Evelyn "Evie" Margaret O'Brien Pearson

Evelyn "Evie" Margaret O'Brien Pearson, 38, joined her husband, Carl, her sister, Mary and her mother, Margie in eternal communion on February 16, 2018. Evie came into the world on March 13, 1979 at Jo Ellen Smith Hospital in New Orleans, Louisiana. Evie loved to learn from the moment she began school, attending St. Richard's in Jackson, Mississippi and Holy Souls in Little Rock, Arkansas. A 1997 graduate of Mount Saint Mary's High School, she was an honor student, cheerleader and Homecoming Queen. While working on a community project during her junior year, she discovered her passion for children, especially those with Autism, Down Syndrome and challenging behavioral disorders. Her family recalls her insistence that they drop the word "handicapped" from their vocabularies and instead use the words "children with special needs". Her classmates describe her as "beautiful, brilliant, kind, compassionate and a force unto herself in the absolute best way possible". She was a true listener; when friends confided their problems, worries, hopes and dreams, they became Evie's own because she felt so deeply for others. Following in the footsteps of her father and older brother, Evie attended Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee. She studied abroad at Oxford University in England before graduating Magna cum Laude in 2001 from Vanderbilt. She was forward thinking in advocating for strong early childhood intervention and the importance of integrating children with special needs into classrooms with typically developing peers. Evie never saw "handicaps" in her students, but instead focused on individual strengths and incremental victories. Evie loved music, especially the Beatles and Bob Dylan. She felt the emotion of music passionately and could choose the perfect song for any moment. Her friends note that she taught them to use music to heal their hurts and buoy their spirits. Evie was also described by those closest to her as genuinely trusting. During her first week of college, a homeless man approached her for change. She opened her purse to help him. To her surprise, he stole her purse and while initially shocked, she paused and then stated that he must have needed it more than she did. In 2008, Evie married Carl Raydel Pearson, Jr., whom she described as her soulmate and safe haven. Evie's sense of humor came alive with Carl and his ability to make her laugh was legendary. Where ever Carl was, was "home" for Evie. He was her companion, confidante and protector. His pride in her was evident and he could make her smile in an instant. His family considered Evie as a second daughter and sister. Carl and Evie's daughter, Sophie, added light to the laughter and love, making their world complete. Evie instilled in Sophie a love of reading, a curiosity about people and a knack for creative expression. Evie was preceded in death by her husband, Carl R. Pearson; her sister, Mary O'Brien and her mother, Margie Murrell O'Brien. She leaves her precious daughter, Sophie Marjorie Pearson, who has her mother's smile, kind heart and quick wit. Evie will be "Forever Young" to her father, Joe O'Brien of Little Rock; one brother, D.J. O'Brien, his wife, Meg and children, Edgar and Eloise of Greensboro, North Carolina; her mother and father-in-law, Carl and Claudette Pearson of Sherwood; one sister-in-law, Crystal Clay, her husband, Larry of Little Rock and children, Brittaney, Jessica, Bradley and Justin, as well as extended family and friends. Evie's life will be celebrated beginning Wednesday, February 21 with a Vigil Service at 7:30 p.m. and a Funeral Mass on Thursday, February 22 at 1 p.m. at Christ the King Catholic Church at 4000 North Rodney Parham Road in Little Rock. Friends and families are invited to a lunch celebrating Evie's life at noon in the Family Life Center prior to Thursday's service. Interment will follow the Mass at Rest Hills Memorial Park in Sherwood. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Sophie Pearson Educational Trust through Simmons Bank. Family and friends are also encouraged to send memories to evieobrienpearsonmemorial@gmail.com. Arrangements by Little Rock Funeral Home, (501) 224-2200. Evie's online guestbook may be signed at www.littlerockfuneralhome.com.