Taalibah A. Amatul-Haqq

Taalibah Adrienne Amatul-Haqq was born Adrienne Spivey on April 7, 1956, in Brooklyn, NY, to her beloved parents, the late Mildred (Galloway) and Leroy Spivey. She was the eldest of five children, and from the very beginning, carried herself with strength and confidence.

She grew up in the projects of Brooklyn, where she learned street smarts at a young age. After an incident at school, her father taught her how to box, and the next time she was picked on, she showed them exactly who was boss. That fire never left her.

Taalibah graduated from Franklin D. Roosevelt High School in 1974 and went on to Boston College, where she earned her Bachelor of Arts in speech arts in 1978, with a concentration in television and radio broadcasting. She threw herself into campus life, from the Fulton Debate Society to intramural basketball and volleyball, and served on the committee of the Black Talent Program. She also worked in the genetics department, doing dissections and microscopic analysis, an experience that sparked a lifelong fascination with medicine and later led her to self-study naturopathic healing.

It was in Boston that she met and married Yusuf Paul Rousseff. After a season in Colorado and then Texas, the two finally put down roots in Waterport, NY, where they welcomed three daughters: Khaleeyah, Hajara, and Haleema. Even while raising her girls, Taalibah never stopped learning, immersing herself in the study of holistic healing, herbology, nutrition, and human physiology, always searching for ways to help the body heal itself.

In 1984, she and Yusuf opened Wildflower Natural Foods, and it became so much more than a store, it became her life's calling. For over 40 years, she poured her heart into healing her community, offering comfort and remedies that Western medicine often couldn't provide. Her customers didn't just shop; they loved her, and they felt it anytime she wasn't behind the counter. That same warmth spilled out beyond her store's walls: she cooked homemade meals for the unhoused, gave generously, and showed up again and again for anyone in need.

Her faith was the steady heartbeat of her life. A devout Muslim, Taalibah held tightly to her convictions and never stopped growing in her understanding of Islam. Even in her final days, she was still taking Arabic and Quran classes online, learning from teachers around the world. She was equally devoted to passing that knowledge on, spending countless hours volunteering at the Islamic school and mentoring the younger generation.

Taalibah was also wonderfully, stubbornly self-sufficient, a true "jill of all trades." Carpenter, plumber, electrician: if something needed fixing, she rolled up her sleeves and did it herself, always with remarkable precision and care.

Her garden was another one of her great loves. She had an incredible green thumb and found deep joy in tending to her fruit trees, her vegetables and herbs, her blueberries, blackberries, figs, and many more, along with her flowers and rose bushes. She lovingly called her home the "house of plenty" and gave her land its own name: "Taalibah's Orchard."

As a loving grandmother, she cherished every moment spent playing games, cooking over the fire, making sorbet, and going on her famous movie dates with her grandchildren. True to her spirit as a lifelong learner, she loved to travel. She was blessed to travel to Saudi Arabia to complete her Umrah pilgrimage, a journey that held deep meaning for her.

Taalibah was predeceased by her brother, Leroy Cort and her late husband, Khalid Abdus Salaam. She leaves behind a family and community who adored her: her three daughters, Khaleeyah Yusuf Hudson (Derek), Hajara Yusuf (Jackie), and Haleema Yusuf (Brian); her seven grandchildren, Amir, Omari, Ajani, Raia, Arianna, Miles and Ivontae; her sisters, Crystal, Dawn, Nicole, and Shawanna; her nieces and nephews, Ian, Iyesha, Kerri-lyn, Shartinique, Kayla, and Quincy; and countless other relatives, dear neighbors, an extensive faith community, loyal store patrons, and friends, all who were lucky enough to know her.

With gratitude, the family of Taalibah extend their heartfelt thanks for your love, prayers, and support during this time.

Taalibah was laid to rest in the Jannatul Baqi Cemetery, S. Grave Rd., Shelby Center. A date and time for her memorial service will be forthcoming. Arrangements are in the care of Cooper Funeral Home, 215 W. Center St., Medina.