Obituary for Avis Hurt Drake Ransom
Avis Lynette Hurt Drake Ransom passed peacefully in her sleep Saturday evening on July 11, 2020. Her daughter and sisters were with her when she passed.
Avis Lynette Hurt Drake Ransom born to Myrtle Eve Oliver Hurt (3/22/1919 – 7/22/2017) and Edgar Lee Hurt (3/23/1907 – 11/7/2003) in Chicago, Illinois on December 9,1950. She grew up in Burkeville, Nottoway County Virginia where she moved to at the age of one. She was a member of Morning Star Baptist Church, where she was baptized in 1957. At the age of 7 she entered Ingleside Elementary School receiving a certificate of graduation after completing the seventh grade. At Luther Hilton Foster High School in Nottaway Virginia she graduated Salutatorian of her class. She was also a cheerleader and member of the LHF Choir. Avis enrolled at Morgan State University in the Fall of 1969, receiving a Bachelors degree in chemistry in the Spring of 1974. While attending Morgan she was a thespian, she acted, danced and sang in several Morgan theatrical productions. Upon graduation from Morgan State University she married Sidney Howard Drake from Cliffwood, NJ. To this union a daughter, Makeda Ayana Drake was born. Avis was a chemical engineer at Westinghouse and at Bendix. In 1983 Avis received her MBA from Loyola University in Baltimore, Maryland. Upon completion of her work as an engineer she started her own business, R&B Unlimited Inc., which she and her husband Leslie Ransom successfully operated for 15 years. While owning and managing R&B Unlimited Inc. she was proud to have worked with recovering addicts and ex-offenders to establish a cooperative called the SSC Employment Agency. In its third year of operation, three quarters of a million dollars in income with twenty percent profit was amassed. She was most proud of her work at Morgan State University with the illustrious school of engineering’s dean Dr. Eugene DeLoatch. However, Avis’ most cherished and personally rewarding work of all was that of racial equity and racial justice. She was a co-founder, a board member and a consultant with Baltimore Racial Justice Action for many years.
Her most treasured gift from God to her and from her to the world is her daughter Makeda Drake. Her daughter and two granddaughters have provided the light that has lit up her world for almost 70 years. She has two sisters. Her sister
Jacqueline Tessa Hurt Thompson bore a daughter Nedera Tedia Hurt Chapman. Nedera bore three sons Cameron Lee Dorsey Hurt, Marcus Robert Dorsey and Dominic Kiwan Hurt. Cameron has one son Langston Andrew Amzie Hurt. Her sister Cynthia Leigh Hurt Tucker has no children. Her one brother, Sylvester Zimond Hurt, whom she named, (wife Connie) the youngest of the four children was a special gift to her as well. He has no children. She loved and was loved by her first cousins/brothers, George Astor Oliver Jr. (wife Gwentilyn), Francis Alonzo Oliver (wife Denetta), and Michael Tyrone Oliver (wife Edna). All three are the sons of her uncle and aunt, George Astor Oliver, Sr. and Milford B. Oliver; Reginald DeShon Oliver (wife Alicia), Kenyon Shalay Oliver (wife Adrian) both sons of her cousin Michael Oliver. Kalonji Dameek Oliver (wife Kelly) and Khalif Ranier Oliver (wife Candrice) both sons of her cousin George Oliver Jr.. Myesha Jenine Brown, Anita Marie (husband Donovan), Tylia Jacole Threatt (husban Vernon), Tiffany Danielle Clayton (husband Marcel) are all daughters of her cousin Francis Oliver. AviEl Ptav Oliver, ElLeion Latif Oliver ,Soltriel Ali Oliver, Izriel Isias Ahkil Oliver (sons of Reginald DeShon); Jaxxon David Oliver and Preston Edward Oliver ( sons of Kalonji); Jacob Christian Oliver (son of Khalif); Kaila Chanel Brown and Kyra Cheyenne Brown ( daughters of Myesha) Jezreel Elian Brown Sturdivant (son of Myesha); Alia Neveah Henderson (daughter of Kyra); Otis Haston Starkes IV and Christian Jaleel Starkes (sons of Anita); Lyric Mekhi Threatt (son of Tylia); Sameera Imani Threatt (daughter of Tylia); Laviyah Aminata Oliver (daughter of Tiffany). It was Avis’s wish to have all of her descendants be listed in this document by name.
Avis remained friends with hundreds of people. All people she met during her experiences as community activist, racial equity advocate, business owner, mentor, leader, and sweet person. People whose lives she touched and they in turned touched hers. She referred to them all as “her close and very good friend”. So many that they could not possibly all be listed here.
Avis accomplished much as a daughter, sister, mother, engineer, community activist, mentor, friend and organizer. The evidence of her actions rest in the lives of the many people that she touched and the organizations she helped develop.
Graveside Services Saturday, July 18, 2020 at 3:00 p.m. at Oliver Family Cemetery, Burkeville.
W.E. Hawkes & Son Funeral Home of Blackstone in charge of arrangements.
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Avis Lynette Hurt Drake Ransom born to Myrtle Eve Oliver Hurt (3/22/1919 – 7/22/2017) and Edgar Lee Hurt (3/23/1907 – 11/7/2003) in Chicago, Illinois on December 9,1950. She grew up in Burkeville, Nottoway County Virginia where she moved to at the age of one. She was a member of Morning Star Baptist Church, where she was baptized in 1957. At the age of 7 she entered Ingleside Elementary School receiving a certificate of graduation after completing the seventh grade. At Luther Hilton Foster High School in Nottaway Virginia she graduated Salutatorian of her class. She was also a cheerleader and member of the LHF Choir. Avis enrolled at Morgan State University in the Fall of 1969, receiving a Bachelors degree in chemistry in the Spring of 1974. While attending Morgan she was a thespian, she acted, danced and sang in several Morgan theatrical productions. Upon graduation from Morgan State University she married Sidney Howard Drake from Cliffwood, NJ. To this union a daughter, Makeda Ayana Drake was born. Avis was a chemical engineer at Westinghouse and at Bendix. In 1983 Avis received her MBA from Loyola University in Baltimore, Maryland. Upon completion of her work as an engineer she started her own business, R&B Unlimited Inc., which she and her husband Leslie Ransom successfully operated for 15 years. While owning and managing R&B Unlimited Inc. she was proud to have worked with recovering addicts and ex-offenders to establish a cooperative called the SSC Employment Agency. In its third year of operation, three quarters of a million dollars in income with twenty percent profit was amassed. She was most proud of her work at Morgan State University with the illustrious school of engineering’s dean Dr. Eugene DeLoatch. However, Avis’ most cherished and personally rewarding work of all was that of racial equity and racial justice. She was a co-founder, a board member and a consultant with Baltimore Racial Justice Action for many years.
Her most treasured gift from God to her and from her to the world is her daughter Makeda Drake. Her daughter and two granddaughters have provided the light that has lit up her world for almost 70 years. She has two sisters. Her sister
Jacqueline Tessa Hurt Thompson bore a daughter Nedera Tedia Hurt Chapman. Nedera bore three sons Cameron Lee Dorsey Hurt, Marcus Robert Dorsey and Dominic Kiwan Hurt. Cameron has one son Langston Andrew Amzie Hurt. Her sister Cynthia Leigh Hurt Tucker has no children. Her one brother, Sylvester Zimond Hurt, whom she named, (wife Connie) the youngest of the four children was a special gift to her as well. He has no children. She loved and was loved by her first cousins/brothers, George Astor Oliver Jr. (wife Gwentilyn), Francis Alonzo Oliver (wife Denetta), and Michael Tyrone Oliver (wife Edna). All three are the sons of her uncle and aunt, George Astor Oliver, Sr. and Milford B. Oliver; Reginald DeShon Oliver (wife Alicia), Kenyon Shalay Oliver (wife Adrian) both sons of her cousin Michael Oliver. Kalonji Dameek Oliver (wife Kelly) and Khalif Ranier Oliver (wife Candrice) both sons of her cousin George Oliver Jr.. Myesha Jenine Brown, Anita Marie (husband Donovan), Tylia Jacole Threatt (husban Vernon), Tiffany Danielle Clayton (husband Marcel) are all daughters of her cousin Francis Oliver. AviEl Ptav Oliver, ElLeion Latif Oliver ,Soltriel Ali Oliver, Izriel Isias Ahkil Oliver (sons of Reginald DeShon); Jaxxon David Oliver and Preston Edward Oliver ( sons of Kalonji); Jacob Christian Oliver (son of Khalif); Kaila Chanel Brown and Kyra Cheyenne Brown ( daughters of Myesha) Jezreel Elian Brown Sturdivant (son of Myesha); Alia Neveah Henderson (daughter of Kyra); Otis Haston Starkes IV and Christian Jaleel Starkes (sons of Anita); Lyric Mekhi Threatt (son of Tylia); Sameera Imani Threatt (daughter of Tylia); Laviyah Aminata Oliver (daughter of Tiffany). It was Avis’s wish to have all of her descendants be listed in this document by name.
Avis remained friends with hundreds of people. All people she met during her experiences as community activist, racial equity advocate, business owner, mentor, leader, and sweet person. People whose lives she touched and they in turned touched hers. She referred to them all as “her close and very good friend”. So many that they could not possibly all be listed here.
Avis accomplished much as a daughter, sister, mother, engineer, community activist, mentor, friend and organizer. The evidence of her actions rest in the lives of the many people that she touched and the organizations she helped develop.
Graveside Services Saturday, July 18, 2020 at 3:00 p.m. at Oliver Family Cemetery, Burkeville.
W.E. Hawkes & Son Funeral Home of Blackstone in charge of arrangements.
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