Lanika Rahmaan-Ibeh

Funeral services for Lanika Didesie Rahmaan-Ibeh will be held Saturday, August 22, 2015 at 1:00 p.m. at the First Baptist Church with Rev. Lonnie Hughes officiating. Burial will follow in the Old Canaan cemetery. The visitation will be from 12:00 noon until 1:00 p.m. at the church. On the morning of August 10, 2015 at 10:40 a.m., Lanika passed away due to a cardiac arrest after a lifetime battle with kidney disease at Methodist LeBonheur Germantown Hospital in Memphis, TN. She was surrounded by church members and her family. Lanika was 42 years old. Lanika Rahmaan-Ibeh was born in Sacramento, California on Thursday, January 25, 1973. She was the second child, and the second daughter to the proud parents of Theodis Odell Rahmaan and Gloris Ann Hughes Rahmaan. Lanika was an extremely active, vivacious, and intelligent student at Bruner Jr. High School and Fort Walton Beach High School where she made a multitude of friends. She expressed her love for music during her early years of education where she was a member of several musical groups which included “The Body Rockers”, “Sweet-n-Sassy”, and “One Nation”. Additionally, Lanika was a member of Bruner and Fort Walton Beach High School’s award winning symphonic and marching bands. She was also a member of their choirs “The Voices of Vahalla” where teachers and fellow classmates were amazed and astounded by her beautiful angelic voice. Her motto was “Live life to the Fullest,” and she did. She could light up a room with her charming personality. Lanika shined brightest under the spotlight. She was a star. Lanika had a special love for the theatre. Her first role was in the musical “Once Upon a Mattress” based on the story of the Princess and the Pea. She had been bitten. She loved the feeling of being on stage each night. Additionally, she was the lead actress in an off Broadway production of Fatz Waller’s “Ain’t Misbehavin”, in which she received rave reviews. Moreover, Lanika was ecstatic when she was cast for a role in the movie “Fighting Temptations” starring Beyonce and Cuba Gooding, Jr. Lanika was huge fan of Prince, an avid reader, and she was an amazing cook. She graduated from Fort Walton Beach High School in 1991 with honors and 21 college credit hours. She attended Okaloosa Walton Community College during her senior year under the Governor’s Gifted and Talented Workshop Program which gave her a jump start for higher education. Lanika graduated from Clayton State University with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Integrative Studies. She also received her Master’s in Business Administration from the same University. In addition, she attended Stillman College, Alabama State University, Auburn University and received a Theology Degree through Creflo Dollar’s Ministry in Atlanta, Georgia. She had a great love for education and was exceptionally intelligent, wise and gifted. Lanika confessed Christ at an early age and joined Greater Peace Missionary Baptist Church in Fort Walton Beach, Florida. She was very active with the church and one of their lead vocalist and director of the Young Adult and Mass Choir. Even when she moved to other cities, she immediately found a new church home and worked faithfully for the Lord. Lanika’s career started at Club Destin Resorts. She later worked for Baptist Healthcare in Montgomery, Alabama as a Medical Doctor Referral Specialist. In 1998, she moved to Atlanta where she secured a job with the Internal Revenue Service as a Tax Examiner. When her health started failing, she was afforded a medical retirement from the IRS. On December 18, 1995, Lanika was united in Holy Matrimony to Ambrose Eze Ibeh. Together they became foster parents, with the intent to adopt one son, Eric “Magic” Johnson, whom she loved dearly. She always made sure he received birthday and Christmas gifts from her and kept in touch with him, after he reunited with his paternal grandmother, Pearl Johnson. Lanika was well traveled; she took several cruises, visited Africa and Europe, and many cities and states within the United States. And she was a Disney World regular. She later married Ekanem Ekanem. On September 23, 1999, Lanika was the recipient of a Kidney Transplant from her sister, Tralia which served her extremely well until 2013. Lanika was a faithful contributor and offered her services to the National Kidney Foundation. Lanika was preceded in death by her sister Angel Rahmaan, her maternal grandparents Lonnie and Sylener Hughes, her paternal grandparents Ervin “E.V.” and Mary Rutledge, three uncles Chester, Ester and Lennon Hughes. Lanika leaves to cherish her memories a devoted father, Theodis Odell Rahmaan, Uniontown, AL; a loving mother, Gloris Ann Hughes Rahmaan, an inseparable and loving sister, Tralia Jamika Rahmaan, Esq., an adoring nephew Darius Roddrick Rahmaan, Memphis, TN; a foster son Eric “Magic” Johnson, Bogalusa, LA; six Aunts, Joicy Lean Lark, Huntington Station, NY, Shirley Ann Young, Memphis, TN, Gwendolyn (Christopher) Nalls, Lena Faye Hughes (Michael Hill), Fayette, AL, Joyce Rankins (E.J.) Buffalo, NY, Dora Dean (Charles) Valentine, Montevallo, AL; three Uncles, Lonnie Hughes Jr., Birmingham, AL, Ervin V. Rutledge, Jr., Miami, FL, Alfonzo Rutledge, Atlanta, GA; four Great Aunts, lots of cousins, and numerous friends and associates from many places worldwide. Norwood Chapel of Fayette directing. .