During the past calendar year, the PRIDE Family was rocked by the loss of quite a few beloved colleagues and friends. While this is not and cannot be a complete or comprehensive list of those African and African American Nashvillians who passed in 2022, here are some whose passing we would like to share, especially for those of our readers who might not have known that they have transitioned. Space will not allow for descriptions of their careers and connections, etc.
Many of the dearly departed were noted educators, physicians, religious leaders and / or entrepreneurs; some had distinguished military careers, while others were athletes and / or artists. Their lives and contributions enriched all of our lives, and we are grateful to have had them live and work in our community, while their influences were national and in some cases, global. We join their families and friends in mourning their deaths, while celebrating their lives.
James Inman Bass, (1939 – January 2, 2022)
Karan Howard, (December 23, 1939 – January 2, 2022)
Yusef Harris, (November 13, 1955 – January 3, 2022)
Thelma Thomas Clanton, (1922 – January 17, 2022)
Queen Mother Catherine Hayes Carr, (1928 – January 19, 2022)
Dr. Jayme Coleman Williams, (December 15, 1918-January 19, 2022)
Santonio Beard, (February 14, 1980 – February 5, 2022)
Paul Elton Bass, (January 6, 1956 – February 13, 2022)
Marilyn Robinson, (September 10, 1955 – February 25, 2022)
James Donald “J Don” Bowen (age 75, passed away March 5, 2022)
Tommie Morton-Young, (1928 – March 11, 2022)
Miles Uriah Gipson, (July 19, 1989 – March 29, 2022)
Dr. Edna Margaret Lockert, (May 8, 1929 – March 30, 2022)
Dr. Michael Hudson Meadors, Sr., (March 16, 1943 – April 8, 2022)
Kenneth T. Robinson (November 16, 1952 – April 20, 2022)
Dr. Theophilus Bartholomew Boyd, III (May 15, 1947 – May 3, 2022)
Sister Sandra Olivia Smithson, (March 3, 1926 – May 13, 2022.)
Mildred Floyd, (May 9, 2022, at the age of 93)
Rhea Theresa Tarleton, (age 68, passed away May 26, 2022)
Deborah McCrary, (June 17, 1954 – June 1, 2022)
Lynn Paula Talley, (passed on June 26, 2022)
Darrell S. Freeman, (December 23, 1964 – June 28, 2022)
Vernon Winfrey, (January 31, 1933 – July 8, 2022)
Mai Olive Prather Shumake Lusk, (March 12, 1923 – July 7, 2022)
Walter Riley King, (February 8, 1951 – (July 19, 2022)
Shonka Dukureh, (September 3, 1977 – July 21, 2022)
Dr. Wosene Yefru, (March 8, 1944 – , 2022)
Arthur Overall, III, (May 29, 1941 – July 27, 2022)
Dr. Ivan R. Davis, Sr., (August 4, 1943 – 20 August 21, 2022)
Robert C. Grant, Sr., (March 14, 1943 – September 1, 2022)
Dr. Gadson Jack Tarleton, Jr., (April 29, 1920 – September 3, 2022)
Dr. Paul Kwame, (March 14, 1952 in Ghana – September 10, 2022)
Dr. Dr. Henry Wendell Foster Jr., (September 8, 1933 – September 25, 2022)
Dr. Abraham Frederick Peterson, Jr., (December 31, 1926 – October 21, 2022)
Barbara Lee Ward Cooper, (August 4, 1929- October 25, 2022
Dorothy (Dot) Kathryn Fort, (November 27, 1944 – November 9, 2022)
Dr. Bobby Lee Lovett, (January 19, 1943 – December 23, 2022)
