Fannie L. Powell

No more sickness, no more pain…a wise and loving God saw fit to call Fannie L. Powell home on Wednesday, July 18, 2018 after a brief hospitalization in Newark Beth Israel Medical Center. Fannie was born in Sylvester, GA to the late Jim and Fannie (Richardson) Smith on November 7, 1940. Her siblings Rosa L. Lavant, Annie M. Ford, Alfred Smith, Eddie W. Smith, Arnella Tift, Daisy Stephens, Callie Fowler and George Smith preceded her in death. About the age 4 or 5, Fannie displayed her love for learning by crying when her sister would go off to school. This was her way of letting her parents know that she too wanted to go school. Fannie graduated from J.W. Holley High School in Worth County, GA. Shortly after high school, she married Walter Powell and left GA for NJ. Two children, Pamela Juanita (Powell) and Reginald Barry (Powell) were the offspring of this brief union and another son, Eric Kevin (Powell) is her youngest son from another relationship. Fannie was affectionately called "Grams" by her two grandchildren, Rhena Nicole (Powell) and Aziz Ibn Furqan (Smith), but we all called her "GG" which is the name that her great-granddaughters - Brielle Eboni-Chalice (Bermudez), Sydney Naiya (Smith) and Taylor Liberty (Smith) knew her to be. Fannie received her AAS (Associate Applied Science) degree from Essex County College and worked for many years as a Registered Nurse (Martland Medical Center, United Health Care System, The Consortium, VA Medical Center at East Orange and Greystone Psychiatric Hospital). It was during her tenure at United Health Care System that the "Dinner Club" was formed and resulted in a long friendship - aka "the girls" - Rosalinda (Roz) Brown, Rosa Hamilton, Evelyn Harper, Jeanette Hinton, Edna Miles and Peggy Williams - would gather throughout the year and at Christmas. She was also a faithful member and Trustee at Macedonia Baptist Church (Newark, NJ). In addition to her 3 children, 2 grandchildren, 1 granddaughter-in-love (Kimberly) and 3 great-granddaughters, Fannie leaves to cherish her memory - her siblings: Lessie Mathis, Louella Street, Johnnie Smith, Hodge Smith, Jimmy Smith and Gwendolyn Beach (Albany, GA); Reather Smith (East Orange, NJ); James Smith (Leesburg, GA); Willie Smith (Columbia, SC) and 1 aunt Willie Pearl Harris (Putney, GA). A multitude of adoring nieces, nephews, cousins and loving friends. Though youre no longer with us, just knowing that youre no longer in pain with no more sickness fill our hearts. You will forever be in our hearts and our memories will complete us with the love of you! Love always your children, grandchildren, great-granddaughters, family and friends.