Obituary of Charmaine O Hickman

At exactly Eleven A.M. on the tenth day of November in the year of our Lord, two thousand and twenty-
two, Charmaine Odessa Petteway-Hickman heard the clarion call signaling that it was time for her departure.
Mrs. Hickman stepped out of the gravitational forces of the earth suit that had served her for more than ninety-
one years and found herself within the twinkling of an eye being transported into a place of rest to await the
coming of the Lord.

Charmaine was born on April 22, 1931. The oldest of nine children resulting from the union of John
Clinton Jones and Esther May Ruffin; four brothers; Clinton, Reginald, Bernard, and Kenneth; three sisters;
Gloria, Louise and Delores; and one sibling who passed in infancy. Charmmie as she was affectionately called
by her siblings was both sister and surrogate mother. She learned the meaning of the word responsibility at an
early age. Her mother suffered from a debilitating illness that often left her bed ridden. As a result, Charmaine’s
parents relied heavily on her to help keep the household running while her father was at work. For you see
Charmaine grew up in an era when helping the family often took precedence over completing a formal
education.

Charmaine met and married the late George Henry Petteway, to this union was born eight children:
Janet, Charlene, George, Rosemary, Cedric, Antoine, Winston and Sarah. Rosemary and Winston preceded
her in passing. Charmaine was widowed in August of 1989. However, the experience she gained while helping
to raise her sibling provided her with a solid foundation that enabled her to love, discipline and guide her own
children into responsible adulthood. A number of years after George’s passing, Charmaine met the late Donald
L Hickman and they were married in 1998. This union provided her with a devoted, loving companion who
readily embraced her large family as his own.
If Charmaine excelled as a mother, she was a super-star grandmother and great-grandmother. She
doted on her grandchildren and they loved her with a passion. Each one of them: Leon, Tyrone, David, Aaron
Damian, Addrick, and Tony; and let’s not forget the girls; Arnie, Tina, Ranarta, Kambria, Nakita, Brittany,
Christina, Tonita, and Tonia; each of them had the opportunity to experience their own unique version of
grandma; especially her road partners: Ranarta, Kambria, Nakita, Jazmine and Johnathan.
Charmaine loved family, friends and neighbors, and her life was filled with many long-lasting
relationships including: Willie (son-in-law), Jack, Dead Eye, Rodney, Dexter, Clyde, Karen, Ernest, Diana,
Levern (Boss), Baceo, Jamie, Katrina, Deon, Keith, Kevin, Michael, Della, Gloria, Wanda, Christine, Louise,
Cynthia, Virlyn, and Angela……. Forgive us if your name is not mention, because our loved one’s influence
reached far beyond our limited knowledge.

A s much as Charmaine loved family and friends, the real love of her s life was her Lord and Savior,
Jesus Christ, and no retelling of her life would be complete without this overarching theme. From a young child
Charmaine embraced the Gospel of Jesus Christ, it was the force which enabled her to endure many of the
challenges life presented. Charmaine outlived two husbands and two of her children. When the pains of life
seemed too much to bear, and no one was there to comfort her Charmaine drew strength from the “Good
News.” She understood and experienced the frailties of life, but she also stood firm on the promises made to a
blood washed, Spirit-filled believer.

I am weak, but Thou art strong; Jesus, keep me from all wrong;
I'll be satisfied as long, As I walk, let me walk close to Thee.

 
Charmaine Odessa Petteway-Hickman was a woman blessed by God with the gifts of
compassion and charity. She leaves to cherish her memory: three sons; George II (Terry), Cedric and
Antoine Petteway; three daughters; Janet Pinkett, Charlene Lincoln (Willie), and Sarah Tillman., Her
daughter Rosemary McClure (Addrick) and son Winston Petteway (Diana) preceded her in death.

Charmaine had seventeen grandchildren, twenty-seven great-grand-children and a host of family and
friends.