Wilma Nolen

Almost 100 years ago (actually 96 years and 77 days ago…) a little girl was born to Addie and Wilmot Benjamin, her name was Wilma Theresa. She grew up to be a strong, successful and intelligent Black woman, as well as a loving, caring and devoted mother. She grew up in the Manhattan, Harlem (in its heyday), with her baby sister Adrienne, who was also her very best friend. She took piano lessons, and her sister played the violin (neither one liked it, but they did it, so she told me…). She grew up in a house of music. Her father’s best friend, used to come over to their house so he could play their piano in the style that he was not allowed to play in his home, ragtime jazz. That young man was very talented, his name was Fats Waller. Wilma also played with her cousin, who lived down in the next block. They were the same age, Wilma was 5 days older. Her name was Cecily Tyson. She attended James Monroe High School, where she was bright and very studious. She went on to enroll at Morgan State University, where she learned to become a Medical Lab Technician, and a pretty damned good one, at that. She was no ordinary phlebotomist. Oh No….Yes, she did draw the blood (her kids affectionately called her the vampire..), but she also analyzed it. The doctors loved her. She was sought after, wherever she worked (Jamaica Hospital in Queens, Mercy Hospital on Long Island – where she oversaw Hematology, Serology, and Blood Blank, where she retired, and then at Lee Memorial Hospital, in Fort Myers, where she was particularly loved, she retired from there as well). She did all the things, young people do, when they are young…. Yes she occasionally played hooky from school on a few Thursdays, and snuck up to the Apollo Theatre for the talent shows. Ahhh youth. She married Pete Hilton, and they had 2 children, Carol and Terry (me ). Pete was a crooner, with, as Mom used to say, “the voice of an Angel…”. They divorced. She then went on to meet and marry her 2nd husband, Albert Nolen. Like Wilma, Al was a very studious, meticulous, and a man of many talents (artist, painter, builder, contractor, all around hard worker and oh yea, disciplinarian). While working as a Correction Officer on Rikers Island, he also had a small construction company on the weekends. They moved from the Bronx, to Queens, for a better life for their 4 children (oh yea, they had 2 children, Westley and Glenn). They both worked 2 jobs all the time. Everything was for the kids, and a better life. They eventually made the move out to Long Island (’63), to one of the 2 communities for Black people, Lakeview, Long Island. Beautiful and bucolic, and a lawn… of their own. They had a great house built, a High Ranch (it was the bomb!!). Our own rec room, with sliding glass doors, and a pool table, yup, that’s were I honed my skills as a future pool shark (well in my mind…). While Al was working at Rikers, he studied for promotions, and got them… Captain; Deputy Warden; Warden; and finally, Mayor Koch appointed him Deputy Commissioner of Corrections, New York City. They retired to Florida in the ‘83’s, where Al designed and built their dream home, and it sure was nice.. with Enclosed swimming pool and everything. Once again, The Bomb!!

I got to take care of Mom in these final months and we totally bonded… We watched Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy every night, including Saturdays. We had desert with ice cream, almost, every night (she made me hone up on my cake making, and if I do say so myself, I got pretty dang good!). On Tuesday morning, March 2 at 12:43am, Angels came and gave Mom her well deserved set of Gold Wings. She is at peace now, with her Sister, her Mother, Father, and Brother, Aunts, Uncles and a slew of friends. 70 years ago, Mom gave me my first breath. I am overjoyed that I could return the favor and hold her hand as she took her last breath. To witness Death, like birth, is a humbling experience. I am glad I was there for her when she wanted company. Rest In Peace Ma… I Will Always Love You.