James E. Washington

Here I am in a church, of all places - resting in a casket instead of the urn I asked for and presenting my own obituary. Well, I guess we'd better get on with it so we can get it over with. I was born on April 29, 1940, and became the third child of Ruth Virginia (Ma Ruth) Washington and Delano Muir (Daddy Pete) Washington. Both parents preceded me in death. I grew up in Catonsville, Maryland. As a kid, I was a bit, shall we say, unmanageable. And it was Momma, my grandmother, who kept a watchful eye on me more than anyone else. I can still hear Daddy (that's Walter, my grandfather) telling her, " Mary, come get this boy.' Now that I think about it, it felt like she found an occasion to (or maybe I was the one who gave her the reason to) whip my behind just about every day. I guess that's how you show "love" to a little boy who somehow managed to push his uncle out of a tree or hit a neighbor's boy in the head with a rock, or constantly played hooky from school. You know, "unmanageable" stuff like that. My education began at Banneker (which no longer exist). And I would have finished my education at Banneker if it were not for the end to (what they called) "segregated schools." So, my formal education ended at Catonsville High School. In that same year that I graduated from high school, I got married, joined the Air Force the Air Force (just like my brother did), and had my first daughter. What a busy year! My wife, (the love of my life) grew up down the road from me, and our marriage must have been "predestined" because we wound up getting married twice our first was tied in 1958, and that marriage ended after 21 1/2 years. But our second know was tied forever in 1989. Within those 55 1/2 years of marriage, we had five beautiful daughters. I tried hard for a boy. I really did. But I guess my girls must have been "predestined", too. And I ain't mad because they all are Daddy's Girls! Let’s see oh, yeah----1958----- I joined the Air Force, and my final tour of duty was at Dow Airforce Base in Bangor, Maine. I worked as a mechanic on B-52 bombers. I like that job because it was outside. In 1961, Sam and our daughter joined me in Bangor, and that’s where my second daughter was born--- we called her our “Main – e-ac.” In 1962, we (that’s Sam and our two girls) returned to Catonsville where I got a job where I got a job as a guard at Jessup Institute. After working there for about 3 years, an inmate ( I wish I could remember his name because he probably saved my life) told me it was time for me to quit my job as a guard, because there was going to be a riot, and he didn’t want to see me get hurt or worse. I quit, and shortly thereafter, there was a riot at Jessup, and I thank my lucky stars and that inmate, that I had taken his advice. In 1965, I took the Baltimore City Firefighter’s exam and became a firefighter again, just like my brother. In fact, my brother and I were in the same fire house—Truck 13. I loved that job because I was outside and not locked up behind bars every day. Eventually, I was blessed with three more girls, then I quit because it looked like I was “predestined” not to have a boy. After 29 years as a firefighter, I put in my retirement papers. By then, my girls had given me the boys I craved, and another girl, for good measure. And of course, all of my boys wee “Pop-Pop’s Boys! Girls, I have loved you all with an everlasting love, Keep that memory in your hearts. Take care of your mother! In Lieu of Flowers the family has requested that contributions are to be made in honor of Mr. James Washington to the National Kidney Foundation. https://www.kidney.org/ The Family has requested that masked are to be worn for the viewing and for the service as well. Thank you.

Tributes

James E. Washington

April 29, 1940 - October 25, 2023