Withers, Geraldine Marie, 87 of Silver Spring, Maryland.

Obituary

Geraldine Marie Withers departed this life peacefully on Saturday, July 8, 2023, at Holy Cross Hospital in Silver Spring, Maryland. She was born on May 31, 1936, in Colesville, Maryland, to the late Berry and Roberta Withers. She was the youngest of the two children and had a special love for her sister Frances Burton, whom everyone called "Pud," and who preceded her in death. Geraldine and Pud had lots of fun together, especially selling dinners on the weekend, to help each other out. Geraldine, also known as "Gerry," to all those who were close to her, loved to talk about her former years at Crest Haven Drive and all the fun times with family, in Montgomery County, Maryland.  It was there where she found the Lord and accepted Christ at an early age.

Geraldine attended Carver High School and graduated in 1954. Carver was one of the first three black High Schools in Montgomery County, Maryland. The class of 1954 was the second class to have75 graduates and thereby, along with the class of 1952, set a record for having the largest number of high school graduates from any of the three historically black high schools in the county. True to the Class Motto, "We Choose Our Way," so was Geraldine with her dreams and aspirations of someday having a job where she could support her family and help others. She was smart, articulate, driven, and a true "People Person;" making friends wherever she went and in a way that only she could; therefore, her way.

She had two loving children, Vivian "Poochie" Byrd, and Michael "Mike" Withers. They were truly her heartbeat, and she had a special love for them both. She was proud of who they were and all the accomplishments they made along the way.  She also had a love for her grandchildren and great grandchildren that was unmatchable. She was truly a family person and loved her family so much. On occasion, she would ask how many grandchildren/great grands she had as keeping track of that number was important to her and put a smile on her face.

In the early years, when she started working full time, she worked at Regan National Airport for the airlines where she prepared meals for the flight attendants to give to customers boarding their flight. Although, she received many accolades for her great work, and received many free travel opportunities, she never used the tickets to fly anywhere and instead, gave the free tickets to her children for them to travel in her place. This was just one of several jobs Geraldine worked as she would have two-three jobs at a time to support herself.

Geraldine's loving, kind, and gentle personality stole the hearts of many. She would talk and socialize for many hours, such a fun-loving person. She didn't mind going the extra mile to lend a helping hand and she "never met a stranger" as she would make friends wherever she goes. With such a large family, Geraldine had many relatives and friends and enjoyed her time with all of them, but she and her cousin Marion "Bunny" Brown, were inseparable. Where you would see one, you would see the other. The love she had for her family, and they had for her, allowed her to continue her efforts with different ones looking out and assisting with supporting her. Not matter how tough things got, Geraldine had a "will to live" and "pressed on" regardless of; and not complaining one time.

She was multi-talented, and loved to cook her favorite dish, Chicken Soup. Not only was she a great cook but had an unbelievable "green thumb" and could easily resuscitate a dying plant and bring it back to good health. She loved plants and it showed by the many plants she had growing in her apartment.

A true athlete, Geraldine loved sports. She played basketball and softball in her early years in high school and loved to watch sports on the television. She was a "loyal" Washington Commanders fan. It didn't matter which way the game was going, she was faithful to her team, cheering them on until the very end of the game.

During Geraldine's later years in life, it became more challenging for her to continue to maintain her apartment in Landover, Maryland, and she had to be moved to Randolph Village, a senior living community.  She embraced this arrangement as she had other relatives living there as well and enjoyed the family-oriented environment. She continued to meet people and made a lot of good friends. Her health continued to be an issue and she was moved once again, to Arcola Rehabilitation and Health Center in Silver Spring, Maryland, where she resided until her death.

Geraldine is preceded in death by her parents, Berry, and Roberta Withers; grandmother, Marion Lee; sister, Frances Burton; and daughter, Vivian Byrd. She leaves to cherish her loving memories: one son, Michael Withers (Djuna); seven Grandchildren: Eryn Barnes (Tavon), Jabre Lee, Stephen Withers, Darrell Withers, Christian Byrd, Khiani Jackson, and Courtney Jackson (Tianna). She also had 17 Great Grandchildren: Tate Barnes, Taye Barnes, Tatum Barnes, Sa'Marii Adams, Iyana Withers, Anise Withers, Darnell Withers, Nakiyah Jackson, Cyiarra Jackson, Jailah Jackson, Caleb Swann, Jr., Josiyah Swann, Devin Swann, Nevaeh Swann, Janiah Swann, Angel Swann, and a best friend and loving cousin Marion Brown, and a host of relatives and friends.

Her Viewing was held on Saturday, July 22, 2023 from 10:00 a.m. until the time of the Celebration of Life Service at 12:00 noon at Round Oak Missionary Baptist Church, 15812 Good Hope Road, Silver Spring, Maryland 20905.  Interment, Ash Memorial Cemetery, Sandy Spring, Maryland 20860.