Miya D. Brophy-Baermann, 24, unexpectedly died on Sunday, August 1, 2021. This world became a brighter place on July 23, 1997 when in Cooperstown, NY, Miya Desiree was born the daughter to Bryan and Michelle Brophy-Baermann.
Miya accomplished so much and impacted so many in her short yet passionate life. She spent her first nine years in Stevens Point, WI. She graduated from Classical High School in Providence, RI in 2015. Miya attended Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, NY for a year before making the difficult, financially responsible decision to transfer back to her home state's public university, University of Rhode Island. Maintaining multiple jobs while attending URI, she graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in Communication Sciences and Disorders in 2019. After graduating, Miya continued to receive her Master's in Speech-Language Pathology from Northeastern University in May 2021, and she had started her first job as a clinician a few weeks ago.
Miya was a selfless person who will be remembered for her infectious and optimistic personality. She made complete strangers feel welcomed and treated everyone equally and as a friend. She had an unbelievable work ethic for her own goals and the causes she believed in. In her pursuit of social justice, Miya lived the experience many just talk about.
In her 24 years, Miya grew to be an astonishing woman, daughter, sister, granddaughter, and niece. Her love will live on in her parents, Bryan and Michelle Brophy-Baermann; her brother, Belamy Brophy-Baermann and his wife Emma Walker of Portland, ME; her maternal grandparents, Thomas and Virginia Brophy; her aunts, Beth Rauch and Cynthia Goedhart; and her uncle, Troy Brophy. She is predeceased by her paternal grandparents, Edwin and Donna Baermann. She leaves behind her faithful cat companion, Kali.
Calling hours will be Friday, August 6 from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Carpenter-Jenks Funeral Home, 659 East Greenwich Avenue, West Warwick, RI.
The family would like to omit flowers and recommend donating in her memory at the go-fund-me link https://www.gofundme.com/f/miyas-voice. The fund will establish a memorial scholarship titled Miya's Voice, which will be devoted to continuing her work and helping future students find their voices. Remembrances may be shared at carpenterjenks.com.
