Mrs. Bernice Emanuel

BERNICE KELLY JORDAN EMANUEL December 5, 1932 ~ August 27, 2017 OBITUARY Bernice was born on December 5, 1932 in Seaboard, North Carolina to the late Henry Jordan and Sallie Ransom Jordan. In her early childhood, she was introduced to the Christian faith by her parents and she was baptized at the age of 9 at Bethlehem Baptist Church in Seaboard, North Carolina. Bernice grew up in Seaboard as the youngest of 10 children, having 5 brothers ~ Douglas, Samuel, David, Calvin, and Carl, and 4 sisters ~ Beatrice, Mary, Betty, and Dorothy. Her early education was obtained in Northampton County Public Schools. She graduated from Coates High School in Seaboard, NC in 1950. She furthered her education by matriculating at and graduating from North Carolina College (now North Carolina Central University or NCCU) in Durham, North Carolina in 1954 with a degree in Business Education. She also attended New York University (NYU) for additional undergraduate and graduate level business courses. While at NCCU, Bernice became a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Alpha Chi Chapter in 1952. She later joined Theta Omega Omega Chapter, the graduate chapter in Montgomery County, MD. She was a Golden (50 years) / Life Member in AKA. She was very active within the chapter where she served on and led many committees during her years with Theta Omega Omega. Bernice was very committed to giving back to her community. She was able to give her time to community service efforts through AKA. She also enjoyed the bond she had with her sorority sisters especially the lasting friendships she maintained with her sisters in Theta Omega Omega, her line sisters, Carolyn (Kitty) Britton and Joan Smart and many other sorority sisters that she bonded with throughout her 62 years of membership. After graduation in 1954, Bernice began her career as a teacher at Anne Chesnutt High School in Fayetteville, North Carolina. In 1955, she fell in love with Lawrence C. Emanuel (Larry) and they were married on June 9, 1957 at Ft. Bragg, North Carolina. They were a military family that moved a great deal, and had postings in Fort Bragg, North Carolina, Wiesbaden, Germany, Fort Campbell, Kentucky, Asmara, Ethiopia, Fort Lee, Virginia and settling in Silver Spring, Maryland. Bernice and Larry were married for 52 years until he passed away on November 1, 2009. From their union, two children, Lawrence David and Dorothy Lynne, were born. She was a devoted wife and mother having to rear her children alone while her military husband served in two tours overseas during the Vietnam War. After settling in Silver Spring, Maryland, Bernice became a member of Sharp Street United Methodist Church in Sandy Spring, Maryland, and was a devoted, faithful member for over 16 years. Bernice moved her membership to Shepherd Park Christian Church, Washington, DC in October 1999. She was very active within the church. She served as a diaconate, trustee, deacon emeritus, a member of the Christian Women’s Fellowship and the Lydia Group of the Christian Women’s Fellowship, and the East-West Montgomery Unit of Church Women United. Additionally, she was a part of the Shepherd Park Hospitality Committee. Bernice was a home maker while her family moved during her husband’s active military years. Upon the families return from living overseas in Germany and in Ethiopia, Bernice held positions as a teacher of Business Education at Gumberry High School in Gumberry, North Carolina from 1970 to 1972; a teacher’s assistant at William Tyler Page and Burtonsville Elementary Schools in Montgomery County Public Schools from 1974 to 1977; and she was an Office Manager with R.J. Reynolds from 1977 to 1987 in Lanham, Maryland. Bernice had an ardent civic vigor and believed in giving back to her community. She served as an Election Precinct Judge in Montgomery County for many years. She also was a Life Member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and a Life Member of the the NCCU Alumni Association. She loved her alma mater, and was a proud NCCU Eagle. Bernice was a woman who loved her family, friends, church and sorority. She enjoyed lively debates about politics and current affairs. She enjoyed traveling the world and the U.S., and meeting new people. Some of her favorite trips were to Europe, Canada and Africa, and within the states, she enjoyed visiting Las Vegas, Atlantic City, and locally to Delaware, and to her beach home in Ocean Pines, MD. She touched too many people to name here and had so many strong relationships where she shared her immense wisdom and hopes for helping people live more enriched lives. Bernice was preceded in death by her husband Lawrence (Larry), parents Henry and Sallie, her daughter-in-law Paula Birdsong Emanuel and brothers Douglas (Jimmy), Samuel, David, Calvin and Carl and sisters Beatrice Holness, Mary DeHill, and Betty Merritt. Bernice is survived by her sister, Dorothy Jordan, Seaboard, North Carolina; her son, L. David Emanuel of Jacksonville, FL; her daughter, Dorothy Emanuel Gardner and her son-in-law, George B. Gardner of Silver Spring, Maryland, her granddaughter, Jordan Noell Emanuel, New York, New York, and her grandsons George Douglas Gardner and Miles Lawrence Gardner both of Silver Spring, Maryland, and her three sister-in-law’s, Willie Hawkins of Landover, Maryland, Celestine King of Hampton, Virginia, and Wilhemenia Jordan of Point Harbor, North Carolina; and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins and friends. Visitation will be held on Friday, September 1st from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Hines-Rinaldi Funeral Home, 11800 New Hampshire Avenue, Silver Spring, Maryland. The Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Ivy Beyond the Wall Ceremony will be conducted on Friday at 6:30 p.m. at Hines-Rinaldi Funeral Home. On Saturday, September 2nd, a viewing will be held at 11:30 a.m. with services beginning at 12 noon at Shepherd Park Christian Church, 7900 Eastern Avenue, N. W., Washington DC. Bernice will be laid to rest with her husband at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia at a later date. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to Shepherd Park Christian Church, 7900 Eastern Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC 20012 and/or to Montgomery Hospice, 1355 Piccard Drive, Suite 100, Rockville, MD 20850 or www.montgomeryhospice.org.