Marissa Felice Pearl

Marissa Felice Pearl (Miss Riss) passed away on February 8, 2023, at the age of 53, from complications during surgery. Born on November 16, 1969, at Sparrow Hospital, to Santos R. Pearl and James A. Hughes, she was a lifelong resident of Lansing, but briefly called the Mojave Desert area her home.

Marissa attended Sexton High School, received her GED and pursued further education at Davenport College. She was a long time manager at A&W Restaurant and loved working in the food industry. She loved eating and cooking good food, including Mediterranean, Mexican and Soul food. While cooking, she enjoyed listening and singing to music, especially by her favorite artists: Journey, Amy Winehouse, and Santana. She also loved to dance and spend time with her family, especially her beloved daughter, Janell, and granddaughters, Journey and Santana, whom she loved immensely and were the light of her life.

Marissa will be missed by many for her guidance, friendship and her ability to make you laugh no matter the circumstance. Always a hard worker and driven individual, she was never one to give up the fight. She lived with kidney disease for more than five years, but was a fighter to the end.

Marissa is survived by her only child, Janell Sarita Green and grandchildren, Journey Saint Smith and Santana Felice Smith. Also survived by her siblings, Saunderina Pearl, Louis Pearl, William Woods, Joshua Hughes, Michael Baeza, and numerous aunts, uncles and cousins. She was preceded in death by her parents and grandparents.

A memorial mass will be held in her honor on Saturday, March 4, 2023, 10:00 a.m., at St. Mary’s Cathedral, 219 Seymour Street, Lansing, Michigan, 48933. There will be no viewing or visitation prior to the service.