Helen Ceola (Davis) Lauderdale

Helen Davis Lauderdale, born March 3, 1919 in Hattiesburg, Mississippi to the late Randolph and Martha Davis, died surrounded by loved ones at her home in Columbus, Ohio on April 29, 2015. Mrs. Lauderdale served as a teacher and later as a Consultant in the Columbus City Schools for 29 years before her retirement in 1995. She believed in and loved her students and the classroom teachers for whom she was a resource. She was also very active serving the community and children over the years through Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Phi Delta Kappa teacher’s sorority, Altrusa International, AARP, Syntaxis and Buckeye Ranch. She loved word and video games, shopping, Bingo, her Kindle and her extended family and friends. She was preceded in death by her husband, Maj. Azo Lauderdale (USAF-Ret.), and daughter, Lana Joyce Carruthers McCrary. She is survived by her children, Ronald (Valerie) Lauderdale of Greenwich, Connecticut, Bruce (Barbara) Lauderdale of Columbus, Ohio, and Katherine Lauderdale of Washington, DC; five grandchildren, the eldest of whom served as dedicated caregivers Carmen (Anthony) Bell of Akron, Ohio and Simon (Tasha) Carruthers of Columbus, Ohio, as well as Philip, Tiffani and Azo Lauderdale; six great grandchildren; siblings, Katie Smith of Cleveland Ohio, Doris (Earl) Shorter and Mary Ann Johnson of Las Vegas, Nevada, and Edsel (Mary) Davis of Cleveland, Ohio; in-laws, Alphonso (Ella Mae), Darnell, and Augusta Lauderdale, all of Columbus, Ohio; countless nieces, nephews and friends. For those wishing to donate to charity in lieu of sending flowers, the family suggests a gift in memory of Helen Lauderdale to preserve historic St. Paul A.M.E. Church, the oldest African-American church in Columbus, Ohio.