Tenora Antoinette Phillips (60) of Suitland, Maryland.

Tenora Antoinette Phillips was born on May 17, 1959 in Washington, D.C., to the late Alice Juanita Fuller and Cecil Chase. She was born into a loving family, the oldest of five siblings.

Tenora received her formal education through the DC public school system while attending Grimke Elementary, Shaw Junior High School, and Calvin Coolidge High School where she excelled at her studies. During high school, she modelled with Baribizon modelling agency for many years. She was also a girl scout throughout elementary school.

After High School, she studied accounting at the University of the District of Columbia but amid her matriculation, she joined the McDonald's corporation as a store coach that progressed into a career of coaching and training others for over twenty years. She was later promoted to a training manager and operations supervisor for franchise stores.

While working as a trainer and operations supervisor for McDonald's franchise owners across the DMV area, she was also a property manager, a tax agent, medical biller and owned her own basket company.

When not at work, she loved the theatre, ballet, reading, jazz, and impressionist art, especially Monet.

In 1979, she married John Wendell Phillips. She went on to have her first child, John Christopher Phillips on May 27, 1979 and her second child, Tenika Maria Phillips on January 28, 1986. With her husband, they raised their children in Catholic household, teaching and upholding all the tenets of the Catholic faith.

She was known to be very contemplative in spirit. She would sit in silence many times praying for her family and friends who were in need. She always lit candles every week for her children, family and friends. When she attended Mass each week, she would glow with joy from hearing the word and receiving the Holy Eucharist. The foundation of her spirit was her kindness. She extended kindness toward everyone never wanting anything in return other than making their day or life better. Her life culminated in her becoming what she characterized her mother in a letter over forty years ago "a grand lady".

On July 17, 2019, Tenora departed her earthly life and entered eternal rest. She leaves to cherish her memory, two children, John Christopher Phillips and Tenika Maria Phillips, two grandchildren, Harlem and Xavier Cooley, one sister, Elna Johns (Clark Johns), three brothers, Kenneth Green (Raymonda Green), Kevin Fuller (Michele Fuller), and Michael Fuller and a host of cousins, nieces, nephews and other loving relatives and friends.

Visitation, Saturday, August 3, 2019, 10 a.m., Mass of Christian Burial, 11 a.m., St. Martin Catholic Church, 1908 North Capitol Street, NW, Washington, DC 20002.

Interment, Gate of Heaven Cemetery, 13801 Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring, MD 20906.

In lieu of flowers please make a contribution to one of Tenora's favorite charities listed below:

https://www.stjude.org/donate/donate-to-st-jude.html

https://ww5.komen.org/Donate

https://support.woundedwarriorproject.org