LONNIE EDWARD QUINN, SR. (AGE 87) OF CLINTON, MARYLAND

Lonnie Edward Quinn, Sr., was born in Abbeville, Georgia, on March 25, 1932, to Mrs. Alene Lacy Lampley (deceased) and Rob Wilcox (deceased). Lonnie was the eldest of his four siblings: three brothers, Deacon James Oliver Lacy, Herbert "Beau" Lacy, Jr., and Kenneth C. Lacy, and his sister, Jacqueline Singleton, all deceased.

Young Lonnie grew up in the segregated south, in the small town of Abbeville, with a population of about 1,000 people, during the 1930s. In his early years, Lonnie was raised by his great grandmother, Cora Lee Bynaim (deceased), and his great grandfather Willie Bynaim (deceased); with Cora Lee's eldest child, Lonnie's uncle, Roosevelt McDuffie (deceased). Lonnie was always surrounded by the love of his immediate and extended families. Every Sunday, Cora Lee took Lonnie to church with her. He attended Bible study and was a junior deacon.

After several years with his great grandparents, Lonnie left Abbeville to join his father and stepmother, Rob and Flossy Wilcox (deceased), in Albany, Georgia, where he continued his primary education. When Lonnie turned nine years old, he joined his mother, Arlene Lacy Lampley, who had moved to Holopaw, Florida. Lonnie enjoyed living there with his mother and his favorite aunt, Emma Lee Dew, but wanted to return to Abbeville.

As a child, Lonnie met a young girl named Queen Esther Bradshaw, who was also born in Abbeville and lived in Augusta, Georgia. Queen and her family often visited her grandmother and relatives in Abbeville during the holidays and summers. Queen says she met Lonnie when he was seven years old and they became fast friends. When Queen came to Abbeville, she and Lonnie would spend time together going to church, visiting relatives, and going to the drive-in movies.

Shortly after high school, Lonnie joined the United States Armed Forces and served in the Army during the Korean War for three years (1950-1953). The decorated veteran is a recipient of a Purple Heart, a Korean Service Medal, a 1/3 Bronze Service Star, and a National Defense Service Medal. In 1954, he reenlisted and continued his military career for three additional years.

During the Korean War, Queen and Lonnie were married on September 22, 1952, in Florida. Shortly thereafter, the newlyweds return to Augusta, Georgia, where they resided while Lonnie served overseas. Later that year, Queen gave birth to their son Lonnie E. Quinn, Jr. Three years later, she gave birth to her first daughter, Vanessa E. Quinn, followed by the birth of their youngest child, Gwendolyn D. Quinn, five years later.

Like most families during the '60s, the Quinns left the south and headed north to Newark, New Jersey, for better employment opportunities and a brighter future. Lonnie and Queen raised the family there, but after the 1967 riots, they left Newark. The family settled in Washington, D.C., before moving to the suburbs of Prince George's County Maryland, where they purchased their new home in Temple Hills, Maryland.

In Washington, D.C., Lonnie became a healthcare professional and served in two full-time positions. During the day he worked as a mental health counselor, at the federally funded Saint Elizabeth Hospital, where he worked with mentally ill and troubled youth. He also maintained a second full-time position at Providence Hospital. He eventually retired from Saint Elizabeth and continued to work in various capacities at Providence and the MedStar Washington Hospital Center, where he later retired.

Lonnie was a great husband and father who loved and cherished his family. There was nothing he wouldn't do for his wife and children. He loved taking long drives in his Caddy to visit his family near and far, while he played the best in classic soul music during those trips.

In recent years, as his dementia progressed and his overall health declined, one of his most profound testimonies was that he still knew the power of prayer and how to call on the Lord. Yes, he had lucid moments during his illness, and on many nights, when the family stopped by his bedside to say goodnight, he would pray and sing love songs and gospel tunes before he went to sleep.

Mr. Quinn leaves to mourn his loving and devoted wife of 67 years, Queen Esther Quinn of Clinton, MD; one son, Lonnie E. Quinn, Jr., and daughter-in-law, Heidrun Quinn of Kissimmee, FL; daughter Vanessa E. Quinn, and fiancé Kermit Banks of Clinton, MD; daughter Gwendolyn D. Quinn of Clinton, MD; one granddaughter, Danielle Quinn of Raleigh, NC; one sister-in-law, Janet Bradley of Brooklyn, NY; his 96-year old aunt, Emma Lee Dew of Daytona Beach, FL; and a host of nieces, nephews, and cousins.

Lonnie E. Quinn, Sr. will be laid to rest at Maryland Veterans Cemetery Cheltenham, 11301 Crain Highway in Cheltenham, Maryland.