Mufiyda Abraham

Seaside Memorial held 1/27/2024.

Our mother is Mufiyda Abraham, who we affectionately call Ume, and to her grandchildren she is called Bibi, and to her family growing up, she was Penny. Mufiyda Abraham was born on December 24, 1957 as Prinest Towanda Simpkins to her transitioned parents, Carolyn and Joshua Simpkins. Carolyn and Joshua Simpkins were the life of the party and the life force of our Simpkins-Carter family bond. An ever-strong bond that our mother continued to champion by helping organize and host several biannual Simpkins-Carter family reunions. Family was always her core value. However, she also re-centered her personal joy and journey to live a fulfilling life.

Our mother changed her name to Mufiyda Abraham with her then husband and now good friend, Saalim Abraham, when they were in their 20s. The name change was to reflect her spiritual journey, reflect the person she was becoming, and to make her own meaning of her life and purpose. Mufiyda means “One who is useful” or helpful. And she has done more than live up to her name as a life-saving health professional for over 30 years, a nurturing mother to three dynamic and college-educated children in their 30s (Taariq, Munazza, and Joshua Abraham), a heart-warming grandmother to two beautiful grandchildren (Tahmir Isaiah Abraham and Jahzara Luna Abraham), and a true sister and life-long friend to so many. Our mother has cared, and healed, and hugged, and laughed, and cried, and danced, and traveled, and learned, and loved, and lived so boldly, defiantly, and fully, that I suppose she earned her way to the next life a little early. She was always an overachiever that way.

Mufiyda was a proud Bison, Howard University alumnus. She exemplifies Black excellence even in her flaws and challenges. For example, Mufiyda had initial dreams of becoming a medical doctor. Upon graduating from Howard, she got accepted into a medical school in a Spanish-speaking country, moved to that country on her own, immersed herself and learned the language, then faced the devastation of the school losing accreditation. Her doctoral medical degree was considered worthless by American accreditation standards. But amazingly, her love for medicine was never deterred. Mufiyda went back to school at Coastal Carolina Community College in Jacksonville, NC. She earned her Associate’s Degree and worked grueling hours as a Paramedic. Mufiyda, again, went back to school at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, NC. She commuted several hours to classes from her home in Jacksonville, NC where her then husband, Saalim Abraham, “held down the fort” with their three children. Mufiyda eventually earned her Master’s degree and became a successful and celebrated Physician Assistant for over 20 years! But even with a highly regarded career, our mother didn’t stop there. In addition to her medical practice, Mufiyda was active in community service as a member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). She also became a business owner, Kukuwa African Dance instructor, and certified Life Coach! Our mother has given decades of her life to educate herself and support the healing of others in countless ways.

As previously stated, Mufiyda has done more than live up to her name. So much so, that she wanted an additional name. She told her daughter, Munazza Abraham, that she wanted an Egiptian/Sabaean name to represent who she became in her next stage of becoming, or rather, returning to her spiritual and African roots. In exploring those roots, Mufiyda used DNA ancestry testing so that her and her children can know where they came from. She discovered our roots lie with the following African tribes: the Bubi people from Bioko Island and the Tikar, Hausa, and Fulani people from Cameroon. Mufiyda also went on to travel to multiple African countries including Kenya, Tanzania, and Ghana where she underwent a naming ceremony and was deemed “Maame Abena Sikapa” with the attribute of “Treasure”. She, again, lived up to her name effortlessly.

Our mother loved to travel, learn about her people, and learn a new dance along the way. She also loved to exercise and eat well. However, while Mufiyda was a health expert who practiced what she preached, she was still diagnosed with lung cancer (despite not smoking) that was attributed to a rare mutation. Mufiyda passed on January 3, 2024 before being given her Egyptian/Sabaean name. So, her daughter researched and chose the following Egyptian/Sabaean name in her honor: Matat Mahart Saraptwy, which means Mother of Might and fullness who Cures the sick.

Our mother, Matat Mahart Saraptwy, possesses a strong sense of courage, determination, and the ability to express and self-actualize her wishes with bold intention. In partnership with our father, Saalim, our parents showed us the heights we can reach if we remain united in family and persistent in our goals and values. As a result, their eldest son is an acclaimed Special Education Teacher, Music Artist, and up and coming Label Owner of Establishment Entertainment, LLC. Their only daughter and middle child is earning her PhD in Clinical Psychology and Community Psychology in August 2024. Like her mother, Munazza facilitates healing, but through psychotherapy in the mental health field. Munazza also has aspirations of directing equity and wellness programs centering Black communities. And the youngest son, Joshua Abraham, is embracing his natural leadership skills and his mother’s health values as a Restaurant Manager, Personal Trainer, and business owner of Empowering Self Transformation, LLC (EST).

We can all learn from our mother’s life that we have the power and responsibility to pursue our grandest goals and aspirations, to allow our imaginations to expand beyond the limiting beliefs of society, and to reach the purpose of our making. Matat Mahart Saraptwy demonstrates this value of moving beyond comfort zones, to elevate yourself and your people, and to use our talents and voices effectively towards meaningful change that benefits more than just ourselves.

And for all she has taught us, shown us, and given us by simply being who she was and who she became, we are forever grateful for the transcendent life of

Prinest Towanda Simpkins,

Mufiyda Abraham,

Matat Mahart Saraptwy.