It is with deep sadness that the family of Askia Faheem (Edward "Butch" Alexander Moorefield) announces his passing. He departed this life on March 25, 2025, in Pasadena, California. Even though he had been a resident of Southern California for almost 50 years, he grew up in Petersburg,Virginia.

Faheem would often say that he made the decision to move to California when he was only in elementary school. A schoolmate shared a home movie for show-and-tell that highlighted her summer vacation and travels across the country to California. Faheem said, he was amazed to see the palm trees of California – he thought the scenery was beautiful. He also was surprised to see that his classmate had traveled to the place that most of them were only seeing on television.

Faheem – known by many as Butch or Butchie Mo – was born in Newark, New, Jersey on October 28, 1948, to Bessie Moorefield (Mitchell). He was a graduate and proud member of the Peabody High School Class of 1967. He also was a graduate of Virginia State College (now University). Faheem worked at Brown & Williamson Tobacco Corporation, while he pursued his college degree. He also was a teacher at El Sereno Middle and Magnet School in Los Angeles (where he also was a basketball coach). Later, Faheem worked for the Los Angeles Transit Authority and retired from there. He spent six years in the Army Reserves.

He was an avid reader and truly appreciated a good book. (The Easy Rawlins series by Walter Mosley and Standing At The Scratch Line by Guy Johnson were among his favorites.) Not only did Faheem enjoy reading, but he also appreciated a good sporting match. He absolutely loved the Raiders (even during the team's various pinball moves from Los Angeles to Oakland to Las Vegas.)

Even though Faheem was passionate about most sporting events, he had a love-hate relationship with the LA Lakers. Now, if you were to ask Faheem about his basketball team during times of frustration, he would bluntly respond, "I haven't had a team since Kareem, Magic and Worthy played." Showtime!

During weekly conversations with friends and family, Faheem loved to reminisce about growing up in Petersburg. He often would retell childhood stories that would leave people in tears from laughter. These stories typically involved his childhood antics with his brother, Ronnie, and their grandpa. For instance, Faheem would have relatives laughing as he retold how he and his brother would climb up the side of their grandfather's house and jump over onto the top of a neighbor's house just to stomp around on his metal roof. (This neighbor worked as a cabdriver at night and slept during the day.)

Yet, another one of Faheem's famous stories centered on the wedding day of his uncle and aunt and how he and his brother were under a bed peeking at wedding gifts. Well, they struck a match while under the bed so that they could get a better look at the gift inside a box. Butchie and Ronnie ended up dropping the match into the box, and it caught fire. The boys ran from the room and left the burning gift under the bed. (A cousin told what they had done. Needless to say, their grandfather handled them later.)

Faheem's gift of storytelling was unmatched. He never met a stranger – he was a great conversationalist and wherever he went, it was likely that he would know at least one person. He connected with everyone.

"Butch" was preceded in death by his mother; his stepfather; Stanley Mitchell; and his dog and best-buddy; Zeus (also known as Big Boy).

The following are left with fond memories: his wife, Cheryl of the home; his children, Ryan (Senayit), Kesha (Gregory), Eric, Staton, devoted Tia (Derrick), Stephen, Shanay;  a grandson, James Edward; and his brother, Ronald Moorefield. He also leaves behind a dear cousin who was as close as a brother, Gaylord Tinsley, along with his nephews Ronald and Michael Moorefield, Maurice Jackson, Wayne Jackson, and William "Tuck" Bates round out his list of close cousins. Faheem leaves behind his stepchildren, Tony Johnson, Nzingha, Paul and David. The following is a list of friends who held a special place in his heart, George Johnson, Bill Akers, Jessie Williams, Roderick "Rock" Bates, James Davis (Goose), John Jenkins and Benny Goode; Sweetie Pie, his fur baby, will miss him, too. Lastly, he had a host of relatives and friends who loved him dearly.

"Everything is going to be fine." – Askia (Butch)

A memorial will be held​  2:00 P.M., Sunday, April 6, 2025, at the Benedict Civic Club, 500 Fleet Street, Petersburg, Virginia.

Obituary courtesy of J. M. Wilkerson Funeral Establishment, Inc., 102 South Avenue, Petersburg, VA, (804) 732-8911, www.jmwilkersonsince1874.com.