Ms. Rhonda Marie Warren

WARREN, Ms. Rhonda Marie - Age 59, passed away Wednesday, October 19, 2022 at her residence. Family hour 10:00 AM Thursday, November 3, 2022 from the Chapel of Lawrence E. Moon Funeral Home, 906 W. Flint Park Blvd., with funeral service commencing at 11:00 AM. Family and friends will assemble at the chapel 10:00 AM Thursday. Ms. Warren will lie in state in the Chapel of Lawrence E. Moon Funeral Home and may be viewed from 12:00 PM - 6:00 PM Wednesday. In Lieu of flowers, family is requesting donations to K.I.D.S. in need of desk or Young Girls Scholarship, instworddesk.msnbc.com (800) 486-4233. MS. RHONDA MARIE WARREN was born May 12, 1963 in Flint, Michigan. She is the daughter of Mrs. Juanita M. Warren and Mr. Ronald Warren, both of Flint, Michigan. She was a life-long resident of Flint. She graduated from Pierson Elementary, Bryant Junior High and Flint Northern High School. While at Northern she loved being a cheerleader for four years and was honored to be a National Honors Society member. Rhonda’s love of and passion for children came through many of the choices she made. For example, during summer months of her college years, she was a camp counselor at YWCA of Fenton; and she organized Vernon Chapel A.M.E. church’s Summer Vacation Bible School program. Rhonda had given her life to Christ; she was a member of Vernon Chapel A.M.E. Church. She extended he love to her nieces, nephews, and some of their friends as she sacrificed her time, talents, and treasures to take them to stepping stones falls, to parks, to the movies, on a vacation, to parties, and to other events. When her nieces and nephews became teenagers, she opened her home and chose to raise them and later helped raise some of her great-nephews. In this way, she followed in the footsteps of two matriarchical models, her grandmother Mrs. Grace M. Ballard and mother Ms. Juanita M. Warren. While she developed excellent grades and tests score, sharp intellect, good character, and sheer brilliance to attend any college and university, she chose to remain near her family at the University of Detroit. She majored in organizational psychology –the science of how people think and behave at work. So, it seems as though the informal training of working with young people shaped and informed her decision to work in organizational psychology. As an undergraduate student at U of D, she became a Resident Hall Assistant as a way to reduce the cost of the tuition for which her family was responsible. In addition, some of Rhonda’s accomplishments include being a cheerleader, pledging Delta Sigma Theta Delta Psi Chapter, and being Homecoming Queen during her senior collegiate year. After graduating from U of D, Rhonda pursued additional education by attending and graduating with her Master of Science in psychology from Eastern Michigan University. During her graduate career, she was also associated with the Epilepsy Foundation of Michigan. Having graduated from Eastern Michigan University, Rhonda took her skills and talents to intern at Boys Republic of Farmington Hill, Michigan. There, she met and was mentored by Dr. Johnson. Dr. Johnson ushered Rhonda into spaces that facilitated and fostered her desire to improve the life chances of young people. At the conclusion of her internship with Boys Republic, Dr. Johnson informed her of an opening in Flint Community School’s special education department. Rhonda came back home to work for Flint Community Schools in the special education department, as a school psychologist for over two decades. As a school psychologist she was a fierce and unapologetic cheerleader and advocate for Flint Community School students and private school students in Flint. Often teachers would request that Rhonda place so-and-so in special education. In variably, Rhonda would turn to the requesting teacher and ask the following questions. Has so-and-so been to school regularly? Has so-and-so been introduced to the requisite skills? Can so-and-so read? “Well, when you’ve satisfied those requirements, I will consider testing so-and-so to determine if he or she should be placed in special education.” This is the type of advocacy Rhonda embodied. Over her course of her career, she imparted her brand of advocacy with social workers and teachers she met, befriended, and mentored. Rhonda leaves to cherish her memory and build onto her legacy: Her father Ronald Warren of Flint, MI., brother Ronald Keith (Amye) Warren, Ph.D. both of Flint, MI, nieces Takiyah A. Hill and Erica M. Hill, both of Flint, MI., nephews, Tony K. Hill of Flint, MI Julius A. (Temeki) Hill of Flushing, MI, and Courtney C. Warren of (Kentucky), great-nieces Ta’ TeAsha Hill-Smith, Savannah Hill, and nephews Ar’ reese Hill, Jaki and Jayden Spicer, Kendrick Bates Jr., and Sebastian Hill, aunt Virginia (William) Thompson of Burton, MI, uncles Henderson (Johnny) Lee both of Flint, MI, Danny Lee of Flint, MI, cousins Kimmie (Sandra) Taylor both of Pomona, California, Mary Warren of Burton, MI, Craig Lee of Flint, MI, Jimmie (Laturia) Lee of Florida, Nicole Lee and Michell Lee both of Flint, MI, special friends Roz Ali, Anthony Veasey, Carlos Gains, Harold Carter, Lolita Towner, Joya Reeves-Embry, Geraldine Smith, Tammy Henderson, Nicholas Frager, Rayford Stevenson, and Delta Sorority sisters. Ms. Rhonda M. Warren was preceded in death by her mother Juanita M. Warren, sister Ronita D. Warren, maternal grandmother Grace M. Ballard and grandfather Winston Ballard, maternal great-grandfather Promise Lee and great-grandmother Ada Lee, paternal grandfather Raymond Warren and great-grandmother Mary Louise Warren, aunt Celie “Sister” Carter, uncle Edwin Carter, uncle Kenneth “Cannon Ball” Warren, aunt Joan Warren, cousins Kenneth Warren, Jr., Kelley Warren, and aunt Queentille Long.

Ms. Rhonda Marie Warren

May 12, 1963 - October 19, 2022