Hundreds of people gathered Monday — some dressed in black — black dresses, black sweaters, black button up shirts and black blazers. Others dressed in varying shades of white, cream, egg shell and ivory. They sat in a section reserved for family specifically.
All trickled in, signed the white matte paper frames surrounding two enlarged photos of Blake Bozeman on his wedding day, his youngest daughter, Berkeley, was in his arms and he stood beside his wife, Tiera, and two older sons, Braelen and Bryson.
The mounted photos stood on easels near the gymnasium’s entrance in Hill Field House, where people greeted and hugged, some cried, and many offered their condolences to the family.
Pictures of Blake Bozeman, a Morgan State University alumnus and star basketball player from 2011 to 2015, were on display beside the doors and entrances and were the subject of a slideshow played on a projector screen before the audience. His photos showed him smiling and his loved ones often surrounding him.
Monday, his friends, family members and coworkers celebrated his life and mourned his death during a memorial service held at his alma mater.
According to the Trentonian, Blake Bozeman, 31, as well as two men and one woman, were shot Saturday, Sept. 23 just before midnight at CRU Hookah Lounge in Washington, D.C. He later died at a nearby hospital and the other victims, though hospitalized, suffered non-fatal injuries.
“I am still in disbelief,” said Tiera Bozeman, Blake Bozeman’s wife and long-time partner during the ceremony. “Blake meant everything to me. Blake was my best friend. Now I feel like I’m not whole.”
Blake Bozeman, born in Berkeley, Calif., and raised in Bowie, Md., lived in Southeast Washington, D.C., at the time of his death. He took after his father, Todd Bozeman, and played basketball throughout his formative years and in college.
As Blake Bozeman prepared to graduate from Morgan with his bachelor’s degree — he found himself a young father when his oldest son, Braelen was born. According to Cedric Blossom, fellow Morgan alum and his former teammate, his focus shifted from exploring opportunities in professional basketball to being a present, available and capable father.
Blake Bozeman graduated from Morgan with a bachelor’s in marketing in 2014 and completed his master’s in journalism at the university in 2016.
Blossom is currently a graduate assistant coach with Penn State University’s men’s basketball team. Blossom spoke of Blake Bozeman’s talent, ability to lead, and his devotion and dedication to his family — which sometimes included bringing his infant son to basketball practices.
“It was awesome to see him in father mode,” said Blossom. “He would say the right things but he was also a model teammate, a model student, a model brother, a model son, and later on, he became a model father — a model husband. He did things the right way.”
Alexis Vining, one of Blake Bozeman’s co-workers, led regular education meetings in which Blake would speak or instruct. She described how their meetings typically started at 10:00a.m. and followed a specific order — an order they shuffled depending on Braelen’s meet schedule.
“[Blake] would go to the track meet early, get Braelen’s schedule and then call me,” said Vinings. “The team would shift all the different time frames so that Blake could be there to cheer Braelen on. He never, ever missed a meet.”
Several of the people who spoke during Blake Bozeman’s memorial service commented that he began a nonprofit organization, The Pivot Group, out of a desire to help young athletes like himself make the transition from sports to business. He took it upon himself to mentor young athletes and to encourage them to make wiser financial decisions.
Josh Wallace, a young man Blake Bozeman mentored over the years, was not able to attend his service but wrote a letter to share.
“I’ve known Blake since I was like eight years old,” Wallace wrote. “He immediately became like a big brother to me. He helped me [have] more financial awareness and [read] for self improvement. He’s given me so much advice just about life. He put everyone first.”
More than a dozen of Blake Bozeman’s closest friends, family members, professional colleagues, mentors and mentees chuckled and cried as they shared stories, explained their dismay, voiced their hopes and promised to care for Blake Bozeman’s wife and children in his absence. Each of them recounted different instances in which Blake Bozeman shared his joy, confronted difficulties and obstacles, and fully showed and shared his love.
Keara Jacobs, Blake Bozeman’s long-time friend and confidant, said she didn’t always understand why he told others he cared about them so consistently. However, she said she understands now.
“You were ensuring we know how you felt, even when you were gone,” Jacobs said.
Blake Bozeman’s closest friends spoke first and his closest family members immediately followed. Telethea Bozeman, his mother, read a letter to her son aloud — remembering how he grew from babyhood to boyhood, manhood and fatherhood.
“Some would say, ‘take comfort in the 31 years that we had to share,” she said “To this I say, I did, I do, and I always will. Love you, Blake, forever.”
Brianna Bozeman, Blake Bozeman’s sister, spoke and shared a final and dear memory of her brother. The day before his passing, Blake Bozeman FaceTimed her and during the call, he took turns tossing his two youngest children, Bryson and Berekely onto the bed.
“Time slowed down,” said Brianna Bozeman. “Hours later I got the call — that fucking call — and I knew why time had slowed down, so I could remember you like that forever.”
Blake Bozeman is survived by his wife and three children, his mother, father and a host of extended family members. Friends of the family quickly moved to assuage the void left behind and established multiple fundraisers, a GoFundMe to assist Tiera Bozeman and their children while they grieve, and a scholarship fund for the children’s college education.
“I don’t have my team member and my partner. But you all have shown me that I’m not alone,” said Tiera Bozeman. “The love that y’all have for Blake has been extended to me and I am truly grateful because I have not felt alone since he passed. I really appreciate y’all and I love y’all.”
