Defray final expenses for Kai Horne

Help Horne family defray final arrangements, medical bills in honoring one of Kai’s final wishes: To go 'everywhere'


On Wednesday April 11, 2018 at 12:28 a.m. our adored, cherished and beloved Ayana Kai Horne transitioned back to the light of the Universe.  She peacefully retired from this life at home, in her bed, holding hands with her husband, following goodbye hugs and kisses with her children only a few hours earlier. 

Her amazing ability to mesmerize us all with her laughter, positivity and utter joy for life continues even after her passing. 

The sentiment Kai coveted for happiness was well exemplified in her comments only a week before she transitioned. In these thoughts that she shared, she made her wishes for her final earthly arrangements known to her loved ones. She had been watching one of her favorite television shows when the subject matter turned to a character’s passing, “Funerals are so sad, I think everyone should just think happy thoughts and remember all the happy times when someone moves on. That’s what I want when I finally return to the universe. I’ll probably be 125 years old, but you guys need to remember that I always want everyone to be happy. And then scatter me in the ocean, and I can travel the world!”   

In her beautiful mind she envisioned that her family and friends would joyfully celebrate the happy times she shared with them.  But Kai’s idea of the celebration would not be one that would take place in the form of a funeral, ceremony or memorial. She knew that anything of the sort would be too much for her dad to deal with, and she desperately wanted him and all of her loved ones to emerge from this ordeal at peace with their heads held high. She cringed at the very idea of anyone feeling sad.  

It remained important to Kai that her family and friends continue to move forward in their lives, with peace, happiness and above all, love.

Those who knew Kai understood that she took great pride in sharing new experiences and creating lasting memories with not only her husband and children but all of her loved ones.

In her final two days, she reminded Felix, her loving husband of 15 years, and her mother that she still wanted to go “everywhere.”  She had been lying quietly in bed when she abruptly sat up straight and said, “I want to go.” “Where do you want to go?” Felix asked.  “Everywhere!” She exclaimed. “I want to go everywhere!”

As she battled illness the past four years, the family was neither able to go on their planned adventures to Hawaii, where her mother lives, the Grand Canyon, a natural landmark that Kai was excited to travel to with her family, the beaches near Los Angeles, a place she always wanted to visit, nor Yellowstone National Park where she had planned a field trip extravaganza with her children who are homeschooled.

The family asks that you help them secure the means to honor Kai’s final wishes of traveling “everywhere” by assisting with this campaign.

In addition to dispersing portions of Kai’s ashes in to the Pacific Ocean from Los Angeles, they will distribute portions at the Grand Canyon (which houses a part of the Colorado river and eventually flows into the Gulf of Mexico) and in Hawaii via a traditional Polynesian sendoff which would honor her mother’s heritage as she was born in Hawaii.




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Ayana Kai Horne was born Ayana Kai Michele Tuere Hood on July 6, 1979 in Washington, D.C.

The eldest of two children, Ayana Kai grew up a fervent reader who asked lots of questions. She became active in sports while developing a love for dance and anywhere that she could enjoy the world’s beaches.

She attended the University of Tennessee, where she majored in Theatre and Anthropology and lettered as a member of the crew (rowing) team. She also volunteered at the local Boys and Girls Club and animal shelters.

During her junior year, Kai followed the footsteps of her beloved Aunt Marsha Francis by pledging Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. She became a sister of the Mu Zeta chapter in the spring of 2000.

Kai earned the nickname "Vivrant Thing" -a ploy off a popular song at the time- as a result of her high-octane persona, which often times lead to impromptu performances of scenes from Shakespeare's "Macbeth." She had the reputation of a free-thinking non-conformist. Her sorority sisters most admired her saintly ability to remain positive in even grim circumstances.

She graduated in 2001 and met the love of her life, Felix Horne Jr., in October 2002.

The doting couple was engaged on December 2, 2002 and married only five months later, on May 17, 2003, in Atlanta. Several years later they relocated to Miami.

They were inseparable and basked in the joy of their lifelong companionship.


Through their union, they had three beautiful children: two boys, Three, age 8, Zen, age 6, and a daughter, 11-month-old Bliss.

And what a mother she continues to be as the two eldest children continuously refrain her constant teachings!

Kai absolutely loved fitness — especially swimming, and she served as a lifeguard at the beach and taught swim classes at the local YMCA. 

She continued to swim daily while teaching dance classes during her first two pregnancies; she delivered all three of her children naturally.

Kai’s children lovingly know her only as Mama. She homeschooled her children with passion and was the catalyst behind her boys reading at a seventh-grade level by the age of five.  Mama also made sure the family took daily trips to the library and periodic visits to museums, the aquarium and the zoo.


Big on recycling, volunteering at the Dade County Humane Society and enjoying the outdoors, she had an alluring enthusiasm for respect of the planet and all who are on it.

In fact, her daily mission was offering an uplifting word along with her captivating smile to friends and strangers alike.

“Find the funny,” she’d tell her boys when they were down; she vehemently believed that joy can be found in both disaster and triumph.

Ayana Kai was officially diagnosed with breast cancer in 2017. However, she believed in natural methods to combat the vile disease and had been doing so for nearly four years.

In 2016 Kai discovered that she and Felix would be expecting their third child. Despite knowing she needed to take an aggressive stance against the cancer since it had very evidently begun to advance, Kai forwent any surgery or chemo treatments at that time.

She gave birth to a healthy baby girl, Bliss Serene, on Cinco de Mayo.


A short time later, the family sold all of their belongings and moved cross-country from Tampa, Fla. to Phoenix, Ariz. for specialized treatments.

Kai fought the disease as long as she could, still reading and discovering with the boys, still enjoying the excitement of seeing her infant daughter reach milestones, still striving to be a loving and supportive wife, and most of all, still believing in the power of laughter.

Last fall, the family took what Felix thought would be a quick trip to the mall to pick out a sun hat for Kai.

"Alright guys, I need you to stay close because we're going to be in and out."

Kai and the boys had other plans.

They ran off giggling. 

Felix found Kai hiding behind a rack of clothes flashing her angelic smile, "finding the funny" despite the ugliness ravaging her body.

Kai sacrificed it all for her family, cherishing every moment with them until the last second. Now her family wants to thank her by honoring her final wishes by dispersing her ashes in the Pacific Ocean via California and Hawaii, the Grand Canyon and Yellowstone National Park.

Ayana Kai preceded both parents in passing: Morya Kim (Jeff) Ferris, of Maui, Hawaii and Dr. Ronald E. Hood, of Fairfax Station, Virginia.

She will be dearly missed by her younger sister Khalia Hood, whom Kai often spoke of as having the purest heart she had ever encountered.

Paternal uncles, Bernard Hood, and Charles Hood; paternal cousins, Aaron Hood, Adrian (Danielle) Hood, and Andrea (Tim) Johnson.

Maternal aunts and uncles, Marsha Francis, Henry (Suzette) Francis, John (Carol) Francis, Anita Francis; maternal cousins, Monique Francis (Zennen) Clifton, Jeanette Francis, Chayton Francis, April Francis, Dena Sewell, Shaina Solomon, Ricky Sewell and Tank Sewell.

Father-in-law, Felix Horne, Sr.; siblings-in-law, Syntyche (Carlton) Wilson, Bridget Horne, Nathan Horne and Samson Horne; nieces and nephews, Camille Horne, Janasia Horne, Marvin Collins III, Kairos Horne and Yara Horne.

Her loving in-laws extended who cared for her as their very own every step of the way, Aunt Emily “Emmy” (Andrew) Spurlin, Amanda (Ray) Parker, Charles Spurlin, Aunt Mattie “Mama” Bryant.

Her loving sisters of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., Mu Zeta Chapter, University of Tennessee.

The brothers of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.

Special adopted sisters in the Universe, Nordia (Noel) Ogunbunmi, Meredith Hutchinson, Lori (Joel) Cabrera, and Sharita (O'Neil) Bent.

Adopted brothers in the Universe, Sean Mack (Jeannette), Nathan Horne, Tony Giles, Julio (Stella) Cisneros and Del (Emily) Early III.

And a host of aunts, uncles and cousins from the Horne, Bilbro and Bryant families.