Page 31 - Florida Sentinel 7-29-16 Online Edition

Memoriams
Local
Retired Educator Remembered As ‘Phenomenal Woman’
THANK YOU!!!
DEACONESS VIRGINIA GAIL BILLUPS
The family offers their heartfelt thanks to every- one for your calls, cards, flowers, visits, meals, kind words, prayers and other acts of kindness during the loss of our precious loved one, Deaconess Virginia Gail Billups.
BY IRIS B. HOLTON Sentinel City Editor
On Saturday, July 16th, a retired educator died after a brief illness. Mrs. Dolores Fesser Walker was 72- years-old.
A Tampa native, Mrs. Walker was the daughter of the late Harold and Helen Walker, Sr. One of 11 chil- dren, she began worshipping at the New Mount Zion M. B. Church at an early age. H e r father was a member of the military and as a child, she traveled with her family.
As a student, she attended St. Peter Claver Catholic School and later graduated from Howard W. Blake High School in 1962.
Mrs. Walker then at- tended Hillsborough Com- munity College, where she earned her degree in teacher.
MRS. DOLORES FESSER WALKER 5/4/1944 to 7/16/2016
She continued her education at the University of South Florida.
She moved to Orange County after marrying the late Elzie Walker and be- came the mother of five sons. Mrs. Walker also launched her career as an educator in the Orange County School District.
Following the death of her husband, Mrs. Walker de- cided to return home and moved to Riverview with her son, the late Ellis Walker, and granddaughter, Ms. Tyyana Walker, who be- came her caregiver.
Ms. Walker credits her grandmother as being, “The backbone of her family. She
had so much wisdom that she always passed along. She was a mother, father, grand- mother, counselor, teacher, but most of all, she was a phenomenal woman. Even after she became ill, even on her weakest days, she still raised her hands to the sky and called on the name of Jesus.”
Her niece, Ms. Chery- lene Levy said, “She was well known in the community and she was just a people person. She would often counsel those who came to her.”
Mrs. Walker was a member of the Eastern Stars, and several professional or- ganizations. She enjoyed traveling, playing bingo, jazz music, and spending sum- mers with her grandchildren.
In addition to her grand- daughter and niece, Mrs. Walker is survived by four sons, Eric, Elliott, Erroll, and Edwin Walker, other grandchildren, nieces, nephews, other family mem- bers and friends.
Funeral services for Mrs. Walker will be held on Sat- urday, July 30th. Harmon’s Funeral Home is in charge of handling arrangements.
National Miss Cleo
IN MEMORIAM
MR. JAMES JR. VICKERS, SR. July 29th
In loving memory from your wife and kids. We miss you, but never forgotten.
Dead At 53
MISS CLEO
There won’t be any more calls to Miss Cleo ... the iconic TV psychic is dead after bat- tling cancer.
A rep for Miss Cleo — whose real name was Youree Harris — tells reporters she died Tuesday morning in Palm Beach County, FL. Miss Cleo was recently hospitalized, but was discharged last week to a hospice center.
Miss Cleo was originally diagnosed with colon cancer ... but it spread to her liver and lungs.
The rep said Cleo re- mained a “pillar of strength” during her illness ... and died surrounded by family and friends.
Cleo’s Jamaican character and her psychic commercials became a cult classic in the late ‘90s ... thanks to her catch- phrase, “CALL ME NOW!”
Miss Cleo was actually born in L.A. — she just nailed the accent.
After the Psychic Readers Network closed shop, Cleo bounced around to various jobs ... including voicing a character in the video game, “Grand Theft Auto: Vice City.”
PAGE 22-A FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY FRIDAY, JULY 29, 2016