Mrs. Dolores Ennis Obituary - Visitation & Funeral Information

ENNIS, Mrs. Dolores - Age 88, passed away Thursday, January 25, 2018 at her residence. The Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, March 10, 2018 at Mt. Olive Baptist Church, 424 E. Kennelworth Street, Flint, MI. Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated will hold its memorial (open to the public) at 11:00 AM, family hour will commence at 12:15 PM and the Celebration of Life Service will be held at 1:00 PM. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Community Foundation of Greater Flint; Dolores Ennis Fund; 500 S. Saginaw Street, Suite 200, Flint, MI 48502. Dolores Clotiel Watkins Ennis, was born in Flint, Michigan November 17, 1929 to Beatrice Evelyn Wickware and Ellsworth Watkins. She graduated from Detroit Southeastern High School in 1947 where she was valedictorian of her 500+ graduating class. Although she was ranked highest academically, because of her color the school decided to have two valedictorians that year. She went to and graduated from the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor with both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees. While at the University of Michigan she pledged Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., through Nu Chapter (University of Michigan) and was initiated in 1950 with Delta Beta Chapter (Eastern Michigan University). She was an active member of Nu Chapter. She was a charter member and first president of the Flint Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., 1954, and she continued to be an active part of the chapter throughout her life. She began teaching English and Latin in Flint at Whittier Junior High School in 1951, as the first African American secondary teacher in the Flint Community Schools. She was later promoted to Principal of Instruction at Northern High School in 1970 and became the first African American woman to be a Deputy Principal serving at Central High School in 1975. Ennis was later made Executive Director of Middle School and Curriculum Services for Flint Community Schools retiring in 1992 from the Flint School District with 41 years of service. During her career she continued to grow and mentor her fellow educators. She served as Regional Coordinator of Middle School Educators, Treasurer for her local chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma International Society which promotes professional and personal growth of women educators. In addition she was a member of the National Association for Bilingual Education and the Flint Congress of School Administrators. She was a treasured civic leader who gave of her time, talent vision and wisdom and a strong activist devoted to equity and inclusion. She served on the board of the Ruth Mott Foundation, the Hurley Board of Managers, the Community Foundation of Greater Flint, the Friends of the Flint Public Library, the Flint Institute of Music, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Flint, the Flint Area Educational Foundation, the Education Foundation for Flint Community Schools and the United Way. Dolores was an avid reader and a longtime member of the Fiction Only Book Club at the Flint Public Library and the Detroit-Flint Book Club. She found spiritual peace and friendship with the congregation of Mt. Olive Baptist Church where she served on the Mothers Board. Dolores is survived by her son and daughter-in law, Anthony (Bridget) Ennis; sister Jacqueline Watkins, brother and sister-in law, Wilbur and Eleanor Ennis; niece Lauren Watkins, nephews Henri Watkins, Jr. and Mario Wills; grandchildren, great grandchildren and cousins. Special relatives and extended family; Wendell, Charles and Hobart Harris, Audrey and Delmas Wilson, Wally Hoover, Robert (Jill) Ennis Sr., Robert Ennis Jr., Virginia (Laurence) Heller, Betty (Leonard) Griffin, Judi Griffin, Clifford Griffin, Mike, Mark, Robin and Lynne Price. Special friends: Doris and Burns Roland, Edith P. Spencer, Bessie Straham, Gloria Coles, Gail Reaves, Barbara Hamilton Welch, Wanda Harden, Dr. Gail Ganakas, Nina Lewis, and the “Just Us” Bridge Club. Dolores was preceded in death by parents, Beatrice E. Wickware Childress, Ellsworth Watkins, grandparents, Lottie and Georg Wickware, husband James Ennis, Aunts, Thelma Wickware, Juanita Richardson, Louise Brannon and Uncles Bill Brannon, Joseph Wickware and Owen Gilbert.

Mrs. Dolores Ennis

November 17, 1929 - January 25, 2018