Nashville based Sigma Philos honored two individuals at their annual awards ceremony on May 25. The Sigma Philos named Rep. Harold Love, Jr. as their 2013 Unsung Hero, and Lois Winston as their 2013 Lady In History. The awards were presented by Mrs. Janice Bush, a charter member of the local Philos, who also reflected on the lives of those receiving the awards. The audience was filled with friends and family of the recipients.
State Rep. Harold Love, Jr. (District 58) accepted the award with humility, making an acceptance speech of appreciation to the audience and to the Philos. He was elected by members earlier in the year.
Rep. Love was educated in the public school system of Nashville, Tenn. (Davidson County). Love is a graduate of Whites Creek High School, class of 1990. In the fall of that same year, he entered Tennessee State University and earned a bachelors degree in economics and finance, with a minor in political science in 1994. While in attendance at TSU, he was a member of TSU’s Aristocrat of Marching Bands. In addition, Love earned a master’s degree in theological studies from Vanderbilt University School of Divinity in 1998. He is presently in a doctoral program at TSU with a concentration in public administration.
Love is greatly involved in the community. He is a member of the Omega Psi Fraternity, Inc. ‘Mighty Rho Psi’ Chapter; the 33rd Masonic Lodge; the Shriners; and the Tennessee State University Foundation. He also serves on the advisory board for the Meharry Medical College Elam Mental Health Center; the Eighteenth Avenue Family Enrichment Center; is vice president of Scout Reach for Middle Tennessee Boy Scout Council; and the state of Tennessee Commission on Children and Youth. He is second vice president of the Nashville Branch of the NAACP.
Love serves on the Education Committee, and the Insurance and Banking Committee for the Tennessee House of Representatives.
Harold Moses Love, Jr. is an ordained elder the A.M.E. Church. He was ordained as an elder in 1999, and then received his first pastoral assignment. Presently, Elder Love serves as the senior pastor of St. Paul A.M.E. Church in Nashville.
He is the only male of five siblings. He is the son of Mrs. Mable Love and the late Tennessee state Rep. Harold Love, Sr.
Lois Winston was elected The Lady In History by members earlier in the year. Winston, a native of Nashville, was educated in its Catholic School system. She holds a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Tennessee State University; and a master’s degree from George Peabody College in Library Science. Prior to entering TSU, she was a licensed practical nurse for 10 years.
Mrs. Winston was a librarian in the Metropolitan School System for many years. She retired from the Metro School system in 1994.
She is a member of the Middle Tennessee National Council of Negro Women and co- founder of ‘Kids and Kites Day,’ an annual event held at the Bicentennial Mall. This event is endorsed by Tenn. state Rep. Brenda Gilmore. Winston is also the founder of Fantasia-in-Red, a chapter of the Red Hat Society.
She volunteers in a number of areas, including: Live Hospice, 13 years, once named ‘Volunteer of the Year’; the Council on Aging, the 18th Avenue Enrichment Program; and a reader for Nea’s reads. She can be found sitting in a hospital room or at the home at night with a sick friend or family member—almost on a moments notice. She graciously offers her help and friendship to help those in need.
She is an active member of St. Pius Roman Catholic Church, where she is a member of the women’s club and sings in the choir.
Winston, a widow, is the mother of one daughter, Stephanie. A biographer puts it best when she states: “Lois Winston is best described in the song ‘Forever Young.’
