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Popular Retired Nurse Passes Following Illness
St. Petersburg Icon And Humanitarian, Dr. Paul McRae Dies
BY GWEN HAYES Sentinel Editor
Rev. Pauline L. Cole, a popular retired Registered Nurse, passed away on Sunday, Septem- ber 22, 2019, following a brief ill- ness.
Although very busy with her Women of Zion International and the Historical Black Nurses Association, Rev. Cole’s health had been on the decline in the past couple of months.
In May, she was preparing for her 85th birthday and reached out to several friends to help her cel- ebrate the historic event.
As founder of the Black Nurses of Hillsborough County Historical Documentary Project, Rev. Cole spent much of her re- tired years documenting the his- tory of Black nurses in Hillsborough County. She began compiling information on Black nurses in 1977.
A Tampa native, Rev. Cole
REV. PAULINE L. COLE ...Retired R. N., B. S. N., MA; at 2018 Birthday celebration
graduated from Middleton High School and furthered her educa- tion at Tuskegee University on the 5-year work/study program. After graduating, she worked at the VA hospital in Birmingham, returning to Tampa in 1970. She retired from Tampa’s VA Hospi- tal.
In previous conversations she talked about being involved in the March in Montgomery, AL and when she met Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Funeral services for Rev. Cole are incomplete at this time, with Aikens Funeral Home han- dling arrangements.
Among her survivors are: a son, Everett “Happy” Cole and grandchildren.
Dr. Paul McRae was a pil- lar in the St. Petersburg commu- nity.
Super smart, patient, kind, well-known and well-liked, Dr. McRae accomplished many things in his lifetime.
Affectionately known as ‘Butch’, Dr. McRae passed away Friday, Sept. 13 in St. Pe- tersburg at the age of 74.
A loving husband, father and friend, Dr. McRae grew up in the Jordan Park housing com- plex with his aunt, who raised him to ‘be the best, by doing his best.’
According to the Weekly Challenger, “‘Butch’ grew up on 16th Avenue and 32nd Street South, in the home of whom everybody called “Aunt Ruth” McRae. He grew up in what was called the “Bear County” area of south St. Pete along 31st Street east and west of 15th Avenue South to 26th Avenue South.”
A member of the well-known
Dr. Paul McRae was the first Black chief of staff at Bayfront Medical Center in St. Petersburg and owner of McRae Funeral Home. Dr. McRae died on Sep- tember 13, 2019.
McRae family, who are owners of McRae Funeral Home, Dr. McRae is the nephew of Don McRae, a retired colonel and St. Petersburg’s first African-Amer- ican city manager.
Trained to serve, Dr. McRae carved out his own path and legacy with his beautiful and lov- ing wife, Donna.
The father of 3 daughters, 1 son, and 2 granddaughters, Dr. McRae specialized in gastroen-
Crime
terology and internal medicine, practicing for 47 years. He was the first Black chief of staff at the then Bayfront Medical Center for 3 consecutive terms, beginning in 2006, and was also affiliated with St. Anthony’s Hospital.
He received his medical de- gree in 1972 from Meharry Med- ical College and his undergraduate degree from Michigan State, where he met his wife of over 50 years.
Dr. McRae was a civic leader, mentoring young people for many years, along with serv- ing on numerous community boards.
He was a member of Omega Psi Phi fraternity and Gamma Omicron chapter of the Boule.
A reflection and celebra- tion of his life will be held from 6-9 P. M., October 4th at the Dr. Carter G. Wood- son Museum, and funeral services will be held at 11 A. M., Saturday, October 5th at First Baptist Church of St. Petersburg, 1900 Gandy Blvd.
State To Call Two More Witnesses In Murder Trial
DEATH LISTING
AIKENS FUNERAL HOME
Mr. Tony Brown, Tampa Mrs. Pauline Cole, Tampa Mrs. Barbara Curry,
JACKSON FUNERAL HOME Mr. Eric Keyes, Tampa
RAY WILLIAMS FUNERAL HOME
Mr. Donta Allen, Tampa
Ms. Gail Anderson, Tampa
Mr. Michael Davis, Tampa
Mr. Edwin Denson, Tampa
Mrs. Dorothy Hall, Tampa Ms. Lula Hunter, Tampa Ms. Linda Johnson, Tem-
ple Terrace, FL
Mr. Jean Saint Louis, Tampa
Ms. Helen Taylor, Temple
Terrace, FL
Ms. Antonisha Williams,
Tampa
WILSON FUNERAL HOME
Mrs. Myrtle Brown, Tampa
Mr. Roosevelt Lawrence, Sr., Tampa
Mr. James S. Reynolds, Sr., San Antonio, Florida
Tampa Mrs.
Gladys
Tyson,
Tampa
Mr. Frank Washington,
Tampa
HARMON FUNERAL HOME
Mrs. Meba Birregah, Tampa/ Togo, West Africa
Mr. Nathaniel B. Jones,
Tampa Mr. Tampa Mr. Tampa
James P. Newton, Jasper Sanders,
INTEGRITY FUNERAL SERVICES
Ms. Tampa Ms. Tampa Ms. Tampa
Alberta Bastian, Caridad Celeiro, Louella Clarke,
Prosecutors with the Hills- borough County State Attorney’s Office are winding down their case in the murder of a 9-year- old Tampa girl. They are ex- pected to call two more witnesses in the case.
The trial of Granville Ritchie is entering its second week. It began on Friday, Sep- tember 13th, after a jury was se- lected.
Ritchie is accused of raping and murdering Felecia Williams. After the murder, he reportedly threw her body into the waters near Courtney Camp- bell Causeway.
Five years ago, on May 16, 2014, the child’s mother gave her permission to accompany their neighbor, Eboni Wiley. Wiley testified that Ritchie picked them up and drove to an apart- ment in Temple Terrace.
Wiley gave police different accounts of what happened to the child. In one of her stories, she said she left Felecia with Ritchie for about 35 minutes while she went to buy marijuana.
She further said Ritchie
FELECIA WILLIAMS
GRANVILLE T. RITCHIE
called her and allegedly said he had given the child some money to buy candy from a CVS. She re- portedly drove to the store, but returned to the apartment upon Ritchie’s request. She told po- lice they consumed alcohol and had sex before Ritchie took her home.
The child’s body was found the following day in the bay off Courtney Campbell Causeway.
The case is being tried as a death penalty case. Jurors will have to vote unanimously in order for him to be sentenced to death.
Hillsborough County Circuit Judge Michelle Sisco, Thir- teenth Judicial Circuit, is over- seeing the trial.
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