Kevin Kareem Higgs

KEVIN KAREEM HIGGS (HIGGSZY)

We lost a great man on March 20, 2025, at the age of 51: a loving husband, father, grandfather, son, brother, and, most importantly, a friend. Kevin was born on May 10, 1973, in White Plains,NY, to Helen Potillo-Higgs and Julius Clarke Higgs.

Kevin attended White Plains High School and graduated from the Westchester Business Institute. He then found a stable career with the Westchester County Department of Corrections, where he worked for 18 years. His superiors and colleagues often knew him as "Higgs for Pay, "reflecting his willingness to work.

What does it mean to be great? We typically think of greatness as being important, notable, or distinguished. However, my husband defined greatness in a much deeper way. He dedicated his life to his family, job, friends, and community. Kevin had a clear purpose in life, often expressing it through his brilliant ideas, which he either stored in his mind or doodled on paper. His most remarkable trait was his talent for problem-solving. 

As far back as I can remember, Kevin and his childhood friends, Ivan Jones and Larry White, would brainstorm innovative ways to serve others. Among their many projects was WIK Technologies, the invention of the Communicator, which was created by the late Walter Jones, Ivan, and Kevin. He also co-founded For All People, a non-profit organization, and The NY Blaze, a basketball program for underprivileged youth, which Kevin, Ivan, and Larry worked diligently to preserve. Additionally, Kevin founded Ferris World Ball, a non-profit organization and LLC that often required him to make personal and financial sacrifices for the benefit of others.

Kevin's greatness extended beyond simply organizing tournaments in Gardella Park each year for the City of White Plains. His daily life exemplified consistency; from the moment he walked in the door from work to when he stepped out to work, he never took time for himself, always prioritizing his family, which was a pain for me. Kevin was a man of honor, integrity, and love, and I can genuinely say he loved each of you.

Kevin is survived by his wife of 24 years, Lenore Sherrod-Higgs; his children, Julien Higgs, Jeremy Higgs, and Jahanzeb Higgs; his mother, Helen Higgs; his brother, Keith Higgs (Lourdes Lopez Higgs); his grandson, Kamar Higgs; his godmother, Lauren Matthews; his mother-in-law, Thelma Ruth Sherrod; sister-in-laws Cynthia Edwards, Tammy Sherrod, and Alisa Sherrod; brother-in-laws Milton Sherrod and Roosevelt Sherrod Jr.; and a host of aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends. He was preceded in death by his father, Julius Clarke Higgs, and his father-in-law, Roosevelt Sherrod.