Tondelaya "Laya" JerRyae Westbrooks

Tondelaya "Laya" JerRyae Westbrooks, 21, of Jefferson City, went to glory Thursday, August 25, 2016, at University Hospital in Columbia, Mo., due to complications from Sickle Cell Disease. She was born May 22, 1995, in Jefferson City, Missouri, to Toni Westbrooks-Taylor and Jerry L. Westbrooks. Laya attended High Point School until eighth grade, where she excelled at volleyball as well as playing clarinet in the band and cheerleading. While at High Point, she was allowed to participate in the Special Olympics Track and Field, Bowling, and Basketball. At High Point, she won Homecoming Queen and made friendships that would last the rest of her life. After graduating eighth grade, she started her freshman year at Jefferson City High School, where she was in Speech and Debate. Laya was passionate about fighting for people's rights and she loved standing up for the underdog. She was on the Honor Roll and was the student council treasurer. After graduating high school May of 2013, she attended the University of Central Missouri and Lincoln University. Laya was diagnosed with Sickle Cell Disease when she was a year old. She fought this painful disease all her young life. She did it with her smile in her heart, a smile on her face and playful mischief managed. She was a force to be reckoned with when she had a righteous cause that she felt deeply about. Laya loved life, people, and she gave both all her heart. There was nothing in this world she enjoyed more than having family and friends come over, watch Harry Potter, listen to K-Pop, talk about traveling and watching Black Butler and Fairytales. As long as she got to do it with a plain double bacon cheeseburger, this was a good time. Like any young woman, she loved having her hair, makeup, and nails done. She enjoyed looking fantabulous, and she did it well. But what was most beautiful about her was when you would see her, you would not know the pain she was in, because her smile lit the room and brought joy when you were around her. The last six months or so she took her love for travel to a new level. She started helping others make their travel dreams come true by helping others book their dream trips. She knew all the ins and outs of where to look, how to get them the best deals and she truly enjoyed doing this. Laya loved Korea. She loved the culture, music, style, everything about it; going so far as to teach herself the language. She always hoped to visit and spend time there one day. Laya was very close to her family. She felt she was blessed to have parents that supported her dreams and ideas, as well as, take care of her when the Sickle Cell disease got her too down. Her parents were her caregivers when she was not only at home, but also when she was in the hospital. She is survived by her father: Jerry L. Westbrooks of Jefferson City; mother: Toni Westbrooks-Taylor; step-father: Randy Taylor; sister: Jade Westbrooks; step-siblings: Juli, Miranda, Noah and Spencer. She is also survived by a host of uncles, aunts, cousins, and friends. Laya felt she was lucky to have such a great family. Laya was preceded in death by her paternal grandmother: Linda Jackson; and maternal great-grandmother: Birda Mae Wilson; and maternal great-grandfather: Joe W. Wilson. Funeral services will be conducted at 1 p.m., Saturday, September 3, 2016 at One in Christ Baptist Church with Rev. James Howard officiating. Visitation will be from 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. at the church. Interment will follow services at Hawthorn Memorial Gardens. Expressions of sympathy may be made to the family, in care of the funeral home. Floral arrangements may be sent through A. Baker Floral Co. www.abakerfloral.com. Arrangements are under the direction of TYLER M. WOODS FUNERAL DIRECTOR, 611 E. Capitol Ave., Jefferson City, Missouri 65101. (573) 636-2424. Condolences may be made to the family at www.WoodsMemorialServices.com