Pearl Jeanette Barrett

In the early morning of Thursday, November 25, 2021, “Thanksgiving”, Pearl Jeanette Cannon (Barrett) Byers answered God’s final call and surrendered her earthly life over to her Lord. We wished her not to go, but she had to answer the Master’s call.

Pearl was a faithful servant and belonged to several churches over the years until health prohibited her from attending in person, but she kept a prayer room in her home; a place of solace. Pearl was one of five children born to the late Carl M. Sr. (Cookie) & Jeanette Kidd Cannon (Hacky) on June 5, 1950, in Coatesville, Pennsylvania.

Pearl grew up in Coatesville and received her early education from the Coatesville Area Public Schools graduating from the All Black Historical James Adams Elementary School in June 1962. Pearl was also a member of the FIRST high school graduating class of CASH in 1968.

After high school, Pearl studied and became a paralegal. During this time, she met and married Joel Brown, Sr. and from this union came two loves of her life, her sons, Joel Jr. (Jody) & Marco Brown. Pearl later relocated to Delaware with her sons and began employment as an engineer with DuPont. After spending many years at DuPont, she saw an opportunity and accepted a position with Texaco where she remained until retiring.

While at Texaco, Pearl met and fell in love with Ralph (Poppy), the two were married on October 14, 1989, in Pearl’s hometown of Coatesville! The newly wedded “Byers” moved to Bear, Delaware where they remained for many years. During this time, Pearl developed sarcoidosis and sciatica from working on oil tanks throughout the years and was advised by her doctors to relocate to a warmer area, so with retirement in place, she and Ralph “packed up” and moved to Winterville, North Carolina where they remained until her passing.

Anyone that knows Pearl knew she loved life and among those things was family, owls, traveling, looking & smelling good, her endless jewelry (costume & all), visiting friends & family, her grands and BINGO/CASINO; she was truly her mother’s child!

Pearl had a heart of gold and was always supporting & taking care of her loved ones in whatever capacity was needed, she opened her doors & heart to them and many lived with her over the years. She was warm, loving, friendly, had an infectious laugh, but was quick with that mouth if you needed to be put “in check”!

Pearl Jeanette Cannon (Barrett) Byers was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Ralph Byers on September 4, 2021, parents; Carl Sr.(Cookie) & Jeanette (Hacky), brothers; John & Carl Jr.(Cookie) Cannon, sister; Patricia (Pat) Cannon.

She is survived by her two sons, Joel (Jody) Brown (Winterville, NC.), Marco Brown & fiancée Sandhya Celestin (Newark, DE), sister; Virginia (Jenny) Cannon (Newark, NJ), grandson; Marco Brown (Norfolk, VA), granddaughter; Amareah Brown (Newark, DE), 2 aunts; Burnell Cannon Arrington, Florence Cannon (Coatesville, PA), the daughter from another mother; Gilda Cannon Sotaro (Washington, DC), her special cousin; Barbara Foster Abdur-Razzaq (Plainfield, NJ), her BFF from childhood; Frances Gaines-Hamilton (Wake Forest, NC) and a host of other family members & friends, all of whom will cherish her memory!

If you listen carefully, you’ll hear Pearl saying, “I LOVE YOU TO THE MOON & BACK!”

Visitation will be held on Friday, December 10, 2021, from 10:00-11:00 AM at the Cotten Funeral Home, 2201 Neuse Blvd, New Bern, North Carolina 28560. The Funeral Service will follow at 11:00 AM. Pearl will be laid to rest beside her husband at 2:00 PM following the service at Eastern Carolina State Veterans Cemetery, 164 Longs Plant Farm Rd, Goldsboro, NC.

This obituary has been posted at the request of the family.  Professional arrangements are being handled by Cotten Funeral Home, New Bern, North Carolina.

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