Donnell David Mandley

Donnell David Mandley was born on January 11,1972 to Diane Mandley (deceased) and Donnell Smith (deceased) in Cumberland Hospital, Brooklyn New York. As a young boy, Donnell attended Mount Ararat Baptist Church with his great Aunt Anne Caldwell and his grandmother, Dorothy Washington (deceased). In 1973, his mother Diane met the love of her life Harold Washington. Harold taught Donnell how to walk and talk.. Shortly after, they all moved from Brooklyn, NY to South Jamaica Houses in Queens, NY aka “40 Projects” where Donnell adopted the name “Cooper” (named after the LA Lakers player, Micheal Cooper, Jr). Donnell attended Queens public school I.S. 40 and P.S. 40. At the age of 14, Donnell befriended Wilbur Desselle (deceased) and Joseph aka Capone and remained friends until adulthood. From Prison to a Pension In 2007, Donnell was released from Greenhaven Correctional Facility. He was determined to change his life and wanted better for himself and his children. He received his GED and worked different temporary jobs to make ends meet. On December 27, 2015, Donnell became a permanent employee as a Community Assistant for NYC Department of Mental Health and Hygiene. He was proud of his accomplishments and often joked about how he went from prison to a pension. Live, Laugh, Love In June 2020, Donnell met and fell in love with Jackie Roscoe. They enjoyed quality time together dining, attending concerts and traveling. Donnell treated Jackie like a Queen and Jackie treated him like a King. Recently, Donnell revealed to his sisters his plan to marry Jackie before his departure. Donnell was an avid lover of hip hop music, sports, comedy. His favorite rap artists included KRS One, Nas, Wu Tang Clan and the Lox. Donnell also was a huge fan of R&B singer Mary J. Blige and loved the fact they both shared the same birthday. He loved to spend time with family and enjoyed his sisters cooking. His favorite foods was banana pudding and potato salad. Donnell enjoyed watching karate movies as well as marvel classics Spider-Man and the Avengers. His favorite movie of all time was King Kong. His favorite sports team was the New York Knicks and New York Giants. He always loved to make a fashion statement with sweatsuits, Kangol hats, Cazal glasses and Nike footwear inspired by his older cousin Arthur “Chopper” Hubbert. Donnell always stressed the importance of looking good and self proclaimed himself as “Big Sexy”. He had high self esteem and self confidence. Donnell exuded self love and encouraged others to love themselves “as is”. He was known for his sarcasm and hilarious humor. Donnell was the life of the party and loved to dance. He remixed songs with his own lyrics and created words that never existed in the English dictionary. Donnell gave everyone a nickname ,always kept them laughing. He made everyone from babies to the elderly feel special. He enjoyed social gatherings as well as playing board games including his all time favorite, chess. From Labor to Reward On June 24, 2023, Donnell “ King Cooper” Mandley was called home by the King of Kings. He enjoyed his life to the fullest. He was the epitome of what it is to live, laugh and love. Donnell leaves behind to cherish his memories his two children (son) Tyshawn “Jabbo” Mandley (Erving), (daughter) Antoinette Diane Mandley (Erving); children’s mother, Angelique Erving (Queens, NY); two grandchildren, Madison Erving(Bronx, NY) and Aiden Erving (Florida); two sisters, Yolanda Mildred Washington and LaToya Washington (Brooklyn, NY), one niece, Lauryn Diane Morefield (Brooklyn, NY);one brother in law, Glenn Earl Moore (Queens, NY) one bonus brother/best friend Joseph “Capone” Hill, (Jamaica, NY) best friend, Deon Desselle (Virginia) special lady of his life, Jackie (Waterbury, CT); four great aunts, Ruth Deadwyler (Brooklyn, NY) and Bernice Hubbert (Brooklyn, NY), Rosa Zimmerman (Waldorf, MD) Emma Mae Bryant (Vance, SC); one uncle, Alfonzo Smith, Sr.(Brooklyn, NY) one aunt, Monique Smith (wife of Alonzo) three first cousins, Terrance Smith(Brooklyn, NY) Marshawn Mandley and Sherwin David Mandley (Brooklyn, NY) a host of friends and family.

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