Jamia Renee Irons

A Loving Wife, Daughter, Sister, Aunt, Educator, Friend and Radiant Lover of Jesus Christ

Jamia was born to her parents, Sylvester Phillip Newsome and Pamela Haywood Newsome, in Merrillville, Indiana. As a youngster, she loved playing with family and friends-but you couldn't become Jamia's friend immediately. She would scope you out first before giving you her loving badge of a kind smile and a warm hug. Jamia was close and endearing to her siblings. Her sister Tiffani called herself "Princess," so Jamia-never to be outdone-became "Queen." Her brother Phillip, of course, would have none of it and claimed the title "Pharoah."

Jamia excelled in school from the beginning. She was recommended for the Gifted Program in first grade and remained in the Gifted and Talented Program throughout her educational career. She graduated from Gavit High School in Hammond, Indiana, in 2007. Later that year, she moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma, to attend Oral Roberts University, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish and Secondary English Education. A lifelong learner, she later completed her Master of Education at the University of Oklahoma in 2019.

Jamia appreciated many things, but music was her heartbeat. She took first-place honors repeatedly in talent shows-whether playing classical pieces on the piano, performing solos on the drums, or worshiping on the guitar. She honored God as a Gospel Recording Artist and even sang on stage with Fred Hammond and other Gospel Greats. Music told a story for Jamia. Whether she sang with the Souls of Fire at ORU, the Worship Team at Transformation Church, or the Praise Team at Full Gospel, her worship always carried a spiritual weight. When Jamia got going in worship, something in the Spirit was going to break. She believed wholeheartedly in God using her for His glory, always giving Him thanks.

Her early professional experiences included an internship as choir director at Destiny Center Church and working at St. Francis Hospital, where she shadowed a translator in Labor and Delivery. Her Spanish fluency deepened during her three-and-a-half-month study abroad in Valencia, Spain. She was selected as one of only 62 teacher candidates in Oklahoma to pilot Stanford University's Teacher Performance Assessment-an incredible honor reflecting her skill and dedication.

After graduating ORU, she began teaching 10th-grade American Literature and 11th-grade AP Language in 2013. That same year, she joined KIPP Tulsa College Prep as 8th-grade Lead Teacher and 5th-grade Grade Level Chair. Her leadership blossomed quickly-she became a Content Specialist and Educational Coach for Teach for America (2015–2017), Assistant School Leader of KIPP High School in 2018, and ultimately stepped into the role of School Leader in August 2023. Jamia worked alongside outstanding coworkers and administrators who helped shape the remarkable educational experiences provided to countless KIPP scholars.

Mrs. Jamia Irons met and married the love of her life, Mr. Juhon Irons, also an educator and administrator at KIPP. They were married on September 23rd, 2023, planning to love each other forever and always. Jamia treasured his culinary gifts, gentle back rubs, and protective instincts. With him, she felt safe. She felt home.

Jamia loved life and people to the full. She never met a stranger-whether on her journeys to Spain, Rome, or Paris, France; or whether she was knocking on a door to give a Gospel tract to someone who needed Jesus. She was a prayer warrior, a giver, an encourager, and the kind of friend everyone longed to have. Beyond her professional achievements, she embraced life with joy and curiosity. She was an avid reader, a skillful musician, an anointed worship leader, and a gifted administrator who could mobilize people toward a shared vision with ease. Even strangers felt seen, heard, valued, and loved in her presence.

Jamia Renee Newsome Irons loved, loved, loved-and she was loved back. She will be missed always in our hearts, but truly never forgotten.

Heaven called home one of its choicest ambassadors on Tuesday, November 18th, 2025.

She leaves to cherish her memory: her husband, Juhon Irons; her parents, S. Phillip and Pamela Newsome; her sister, Tiffani (Dewane Burns); her brother, Philip Andrew Newsome; her nieces, Amaya Burns, Ava Burns and her nephew, Daniel Burns; her uncles, Thomas Newsome, Bronston (Christine Newsome), Andrew (Angie Haywood); her aunts, Stephanie (Philander Martin), Geraldine Brown, Linda Haywood, Tina (Kenny Shorts), Kimberly Collins, Coretta (Walter Woods); her cousins, M'Shannon Rockette, Stephan Rockett, Christopher Newsome, Alana Newsome, Charity Newsome, Shewana (Sean Cummings), Felicia Pratt, Cherise Pratt, Andrew (Mallory Haywood), April Brown, Tranae Woods, Tierra (Benjamin Williams), Nicholas Brown, Walter Woods, Dayton Haywood, Brittany Rowe, Shontrel (Natt Davis), Gregory (Katrina Shorts), Marvin (Tasia Drayton); she is also survived by her loving mother-in-law, Valentina Irons, and grandmother-in-law, Dorothy Irons, along with a host of other relatives and friends too numerous to include.

Special mention is extended to her cherished church families: Full Gospel Church of God Inc. (Gary, Indiana), Transformation Church, Revelations Revealed Truth Evangelistic Center, and Going Hard For Christ Church.

The Sacred Farewell for Mrs. Irons will commence on Monday, November 24, 2025 at the Eleventh Hour in the most holy sanctuary of Going Hard For Christ, where Pastor Lawrence Peoples will officiate and Pastor Clarence V. Boyd Jr., will render the Eulogy.

The Christian Committal will immediately follow the services in the Memorial Park Cemetery in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

You may visit Queen Jamia as she slumbers in sweet repose at the funeral home in Tulsa on Sunday, November 23, 2025 from 2:30PM until 5:00PM

In honor of the life and legacy of Jamia Irons, we invite our community to celebrate her impact in a way that reflects her deep commitment to education, opportunity, and the success of our students. Rather than sending flowers, we ask that you consider contributing to a scholarship fund that will support a KIPP Tulsa University Prep High School student in pursuing their pathway to and through college.

Your gift will not only honor Jamia's memory but will also carry forward the passion she poured into her work, helping young people achieve futures full of promise, purpose, and possibility. Through this scholarship, her legacy of love, service, and excellence will continue to uplift KIPP Tulsa students for years to come.

To make a contribution, please visit the following link: Jamia Irons Scholarship Fund

Thank you for helping us preserve and extend the profound impact Jamia had on our school community.

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