Mildred A Purdie

On Wednesday, January 1, 2020, our Lord and Savior summoned an angel to escort Missionary Mildred Anna Purdie to her heavenly home following her valiant battle with sickness. She was transported from the presence of her loving family and devoted Pastor, Rev. Dr. R. Lee Johnson, into the presence of the Lord. Mildred was born on July 31, 1946 in Baltimore, Maryland and was the third child of the late Rushion and Mildred Purdie. She graduated from Frederick Douglas High School in 1963 at the age of 16 and later earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Human Services from the College of Notre Dame while working full time for the Social Security Administration (SSA). Mildred began her career working at the Internal revenue Service for 2 years. She worked for an additional 43 years at the SSA where she was blessed with a job where her love of helping, engaging and encouraging people was fulfilled. During her career, Mildred received several awards and certificated of achievement. Mildred had a passion for reading, which started early in her childhood and continued throughout her life. Before finishing the 5th grade, she had read every book in the children's section of the Enoch Pratt Library and was given special permission to select books out of the adult section. Her love for reading in school made her eligible to skip 2 grades. She was raised by her parents to know, love and be in service to the Lord and had faithfully dedicated herself over the past 70 years in helping others through her work for the Lord. She began attending Brown's Memorial Baptist Church with her family when she was 10 years old. She accepted Christ as her personal Savior and was baptized at the age of 12 by Reverend Paul J. Harris. She enjoyed singing praises to the Lord and immediately joined the Junior Choir. She continued singing with every choir from the Senior Choir, Mass Choir, and the Voices of Brown's Memorial. She was also a member of the Pauline Wells Lewis Legacy Mass Choir from its inception. Mildred's first love was serving as a missionary. During the past 50 years, Mildred found joy treating the sick, assisting with funerals, and making herself available in any capacity, first as a Junior Missionary and then as a Young Adult Missionary. She also served the church as a Sunday School teacher beginning when she was 16 years old and taught all ages for 25 years. She especially loved teaching the children under the leadership of the Reverend Douglas I. Miles. Mildred initiated a Membership Record Committee for the church and served as a Trustee for 7 years. She also volunteered in the BMBC shelter for 20 years. Family was very important to Mildred. She loved family Sunday dinners and holiday celebrations at her parent's home. After their death, she continued these traditions at her home for the next generation of family. Mildred was a very giving person and performed many acts of kindness, encouragement, support and inspiration. It is obvious she was anointed by God with the gift to help, mercy and exultation, as well as faith. She had a special love for God's people, which is why you could always find her helping those in need or less fortunate, even strangers. It was not uncommon for Mildred to assist a person or just send of word of encouragement to the family, friends, or church members with a token of love. She was led by God for many have expressed that these words of encouragement and gifts of love came at the right time. She is preceded in death by her parents, Rushion and Mildred Purdie and siblings Cleola and Larry Purdie. She leaves to cherish her wonderful memories four sisters, Jacqueline Moses, Betty Jones, Eleanor (Charles) Franklin, and Cathy Purdie; one brother, David (Beverly) Purdie; six nephews, Steven Purdie, Daniel Moses, Kevin (Terri) Moses, Charles (Kristen) Franklin, Donyee Bethea, and Waverly Bethea; three grand nephews, Isiah Moses, Charles Franklin and Kristopher Franklin; two grand nieces, Nadia Moses and Samantha Bethea; as well as a host of cousins and Jackie Robinson, her spiritual goddaughter and other family and friends Brenda Jefferson and Leola Smith. Special acknowledgement to Mother Ophelia Jones and family for their faithful prayers, love and visits during her illness, Deaconess Barbara Cole, Ethel Lewis and the BMBC family.

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Mildred A Purdie

July 31, 1946 - January 1, 2020