Hattie Lee Thomas

Hattie Lee Thomas, beloved mother, grandmother, great grandmother, sister, aunt, cousin and friend was born on April 28, 1936 to Ruth Hazel Fluker and Willie Hamilton in Waycross, Georgia. She was stepdaughter to, Hardy Emmanuel Brantley Sr. She graduated as Valedictorian from Center High School in Waycross, Georgia in 1954.

After graduation, she pursued a music education. Mama loved music and, in her childhood, and early adult life played the clarinet, the piano and conducted a choir. She also had the opportunity to live with actress Ethyl Waters in Philadelphia for some time while pursuing her music education. She was very humble and never really spoke about it to us. We found out from our grandmother, Ruth Hazel Fluker Brantley, and our Aunt Lillie Ruth Brantley when we were all already adults.

Mama married Artist Thomas from Pearson Georgia on December 10, 1955. She was blessed with 9 children; Allen, Juanita, Geneva, Anthony, Michael, Deborah, Karen, Adrian, and Eric. She was always our strongest advocate. As a woman of faith and prayer, I’m sure she kept us out of many dangers seen and unseen. She always taught us to, “love and care for your family, be the best that you can be, and treat others with the respect that you want to be treated.”

As a Christian woman she also taught us to forgive and have compassion for others. Part of her legacy to us was to prepare us for the world that we were born into. We were all born between late 1950’s and late 1960’s. Those were turbulent times, especially in the South. But she always taught us that we were not inferior people, we were to know that we belonged and act like we belonged wherever we were. Her staunch maternal guidance helped us to realize and pursue our dreams, no matter the odds against us. She did whatever she could to help us in any situation. She was also always there to help us with our children and helped to instill in them, the values that she taught us. Her love and support were boundless.

Mama loved reading her Bible and praying for others. She was an avid reader, especially of medical journals/books. She could tell you the black box warning label on almost any common drug. Mama also loved cooking and was the best. She loved doing puzzles and word games as well.

Mama moved to the Washington DC area in the early 80’s and worked in healthcare at Leland Hospital, and a Maryland youth facility. The last years of her career were at Fort Foot Baptist Church in childcare prior to her retirement in 2001.

Mama has resided with our sister, Deborah Southerland and her husband Arthur Cedric Southerland in Fort Washington, Maryland for the past 30 years. They have been so generous with their home and provided the place for us to care for our mother doing her last 10 years of illness because we wanted her to be in a familiar and comfortable environment at home.

Mama was a member of National Church of God for several years. When she was unable to attend her church due to illness, she loved to watch the television services of First Baptist Church of Glenarden with Pastor Jenkins where her daughter Geneva Brown is a member. She also loved attending Mount Pleasant Baptist Church on special occasions with her sister Lillie Brantley who was a member there.

Mama went home to be with the Lord on November 11 at Adventist Healthcare Fort Washington Medical Center. She is preceded in death by her mother Ruth Hazel Brantley, stepfather Hardy Brantley Sr., sister, Lillie Ruth Brantley, brothers Charles Brantley, Ralph Brantley and Legrand Brantley. She leaves behind to mourn her passing; brother Hardy, Emmanuel Brantley, Jr., daughters Juanita Thomas, Geneva Thomas Brown, Deborah Southerland and Arthur Southerland, Karen Thomas Lee and James Lee, and sons Allen Thomas, Anthony Thomas, Michael Thomas, Adrian Thomas and Debra Thomas, Eric Thomas and a host of grandchildren, great grandchildren, nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.