated person to die from the COVID-19 virus at Nash Correctional. Among the many people who loved him were his parents, Robert Eugene Chavis, Sr. and Marian Parker.
This part of the memorial was written by MOL team member Andrew Kornfeld with information from Herbert’s obituary published on Echovita.