Page 10 - Florida Sentinel 9-1-15 Edition

Local
NAACP State Meeting Held In Orlando
Representatives and members from all over the country came to Orlando, Florida for the state meet- ing of the NAACP. (PHOTOS BY JULIA JACKSON)
Member Of
Well-Known Cusseaux
Family Dies Suddenly
From the Tampa-Hillsborough NAACP Office, Political Chair Yvette Lewis, and Vice President, Don Brown.
Florida NAACP State President, Adora Obi Nweze.
Florida NAACP State Vice President, Cynthia Slater.
Florida NAACP State Attorney, David Honid.
His favorite night was Fri- day. After work, he was headed to West Tampa, specifically, Lincoln Gardens- Carver City to be with his family and his Lincoln Gar- dens Posse.
He, was Dwight Ricky Cusseaux, and through the years many names were be- stowed upon him. His sib- lings called him Ricky, to his classmates (Jefferson High School class of 1973), he was Dwight, his posse called him “Kilowatt” , he was known as Mr. Fix-It, Mr. Whoopie, Uncle Kilo, Dr. Kevorkian (he reported on deaths), and Mr. Florida Sentinel, a name he earned as their unofficial news corre- spondent. Long before Wikipedia, MapQuest and Google, Dwight was your human navigator and coined the phrase, “Ask Ricky
Dwight’s family was one of the first to move to the newly developed subdivision over 6o plus years ago. His parents, the late Mr. Wright “Cherry Red” Cusseaux, Sr, and Mrs. Lillian Har- ris Cusseaux had 12 chil- dren. Dwight was #5. His siblings are: Carolyn, Dan, Allen “Rocky”, Veronica “Bonnie”, Dexter, Sab- rina, ZsaZsa, Monica, Shelia “GiGi”, and Robyn. Dwight, was the tallest at 6’6’, the slimmest, and was very smart. To his family and friends he was the “informer”. He had an amazing memory and kept in touch with all of his siblings and friend. He knew their birthdays and piv- otal moments in their lives. He and his posse, hung to- gether from childhood to adulthood right up to this past weekend.
The name “Mr. Florida Sentinel” was a writ of pas- sage for him handed down from his mother. Back when the “Florida Sentinel man” would bring the paper to your home. She would purchase copies for all of her children and sometime neighbors if they were not at home.
Dwight worked for Jim Walter Homes for over three decades, where he met and married his wife, Saundra Jennings. The couple has two children, Dwight Ricky, Jr. and Cheril “CeCe”.
According to his sister,
ZsaZsa Cusseaux, ‘‘Ricky
DWIGHT RICKY CUSSEAUX
was mommy’s ‘go to’ son. He ran her errands, he was mechanically inclined, and a carpenter when needed.” He got along with everyone, and never met a stranger.” She further stated even after he moved, married and had a family, he was in Lincoln Gar- dens daily .’’
Like his mother and father, Dwight took over the role of collecting the Florida Sen- tinels, and attended all funer- als near and far. . He would call his siblings and report on graduations, marriages, ba- bies born, or the urgent call when someone died. When members of Lincoln Gardens- Carver City would pass, you would get a call from Dwight. He would later call back saying, “Did you get a copy of “the paper”, if not, I have copies.” Although he never worked for the Florida Sentinel, Dwight knew all of the local businesses in his neighborhood that carried “the paper” and which cor- ners you could pick up one. His detail to reporting the news provided you with the date, edition and sometimes the page number the photo, event or story would be in the Sentinel.
Last week, Dwight and family celebrated his wife Saundra’s 60th birthday. On her birthday, the family spent the day together in Or- lando. Upon returning, they moved his daughter into her apartment. Last Friday night, he would not meet his posse. Dwight complained of chest pains and was rushed to the hospital, and in lightning speed, he was surrounded by his siblings, in-laws, nieces, nephews, cousins and friends. Dwight did not survive. He passed away, just a month be- fore his 60th birthday. ....Story by Sheryl Cusseaux.
PAGE 10 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2015