Celebrity Designer & ‘Project Runway’ Contestant Dies at 39 — Details
The death of the reality TV star has left his family shell-shocked, but they find comfort in the lasting impact he made on the world.
“Project Runway” contestant and celebrity designer Sha’Vi Lewis passed away at the age of 39 on Monday, February 24. His final Facebook post struck a chord with many.
Sha’Vi Lewis on “Project Runway” season 18, on June 26, 2019 | Source: Getty Images
Lewis’ aunt, Deidra DivaDoll Elkerson, confirmed his passing in an emotional Facebook post, writing, “I KNOW HE IS IN A MUCH BETTER PLACE.” Despite this, she mourned her nephew, expressing sadness over no longer hearing his familiar greetings.
Elkerson also penned, “I CAN JUST IMAGINE THE WELCOME HE RECIEVED WHEN HE GOT TO THOSE PEARLY GATES, WITH SO MANY LOVED ONES WHO HAD GONE ON BEFORE….OH WHAT A TIME WHAT A TIME HE IS HAVING WITH HIS GRANDMOTHERS, GRANDFATHER, UNCLES, AUNTS, COUSIINS. AND GOOD FRIENDS [sic].”
Sha’Vi Lewis on “Project Runway” season 18, on June 16, 2019 | Source: Getty Images
She added, “MY MY MY REST IN JOY NEPHEW KNOWING THAT YOU LEFT A HELL OF MARK ON THIS EARTH!!! YOU WILL BE ALWAYS LOVED AND NEVER EVER FORGOTTEN.”
Elkerson has urged others to keep Lewis’ loved ones in their thoughts, asking for prayers for his mother, Joyce Solomon-Frierson, his father, Franklin Frierson, his brother, Troy Solomon Frierson, and his sisters, Akira Frierson Wood and Destiny L. Owens.
Lewis’s sister Wood has also spoken out after his demise, “We are in a state of disbelief as we come to the reality that our star has been caste into eternity. As the days move forward we will continue to wrap our minds around a future without your presence.”
Wood noted that as much as the world was just getting to know her brother, his family knew how great he was. “Continue to pray as we mourn the loss of our loved one, Franklin Shavi Lewis Frierson Jr,” she added.
Lewis’s final Facebook post made on February 23 caught the attention of many, who have now sent their condolences. He wrote, “If I treated people the way they treat me, I’d be the worst person on earth…….. versallies [sic].”
Now, those who loved him and whom he loved are mourning his loss, including his family, friends, fans, and industry colleagues in fashion.
