Who Was Yusef Rasheed?
Long before the world knew the names Venus and Serena Williams, their mother, Oracene Price, shared a life with a man named Yusef Rasheed. He was a private individual, a man who lived his life far from the spotlight that would one day shine on his family. His story is not one of athletic triumphs, but of a quiet existence and a family foundation that would ultimately connect to a global tennis dynasty.
Before his marriage, Yusef was not a public figure. He lived a normal life in the United States, and little is known about his early years. This air of mystery is what makes his story compelling—a man whose life was a quiet prelude to an extraordinary family saga.
A Quiet Life and a New Family
Marriage to Oracene Price
In 1972, Yusef Rasheed married Oracene Price. Their union was a private affair, a stark contrast to the public lives their future children would lead. Through this marriage, Yusef was unknowingly tied to a future of immense fame and influence, though he would never live to see it.
Their life together was by all accounts a simple one, focused on building a family and navigating the world as a young couple. For a brief time, they created a life together, a world away from the tennis courts and grand slams that would later define the Price-Williams family.
Father to Three Daughters
Their family grew quickly. In the same year they married, 1972, they welcomed their first daughter, Yetunde. Three years later, in 1975, their second daughter, Isha, was born. Their family was completed with the arrival of their third daughter, Lyndrea, in 1978.
Yusef was a father to three young girls, a role he embraced fully. He was a family man, and these early years were filled with the joys and challenges of raising a young family. His daughters were his world, and he was their first protector.
A Sudden and Tragic End
The life they were building together came to an abrupt and tragic end in 1979. Yusef Rasheed died suddenly from a heart attack, leaving behind his wife and three young daughters. His marriage to Oracene had lasted only seven years.
His untimely death was a devastating blow to the family. Oracene was now a widow with three small children to care for on her own. The future they had planned together was shattered, and a new, uncertain path lay ahead.
The Legacy He Left Behind
Though his time with his daughters was short, Yusef Rasheed’s legacy lives on through them. Each of his daughters grew up to be successful and accomplished in her own right, a testament to the strength and resilience of their family.
Yetunde Price: A Life Cut Short
Yetunde, the eldest, was a registered nurse and owned her own hair salon. She also worked as a personal assistant to her famous half-sisters, Venus and Serena. She was a mother of three and a beloved older sister.
Tragically, Yetunde’s life was also cut short. In 2003, she was murdered in a case of mistaken identity in Compton, California. In her memory, the family opened the Yetunde Price Resource Center to help those affected by violence and trauma.
Isha Price: A Force in Law and Media
Isha Price, the second daughter, pursued a career in law, graduating from Georgetown University Law Center. She is a successful lawyer and has also made a name for herself as a producer, most notably for the acclaimed film ‘King Richard,’ which tells the story of her stepfather and half-sisters.
Lyndrea Price: A Creative Visionary
Lyndrea, the youngest of Yusef’s daughters, has found her calling in the creative world. She is a talented fashion and web designer, contributing her skills to various projects, including her half-sister Venus’s clothing line, ‘Eleven.’
Oracene’s New Chapter and the Williams Sisters
A year after Yusef’s death, in 1980, Oracene Price married Richard Williams. This new chapter in her life would lead to the birth of two of the greatest tennis players in history: Venus and Serena Williams.
Oracene, alongside Richard, would go on to coach her youngest daughters to international stardom, a journey that would captivate the world. The five sisters—Yetunde, Isha, Lyndrea, Venus, and Serena—grew up as a close-knit family, a bond that remains strong to this day.
Remembering Yusef Rasheed
Yusef Rasheed’s story is a poignant reminder of the quiet lives that often lie behind extraordinary public figures. He was a man who loved his family and whose life, though short, had a lasting impact.
He never saw the global fame his family would achieve, but his legacy endures. It lives on in the accomplishments of his daughters and in the family history of the Williams sisters, a quiet but essential part of their incredible story.
