Unheard Voices is saddened to report that Brianna Greenwood, a beloved mother, daughter, our cousin, and so much more to the community, has passed away.

She was 29 years young.

A tragedy that has affected the community

Brianna was tragically attacked with a machete by her ex-boyfriend at an apartment complex in Wall Township, N.J. on Thursday, May 23.

Despite life saving efforts and 18 hours of surgery, Brianna could not overcome the massive injuries she sustained.

The 29-year-old mother of two succumbed to her injuries Thursday, May 30th, at a local hospital.

Authorities alleges Brianna’s ex-boyfriend attacked her with a machete May 23 while one of her children was nearby.

Brianna Greenwood was a vibrant soul

A GoFundMe has been created to raise money for the family and Brianna’s two children.

“Brianna’s untimely departure serves as a stark reminder of the gravity of domestic violence. She, her children, and her family did not deserve to suffer at the hands of such cruelty,” theGoFundMe says.

“A vibrant soul whose life was tragically cut short by a senseless act of violence,” it continued.

Suspect

Authorities have charged Brianna’s ex-boyfriend, Alex J. Williams, 24, with murder and other crimes related to her untimely death.

New Jersey machete attack

On Thursday May 23, around 9:22 a.m., Wall Township Police responded to the parking lot of the Glen Oaks Apartment Complex in Wall. Upon arrival, police found Brianna bloody and badly injured in the parking lot.

According to the affidavit, while EMS members were helping the victim, police found a man who fit the witness’s description sitting on a bench, and asked if he had just gotten into a fight with his girlfriend. He was then identified as Williams and was arrested without incident.

Previous domestic violence

Police say this is not the first domestic violence incident.

On Feb. 24, police were called to the victim’s home, where the victim said Williams had wrecked her home, stolen her phone and stopped her from leaving the residence or calling 911 during the dispute. Police said they saw obvious signs of damage throughout the home and scratches on the victim’s arms and hands.

In that case, Williams was charged with simple assault, criminal mischief, criminal restraint, theft and harassment in that incident, the affidavit said.

Brianna leaves behind her two children, 3 and 8, and a host of relatives and friends.

Marian Robinson, the mother of former first lady Michelle Obama, has passed away, according to a statement from the Obama and Robinson families. She was 86.

Statement on Michelle Obama’s mother, Marian Robinson’s passing

“As a sister, aunt, cousin, neighbor, and friend to so many, she was beloved beyond words by countless others whose lives were improved by her presence,” the statement from Barack and Michelle Obama, Craig and Kelly Robinson, and their children said in part.

Michelle Obama posted on X (formerly Twitter), “My mom Marian Robinson was my rock, always there for whatever I needed. She was the same steady backstop for our entire family, and we are heartbroken to share she passed away today.”

Life in Chicago

Born Marian Lois Shields in 1937 in Chicago’s South Side, she grew up in a small house as one of seven siblings.
She married Fraser Robinson III, a pump operator for Chicago’s water department, in 1960, and they had two children – Craig in 1962 and Michelle two years later. Robinson worked as a secretary and for a bank before becoming a stay-at-home mother.

She was a proud mother, who ensured her children Craig and Michelle, had the best.

“We just wanted our children to understand that a good education was their ticket to a better life, a chance to have more and be more,” Robinson once said.

After 31 years of marriage, Fraser Robinson III died in 1991. Marian stayed living in the family home in Chicago until her daughter enlisted her help in the executive mansion.

First grandma

In 2009, the widowed Robinson moved to the White House, reluctant at first, to help care for granddaughters Malia and Sasha. She was reserved and rarely gave interviews – her daughter, Michelle Obama, once described her as a “sweet, witty companion who doesn’t need the limelight”.

She played a unique and vital role during her time in the mansion. Affectionately known as “first grandma”, she brought some normalcy to the lives of her granddaughters, Malia and Sasha.

In 2019, Barack Obama said: “I’ve always appreciated her steadiness, her perspective, and the way a wisecrack from her reverberates around the room.”

After the White House, she returned to Chicago, reconnecting with longtime friends, trading wise-cracks, traveling, and enjoying a good glass of wine.

“She passed peacefully this morning, and right now, none of us are quite sure how exactly we’ll move on without her,” the Obama and Robinson families said.

Renée McMillan was born in Brooklyn, New York. As a child, she was adopted and decades later, Renee was reunited with her biological family which brought her a great sense of joy and fulfillment.

She was a product of the New York City School System and would not hesitate to tell you that she was from Brooklyn, more specifically, “Do or Die Bed-Stuy” which signified the Bedford Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn.

Highly educated

Renée was highly educated and every facet of the word excellence.

She obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Office Management and Supervision from Buffalo State University, an Master of Arts in Educational Leadership from Georgian Court University, and a Master of Arts in Education from Fairleigh Dickinson University.

Career

She started her career as an Accounts Payable Bookkeeper for the Gamma Liaison Photo Agency in NYC. After that, she served as a Sales Representative for Nabisco before entering her calling: the field of Education.

Renee McMillan as an educator

Renée worked many years in the Asbury Park and Neptune Public School systems before finishing up her career as Vice Principal, at the School of Architecture, Construction, and Trades at John F. Kennedy High School in Paterson, New Jersey. She had a passion for education and spent countless summers tutoring students in math. Renée received great satisfaction in inspiring her students to set goals and understand their purpose for their lives.

Real estate

After retiring from the Paterson Board of Education, Renée worked as a Real Estate Agent at Keller Williams Realty.

Renée McMillan served the community

She continued her service by being actively involved in the community. She held positions as Director of Neptune Township Biddy Basketball, a humble servant in the Women’s Ministry at St. Stephen AME Zion Church in Asbury Park, New Jersey, a former County Committee Member for District 10 in Neptune, a member of The PAC Program at Monmouth University, and also coordinated the GOTV activities for local, state, and national campaigns which provided the youth of Neptune with employment during the political season.

Renée’s hobbies were cooking and reading. She became well-known for her culinary and baking skills, extending her love towards others with her incredible gift.

Her legacy will live on forever

Renée leaves to mourn her memory to her loving and dedicated husband, her beloved children, two daughters and one son, her precious grandchildren, one girl and boy, a devoted and caring godmother, god sister and godbrother, godson and goddaughter, two doting sisters, three adoring brothers, two special brothers-in-law, and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, and other relatives as well as a countless number of friends and colleagues.

Renée was loved by the Unheard Voices community and she will be sorely missed.

Visit James Hunt Funeral Home to read Renee McMillan’s obituary in full.