Carmen Steele-Wallace (nee Reece) was born on September 27, 1947, in Kingston, Jamaica, West Indies, to the late Mary Sutton and Zebbie Reece. She obtained her primary, high school and some of her college education in Jamaica.
Carmen migrated to the United States in 1979, and was joined shortly after by her two daughters, Donna and Natasha. She believed in education and often said, “No one is too old to learn.” With this in mind, she enrolled at CUNY’s - B.M.C.C. in 1982, while holding two jobs. With her daughter, Donna, she attended for a number of years before taking a break to be with her younger daughter, Natasha. In 1990, when Natasha was older, she enrolled at CUNY’s - Lehman College to complete her coliege education, graduating alongside Natasha in 1996, with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Computing and Management. Carmen never let anyone or anything get her down. She was always doing something to improve herself. Carmen started writing her memoirs in 1998 detailing her life’s journey from a young child to a young single mother in a strange country to a determined, forceful Woman of GOD.
Carmen was a dedicated member of Trinity Baptist Church, Bronx, NY for twenty-five years. She was a strong believer in doing God’s will, and served as President of one of Trinity's Ministries (Calendar Group #3) for twenty years. She was a Member of the Leadership Council; Marriage Enrichment; Caribbean Heritage; Adult Sunday School; Bereavement Ministries; Revival and the Pastor’s Search Committee (twice). She was always doing something for someone else, never complaining. She often told members of her groups to call anytime of the day or night if she could be of assistance to them; comforted them in times of sickness and family members’ deaths; visited them in the hospitals and at their homes; she was always giving someone a ride home or taking someone to an appointment or shopping. Carmen planned many fundraising events, cruises and trips for Trinity.
Carmen retired from KPMG after working there for twenty years and relocated to Georgia in 2010. She immediately joined Annistown Road Baptist Church where she was a Leader of Celebrate Recovery; a Tea Time Facilitator; Chair Person of Young at Heart (Grand Parents Reading, Dolls, Crochet & Quilt making and Operation Christmas Child) Ministries and a member of the Adult Sunday School. She was also Facilitator of the Centerville Writers’ Group. Carmen will be missed by her daughters Donna Jarrett (Vinny) and Natasha, grandson Damian, granddaughter Nalani, sister Sonia Boothe, four nieces, one nephew, and a host of friends.
We love you, Ma, but GOD needed a rose for His garden, so He picked you. GOD’s will be done on earth and in Heaven.
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