Eleshea, was born Jan. 9, 1983, in Dallas. Her parents Calvin and Alma Pride said that she always wanted to Texas A&M and follow in her brother Broderick’s footsteps who graduated from A&M. She is survived by four brothers: Broderick, Derrick, Jason and Joshua.
“She enjoyed shopping, babysitting, talking on the phone, and doing volunteer work at the church and in the community,” Alma said. “She was interested in modeling and enjoyed getting in pageants.”
John Robert Powell’s modeling agency recognized Eleshea’s natural beauty and she participated in the Miss Teen Texas Pageant and the Miss Southeast Texas Scholarship Pageant.
Eleshea attended Skyline High School in Dallas where she played tennis. In a personal vision statement she described her core values as being service, community, excellence, integrity.
After graduation from A&M, her mother said Eleshea planned to go into real estate development. She had already talked to Bank of America and City Bank about jobs. Her long-term goal was to develop her own construction company.
“Her graduation present was supposed to be a trip to Paris, France,” Alma said.
“I used to joke with her and tell her she was my favorite daughter,” Alma said. “She would then say ‘Momma I’m your only daughter’ and I would say, well that is what makes you real special.”