late Pernell Jr., Dantavious, and Devon. Pernell also had a daughter, Tiara, from a prior relationship. Pernell graduated from Booker T. Washington High School in 1982 and later received an honorary Bachelor's degree from Norfolk State University. His humble beginnings started in Youngs Park Housing Community where he was inspired to start his boxing career. Outside of the ring, Sweet Pea served his community and the youth in everything that he did. He sponsored many events at Norfolk State University and spent countless hours training youth at boxing camps and gyms. He also remained active in Norfolk and spoke at city council meetings on behalf of the residents in support of community improvements. Pernell had personal struggles and in June 2002 was convicted of cocaine possession after a judge found he violated the terms of a previous sentence by overdosing on cocaine in March. In February 2014, Pernell made national headlines after he evicted his mother, Novella Whitaker, out of the house he purchased for her shortly after he turned pro. Apparently, back taxes were owed on the house and Pernell said that neither his mother nor his siblings, who also stayed in the house, were doing anything to help keep the house afloat financially. Pernell's lawyers said that he is not making the same kind of money as a trainer that he was as a boxer, and needed to sell off the home to satisfy the tax debt owed in order to prevent the property from being seized and put into foreclosure. Outside of the Virginia courtroom where the eviction proceedings took place, he called the ruling in his favor "a beautiful moment." Death At about 10 p.m. on July 14, 2019, Whitaker was crossing the street in Virginia Beach, at the intersection of Northampton Boulevard and Baker Road, when he was struck and killed by a vehicle. He was 55. An autopsy stated that the cause of Whitaker's death was "multiple blunt force trauma." Professional boxing record Pay-per-view bouts See also List of WBA world champions List of WBC world champions List of boxing quadruple champions List of left-handed boxers References External links Amateur record (incomplete) R.I.P. Pernell ‘Sweet Pea’ Whitaker, One of the All-Time Greats 1964 births 2019 deaths African-American boxers American sportspeople in doping cases Doping cases in boxing Olympic boxers of the United States Boxers at the 1984 Summer Olympics World Boxing Association champions World