Alyssa Halverstadt Young, 42, of Smithfield NC, died peacefully in her sleep on Dec 11, 2020 after a year and a half battle with injuries due to a brain tumor. She is survived by her loving husband of 12 years, Matt, and daughter Madelyn, age 11, the love of her life, as well as her adored fur babies, Barkley and Bentley, her parents Patti Nichols and Dale Halverstadt, both of Kernersville, and younger sister Brittany Halverstadt (Adam), of Toledo, Ohio, and many loving aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends. Born in Cincinnati, Ohio on February 13, 1978, Alyssa moved to Kernersville with her family in 1991. She graduated from East Forsyth High School in 1996 and received a BA in Psychology from NC State in 2000. She went on to earn a MA in Forensic Psychology, MA in Clinical Psychology, and a Doctorate of Psychology from University of Denver, in Colorado. After graduation she moved back to NC where she was a staff psychologist for the North Carolina Youth Development and Detention Center in Kinston, NC. She then opened her own private practice in Goldsboro, NC in 2013. Alyssa loved working with families and children, adults, and geriatrics, many of whom were referred by the NC. Dept of Health and Human Services, as well as clients from Seymour Johnson Air Force Base. Feeling a need to also give back, she provided pro bono service to the underserved in Wayne and surrounding counties. An avid dog lover, Alyssa took up running 5 Ks to raise donations and awareness for Pet Rescue in recent years. Always outgoing and positive, Alyssa loved to travel and was often the catalyst to get old friends and new together for reunions whether it be a backyard party or a Disney Cruise, one of her favorite things to do. She and husband Matt had just returned from a two week tour to Croatia and Bosnia when she was first diagnosed with a meningioma brain tumor in July of 2019. She worked hard in all of her endeavors, but she never worked so hard as she did in her attempt to recover from this tumor and surgery.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to a Food Bank or any Pet Rescue organization. A celebration of Life will be held sometime later in 2021 when Covid restrictions are lifted.
As Antoine de Saint-Exupery wrote in “The Little Prince”
In one of the stars I shall be living
In one of them I shall be laughing
And so it will be as if all the stars were laughing
When you look at the sky at night.
Maybe Alyssa is a star shining her light to give all of us a message that all is well. She is at peace. She knows she is loved.
