Willa J. Bouldin

Born in Nashville, Tennessee on April 6, 1924, to the late William and Mary Lillian Johnson, Willa was the fourth of six children: Andrew (deceased), Myrtle, Mary Frances, Parrish (deceased), and Jean. The Johnson children were raised in John Wesley Methodist Church in Nashville. Willa was a product of the Nashville public school system, graduating from Pearl High School in the class of 1941. She went on to attend Fisk University until her relocation to Baltimore, Maryland in 1947, to join her sister and brother-in-law who had been sent to a ministry at the Morgan Christian Center. In Baltimore, Willa attended the Cortez Peters Business School and pursued a brief career in business. She met and later married Leroy E. Bouldin who was a student at Brooklyn Law School in New York, commencing a union that lasted for 58 years. After the birth of their daughter Sharon, they established permanent residency in Baltimore and welcomed their son, Laurence Alan. Willa received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Education and pursued her teacher training at Towson State University and became a primary school teacher in 1957. She gradually ascended to the level of Senior Teacher. A strong advocate for children, she played an active role in child study committees and parent teacher associations. She served on the education committee of the League of Women Voters as well as the Retired Teachers Association. She was also a longtime member of the Big Sisters, Inc. Willa was an avid reader and a member of the Ladies of the Club book club for more than twenty years. Willa had a passion for serving the Lord which was apparent by her active participation in ministry. She served as a leader in the Methodist women's ministry at Christ Methodist Church until the Bouldins joined the Heritage United Church of Christ family in 1966. At Heritage, Willa was a founding member of the Scholarship and Leadership Guild, coordinator of new projects, and an active member in the Spiritual Renewal Team and Ladies Guild. She was also an avid supporter of the church school program and church-sponsored college tours. Willa's great joy was the time she spent with her granddaughter, Elana Patrice, and her great-granddaughter, Sienna Malia. By sharing her love of learning, she encouraged them to become powerful thinkers in their own right. Willa traveled extensively throughout the United States, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Europe. Her later years were blessed with the ongoing love and support provided by loving relationships with family, friends, and neighbors. Willa was preceded in death by the love of her life, Leroy "Spike" Bouldin, in 2007. She is survived by her two children Sharon Knox and Laurence "Larry" Bouldin (Zenella); granddaughter Elana Bouldin; great-granddaughter Sienna Lowery; three sisters: Myrtle Jobe, Mary Frances Jefferson, and Jean Haston (Bill); and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, and devoted friends.

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Willa J. Bouldin

April 6, 1924 - August 12, 2015