Mrs. Gloria Jean Washington

WASHINGTON, Mrs. Gloria Jean – Age 69, passed away Thursday, August 1, 2013 at McLaren-Flint. Gloria was the wife of the late Freddie Washington and the mother of Lamont Washington, Sabrina Washington, Sally Washington and Rachel Cosey; grandmother of Denzel Washington. She will lie in state in the Chapel of Lawrence E. Moon Funeral Home, 906 W. Flint Park Blvd. and may be viewed from 4PM to 8PM, Friday, August 9, 2013. On Saturday, August 10, 2013 at 9:30AM please join the family for final viewing in the Chapel of Lawrence E. Moon Funeral Home, with funeral service commencing at 11:00AM. Special thanks to the staffs of Hurley Medical Center, Select Specialty and McLaren - Flint. Gloria Jean Dickerson Washington was born December 7, 1943, in Mount Vernon, New York, to Magdalene Morton and Conway Dickerson. From birth, Gloria was a gift to her family and to anyone who gazed upon her smile. As a child she displayed the characteristics that were consistent throughout her life – determined, caring, outspoken, hardworking, and loving. Gloria graduated from Edison High School in Mount Vernon, New York, and earned college credits at various universities throughout her professional career. In her formative years Gloria was a member of the Church of God and Saints of Christ, where she sang alto in the church choir and was an ardent believer in God – always having high spirits, doing the right thing, and believing that all things are possible. She grew up in a house on 6th Avenue with her grandmother Sallie Belle Morton, who guided her and who she emulated. This strong grandmother influence established Gloria’s foundation in understanding the importance of God, family, hard work, helping others, and being consistent. Also in that same home were aunts, uncles, and cousins who created a supportive and loving environment – a safety net, which Gloria, in turn, provided for so many others throughout her own life. During Gloria’s teenage years, she initially wanted to be a hair stylist, and she received her cosmetology license. She could create fabulous hairstyles, making anyone who was touched by her hand gorgeous. She also worked as a nursing assistant at several hospitals in the New York area where she displayed her natural inclination for the physical care and compassion for others. In 1965, she decided to pack up, leave New York, and start an adventure in Flint, Michigan. She asked her cousin Bubber to drive her, because she had purchased a new Mustang stick-shift car and did not know how to drive it. And thus, the journey in Flint began. We all knew Gloria to have an adventurous spirit – and once she made up her mind, she was certain to make it happen. She surrounded herself with progressive people and adopted an entrepreneurial outlook. It was here she convinced her high school sweetheart, Freddie Washington, to join her in Flint – and we all know that she could be very persuasive. Freddie was living in Philadelphia, but because of his love for Gloria, he moved to Flint to join her. They were married, and in 1972 Lamont was born. In 1974 Sabrina joined the family. Shortly thereafter in 1976, they celebrated the birth of Sally. In 1984, the arrival of Rachel made the family complete. Lamont says about his mother, “She was a strong Black woman, helped many people, gave them her guidance and strength. She worried about others more than she took care of herself. She gave me my first Jheri curl. She was the Queen Bee, always in my corner. And now my loving Mama – my Queen Bee – is gone.” Sabrina says, “My Mom was compassionate beyond the norm. From her heart, she spoke her mind. She was a diva, teacher, coach, and my anchor. I can only hope that the spirit that she emulated each day, I will carry forward, because she was an absolute inspiration to me.” Sally says, “All the children have good hearts because of how they were raised. She taught us how to love. And not only her own kids. Whenever any of my friends went out in the evening, they had to chant, because she wanted us all to be protected. She was a protector.” Rachel feels that Gloria’s evolution to Buddhism provided the spiritual foundation for all of the good that has come to her mom and her siblings. She says, “It gave Mom strength to weather the storm and to beat the odds so many times. She was the light under my feet, the joy in my heart, and my Number One supporter and encourager.” In the early ‘80s, Gloria began to practice Buddhism, and as Rachel has said, it set her on the path to believe there are no boundaries because there is abundance in the universe. Gloria owned an array of businesses that helped the community – many adult foster-care facilities, a furniture store, and a home-based community chicken business. She has been an owner, an executive director, a philanthropist, a mentor. She enjoyed music and liked to sing. She had a degree in numerology. She was known as a New Yorker her entire life. She had a New York way of thinking. She would help anyone. She was a people person. She believed that if she could help one person, then her living would not be in vain. Kind and considerate, outspoken and tough, generous and loving, opinionated but not judgmental, what you saw was what you got. Gloria was a magnificent woman. She was strong and independent – a woman who delivered. And when a women stands tall and delivers, one cannot ask for anything more. In a closing benediction to his mother, Lamont says, “May your love and kindness never be forgotten. You have your kids to carry your spirit for many generations to come. You’ve left an incredible legacy.” Gloria leaves behind a son, Lamont Washington; three daughters, Sabrina Washington, Sally Washington and Rachel Cosey; one grandson, Denzel Washington; one brother Leonard; two sisters, Barbara and Arlene; two aunts, Sarah Young and Rachel Marshall; and a host of cousins, extended family, and friends.

Mrs. Gloria Jean Washington

December 7, 1943 - August 1, 2013