Celebrating My Mom, Theresa B. Gartin Leeke’s Life and Legacy (1939-2023)

My mother Theresa B. Gartin Leeke made her peaceful transition from Mother Earth to ancestorhood in my presence on July 9, 2023. During Mommy’s transition, I served as her spiritual midwife, sending reiki healing love and light to her spirit and repeating the Unity Prayer of Protection.

A few days after she passed, I was blessed to help my dad and brothers with planning her celebration of life service and notifying family and friends of her passing; selecting her white burial clothing, jewelry, and lipstick; and writing her obituary. See the obituary below.

On the evening of the New Moon in Cancer on July 17, 2023, I dressed in a Ghanaian white dress with matching shoes and stockings and stood next to my mom’s coffin in a sacred Omega Rho ceremony circle of our Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority sisters. We joined together to honor my mom’s spirit and transition. That was my first time experiencing the ceremony. As I listened to sorors read lines of the poem, my heart was overwhelmed with gratitude. When it came time for me to read my line, I felt my mom’s spirit rejoice. The next day, I joined my dad, brothers, sisters, family, friends, sorors, and the members of my mom’s various communities in celebrating her life and legacy.

Since her transition, I have been leaning into my spiritual and self-care practices; therapy sessions; conversations with my mom’s spirit; and time spent and conversations with my dad, family, and friends for support. I have also used my Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube pages to express my grief journey with grace and gratitude.

Below is a video I posted on the 40th day of my mom’s ancestral ascension (August 18,2023). It includes a poem I wrote to honor my her that is published in my mindful creativity memoir, That Which Awakens Me (2009).

The Life of Theresa B. Gartin Leeke

Theresa B. Gartin Leeke was born on November 10, 1939, in Indianapolis, Indiana. She made a peaceful transition to ancestorhood on July 9, 2023, the day before her mother, Dorothy M. Johnson Gartin’s birthday.

Indianapolis, Indiana

Theresa B. Gartin Leeke was the daughter of the late Robert W. Gartin, Sr. and Dorothy M. Johnson Gartin. She grew up in Indianapolis, Indiana with her siblings, the late Robert Warren, Jr., late Janet Mildred, late Phyllis Marie (Cook), and late Veronica Ann (Montgomery). She attended St. Rita Catholic Church and elementary school. Her creative and musical gifts were born and nurtured during her early years at St. Rita Catholic Church. She began playing the piano and organ when she was in elementary school. By the time she entered St. Mary Academy, an all-girls Catholic high school, she was playing the organ for Masses at St. Rita Catholic Church. She also shared her musical gifts with the St. Mary Academy’s chorale.

When she graduated from St. Mary Academy in 1957, she decided to pursue her college studies in music education at Indiana University in Bloomington and later transferred to Butler University where she joined Alpha Chapter of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. in 1959. A year later, she continued her studies at Indiana State College (now University) in Terre Haute where she met the love of her life, John Frederic Leeke. They married on November 25, 1961, at St. Rita Catholic Church. After they married, they returned to Terre Haute and lived with John’s grandparents, Eunice Ann and Henry O. Roberts.

Moving to Washington, D.C. and Flint, Michigan

Theresa and John moved to Washington, D.C. in 1962. While living with John’s parents, Frederica and John L. Leeke, she worked as a secretary in the federal government. He worked as a teacher in a D.C. public school. The following year, they became the proud parents of their first son, Michael David on August 28, 1963, the day of the historic March on Washington. Months later, John accepted a position as a teacher in the Flint, Michigan public school system. While in Flint, they were able to buy their first home, become members of Christ the King Catholic Church, and expand their family with three additional children: Madelyn Cheryl (a/k/a “Puf” and “Ananda”) born in 1964, Mark Andrew born in 1965, and Matthew Jay born in 1967. As a mother of four, Theresa made time to serve her Christ the King Catholic Church community as an organist, a pianist, and a choir director. She also became a charter member of Gamma Psi Sigma Chapter (Flint, Bay City, and Saginaw) of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority and volunteered in her children’s cooperative nursery school.

Building A Life & Becoming An Educator, A Choir Director, and A Nonprofit Leader in Landover, Maryland

John’s career with the National Education Association brought Theresa and her children to Landover, Maryland. The family settled into their home in the close-knit community of Kenmoor in 1968. Shortly after they arrived, she began her studies at Prince George’s Community College. When she completed her Associate of Arts degree in Elementary Education, she immediately enrolled in the University of Maryland at College Park, and later earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Early Childhood Education in 1976. Throughout her college years, her children accompanied her to class and the library. They even went on her science class field trips.

Living and enjoying a full life was always a priority for Theresa. Her full life included joining St. Joseph Catholic Church with her family and founding its first Gospel Choir in 1970; becoming a member of Phi Sigma Chapter of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority and serving as an undergraduate advisor to Epsilon Lambda Chapter at Bowie State University and the charter advisor to Eta Beta Chapter at the University of Maryland at College Park; and joining the Kenmoor Civic Association and becoming an active parent in her children’s education.

Her life philosophy was “I can do ALL things in Christ who strengthens me.” It is the reason she was able to live and enjoy a full life as a child of God, a woman, a daughter, a sister, a wife, a mother, an aunt, a godmother, an educator, a musician, a nonprofit leader, a sorority sister, and a friend. It is rooted in a commitment to excellence that was born during her childhood and musical studies at Catholic elementary and high schools in Indianapolis.

Throughout her adult academic journey and professional career as an educator, an assistant principal at St. John Baptist de la Salle Catholic School, and a principal at St. Francis Xavier Catholic School in the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C., she demonstrated a personal commitment to excellence and continuous learning. Her commitment allowed her to model and teach the importance of academic excellence and continuous learning to her students and staff. As a consummate networker, community builder, and collaborative leader, she launched afterschool programs, developed teaching and training models, secured funding and in-kind donations, created a computer lab, increased parental support and participation, and incorporated the arts and music as core subject matters. Her efforts enhanced the overall academic experience of students and added to the professional growth of her staff.

While working full-time as an educator and parenting her children who were in junior and senior high school and college, she earned a Master of Science degree in Curriculum and Supervision from Trinity College. She also carved out time to serve as the Musical Director of the St. Joseph Gospel Choir. Under her leadership, she developed several music ministries that included cantors, a praise and worship band, small vocal ensembles, children and youth choirs, and Grow Our Own Musicians. Grow Our Own Musicians is a program that allowed her to teach, train, and mentor children and youth on how to read liturgical music, play musical instruments, and participate as members of St. Joseph’s liturgical music ministry.

In addition to serving her church community, she served Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Inc., for 64 years. As a Cultured Pearl, she embodied the sorority’s motto, “Greater Service, Greater Progress.” It fueled her passion for membership and leadership development. She served Phi Sigma Chapter as Basileus for three terms, Anti-Basileus for two terms, undergraduate advisor to Alpha Phi Chapter at Howard University for one term, and on various chapter, regional, and national committees. Some of her proudest moments were attending the induction ceremony of her daughter Madelyn who joined Beta Tau Chapter at Morgan State University in 1983 and the 50th, 75th, and 100th anniversary Boules and Centennial Founders’ Day Weekend in 2022.She and her daughter created A Cultured Pearl’s Legacy Podcast on Spotify to document and share her six decades of “Greater Service, Greater Progress” and to pay tribute to Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority’s Centennial Celebration. The nine podcast episodes feature her lessons learned about sisterhood, growth, lifelong learning, helping others, reaching out for help, service, leadership, creativity, and legacy. Throughout her life, she was committed to supporting the sorority’s national programs and foundations, especially the SPEAR Foundation.

Her community involvement also included her participation as a Board member of the Phyllis Wheatley YWCA in Washington, D.C. and memberships in the National Council of Negro Women; American Association of University Women; Kappa Delta Pi; National Association for the Advancement of Colored People; Bishop Lyke Conference’s Rivers Institute for Music Ministers, and Gospel Music Workshop of America.

A Woman’s Legacy

Theresa will be remembered as a faith-filled, down-to-earth, open-minded, straight talking, and organized woman who loved God, herself, and her husband, children and their spouses, family, friends, students, church family, sorority family, and the wider community. She was known for her colorful and stylish glasses, fashionable jewelry and clothing, a love of crabs and seafood, and a passion for music and African American art, culture, and history. Taking regular vacations with her husband John, watching funny movies, and staying in touch with her family, friends, students, church members, colleagues, and sorority sisters on Facebook were also some of her passions.

She met people right where they were and taught everyone, she touched to be the best person they could be in the moment. She also taught everyone to live and share their gifts in service to humanity. Now that she has become an ancestor, she remains a constant source of love, light, and wisdom that can be accessed in the quietness of your soul 24 hours a day. You will not be bugging her. She is waiting to hear from you. So reach out and touch her spirit!

Her physical presence will be missed tremendously by many relatives, friends, students, church members, colleagues, and sorority sisters. Most of all, she will be missed by her husband of 62 years, John and her children, Michael (Lu), Madelyn, Mark, and Matthew (Pamela). She leaves her sister-in-law, Vivian Gartin; her Gartin family nieces and nephews, Janet, Keith, Ellen, Gail, Geralyn, Vivian, Finis (Lynda), Vincent, Briane (Aaron), Stewart (Necy), Sedric (Nazirah), Brandi, A.J., Joseph, Brooke (deceased), Zachary, Keyanna, Vincent Jr., Sherrell, and Terrell; Roberts family nieces and nephews: Mabel (Darious), Tom (Jennifer), Chester (deceased), Daxter, Michele, Les, Melodye, Carmen (Guy), Tre (Kevin), Chester Paul, Ikeya, Tiffani (deceased), Chanel, Mala, and Erin; aunt Joanne King Williams; cousins Helen Matthews, Thomas E. Roberts, Sr., Paulyne A. Roberts, Jacqueline Roberts, Anthony Chase (Melody), Frank Chase (Micki), Carl Awad (Ada), Amal Awad (Jade), Mary Awad, Gamal Awad (Hailey), Lydia Awad (deceased), Michael Awad, Chris Awad, Ibrahim Abdalla, and Donald Abdalla (Nubia); and godchildren: Sharon Malachi, John Adeleye, Olusayo Adeleye, and David Adeleye.

SPECIAL TREAT: Tune into the A Cultured Pearl’s Legacy Podcast (nine episodes) and get my mom Theresa’s wisdom and lessons learned.