Laverne Marilyn Charleston, born February 13, 1945, in Birmingham, Alabama, passed away on April 18, 2026, in Los Angeles, California. She was a longtime resident of Los Angeles County, where she lived for over 30 years. Prior to settling in Los Angeles, she resided in Nashville, Perris, Monrovia, and Pasadena.

She attended Fisk University and Tennessee State University and dedicated part of her early life to service as a Peace Corps volunteer in Costa Rica. She was also bilingual in Spanish.

She is survived by her sisters, Carolyn Johnson and Constance Moore; her brother-in-law, Theo Moore; her niece, Latanya Hilton; John Hilton; and her nephews, Jafari Johnson, Cameron Moore, Ian Moore, Brandon Moore, and Donavan Moore.

She will be remembered with respect and gratitude by those who knew her.