Clifton Lee Kilpatrick

Clifton Lee Kilpatrick was born November 19th, 1921 in Pitt County, North Carolina to the late Samuel Kilpatrick and Rena Smith. “Cliff” as he was called by family, received his public schooling in North Carolina. Moving to various places in North Carolina he learned the trade of brick masonry and carpentry and became skilled at his craft. He later in life married Ida May Moore who preceded him in death and from this union one son was born, Dennis Kilpatrick. In 1943 Clifton moved to Baltimore, Maryland, where he would work for many various companies and contractors utilizing his skills throughout the state of Maryland and took pride in telling people about the buildings that he helped to construct. While in Baltimore during the mid 1960’s and 70’s Mr. Cliff, became totally attached to the Jackson, Thomas, Campbell and DeVaughn families and became a surrogate grandfather to many children, for he was the only grandfather that many of them knew, he was known by these surrogate grandchildren as “Gramps”. Gramps was the taxi man the family desperately needed when no one else had a car (Gramps kept a car), he would at any time drive his grandkids to stores, hospital clinics, even to Maryland Eastern Shore so they could visit family. After going through a major sickness and receiving major surgery (12 hours) in 1997, after his recovery Clifton rededicated his life to Christ in 1999 at the opening service of the Holy Ground Apostolic Faith Church, 624 N. Castle Street. By the grace of God Bro. Kilpatrick was God sent and was a major help from the beginning, he built the pulpit that still stands at the church today and then the podium that lasted for many years. Bro. Kilpatrick (or Bro. Cliff) continued to be an active member in the church and was placed on the church Trustee Board. During the time that Bro. Cliff’s health would begin to fail him and he was placed in assistance living nursing homes, he would still find the strength to want to come out to the church, even most recently being in poor health Bro. Cliff pressed his way out to church with the last time of his attendance being November 29th, 2015. Bro. Cliff was from the “old school,” he didn’t make excuses, if he could not get it done, he believed God would make away. One of the major things that many will not forget about Bro. Kilpatrick is his great story telling, about the many adventures that happen to him during his course of life (most of them were hard to believe, but that was Bro. Cliff). Bro. Kilpatrick may not have been perfect, but he was faithful to his family and friends and church. Being the oldest relative in his family, he leaves to mourn: his brother, Clinton and sisters, Carrie, Lousenda and Helen, who all preceded him in death; his son, Dennis Kilpatrick; daughter, Corinthia Denise Williams; grandchildren, Casandra and Dennis Kilpatrick, Jr. of Richmond, Virginia and granddaughter, Cleotarta Kenerson of Texas; his great grandchildren from Richmond, Virginia; daughters-in-law, Annabell Kilpatrick and Eva Kilpatrick; cousin, Arlene K. Scott; his many surrogate children and grandchildren of Baltimore, Maryland; and a host of many other cousins, relatives and friends. We all will miss him.

Tributes

Clifton Lee Kilpatrick

November 19, 1921 - December 28, 2015