Pearl Ann (Lipscomb) Croxton, 81, passed away peacefully on December 18, 2024, in Boston, Massachusetts. Born on February 8, 1943, in Coeymans, New York, she was the cherished daughter of the late Eric and Vinel Lipscomb.

After graduating from Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk Central High School, Pearl began her career at Albany Medical Center in Albany, New York. In 1966, she moved to Boston, where she met the love of her life, Howard George Croxton, fondly known as "George" to friends and family. They married on January 28, 1967, and shared a devoted partnership of 54 years until George's passing on April 17, 2021.  Pearl and George settled in the Walnut Park neighborhood of Roxbury, MA where Pearl was affectionately known as the Mother of Walnut Park as her door was always open to neighbors – adults and children alike – who would be greeted with a warm smile, a home-cooked treat, and witty conversation.  She was a devoted member of Pleasant Hill Baptist Church and would bring many children of the neighborhood with her to Sunday service.

Pearl's greatest pride was her role as a wife, mother, and grandmother. She also enjoyed a distinguished 25-year career as an academic administrator at Harvard University in Cambridge and Boston, Massachusetts. Even after retiring, Pearl continued to give back to her community. She was a member of the Prince Hall Grand Chapter Order of the Eastern Star, a black women's service organization, and she also served as a school bus monitor for the Brookline METCO Program until 2013. She cherished this role, which allowed her to spend treasured moments with her grandchildren daily.

A gifted singer with a voice that touched hearts, Pearl found her passion for music in the choir at Riverview Missionary Baptist Church in Coeymans, guided by the encouragement of Della Sutton, the pastor's wife. Her beautiful renditions enriched congregations in Albany and Boston, and her moving performance of His Eye Is on the Sparrow at her mother's funeral in 1979 remained a beloved memory for many.

Pearl was the loving mother of her late daughter, Rachael Gates, and leaves behind to cherish her memory her daughters, Celeste J. Croxton-Tate and Tarra Croxton; her grandchildren, Victor Howard-Lee Berry and his wife Jennifer, Lake George-Isiah Berry, and Horizon Pearl Starwood; her sister, Janet McGrew; and her brothers, Eugene Lipscomb and James Lipscomb. She will be dearly missed by her numerous nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.

Pearl's warmth, faith, charming wit, humor, smile, glamorous style and unwavering love touched countless lives. Her legacy lives on in the hearts of those she loved so deeply.