Norma Howard (Seard) Fitz

Life in Columbus, Ohio is dimmer, but the sky is brighter. Heaven got a star back on Friday, April 26, 2013, when Norma Fitz returned to the Father. Norma Howard Seard was born in Greenville, Mississippi, on January 21, 1933, to proud parents Evelyn McGhee Seard and Preston Seard. She was an avid reader and an astute debater, as attested to by Mr. Charlie Neal, the debate teacher at Booker T. Washington Junior/Senior High School, Chattanooga, Tennessee. She was valedictorian of her senior class in Key West, Florida. These skills served Norma well, as she will long be remembered as the champion of the underdog who spearheaded many initiatives with her spirited debates. Norma graduated Florida AM University (Tallahassee, Florida) in 1959 and was immediately hired by the Pinellas County (Clearwater) Board of Education. She was a high school English teacher until June 1963. At a time when Marian Anderson was singing at the Metropolitan Opera House, Norma’s excellent voice could be heard in numerous wealthy white churches in the Clearwater/Tampa/St. Petersburg areas of Florida. Like Marian, Norma used her voice to open doors. From September 1963 until June 1965, Norma was a classroom teacher in Ringgold, Georgia. It was at this tiny, segregated school, that Norma displayed her dramatic skills, having produced the very first school play in its history as well as its first prom. Late in the fall of 1965, Norma moved with her family to Columbus, Ohio. Hired almost immediately by the Columbus City Schools Board of Education, Norma used her extraordinary gifts in many ways before retiring (three times) as an Administrator in 2009. During that time, she earned her Master of Education degree from The Ohio State University (Columbus, Ohio). She began her career with Columbus City Schools as an English teacher at Beery Junior High School. She was a speed reading teacher, a home-school-community agent, evening school administrator at North Education Adult Center, and at several schools, including Marion-Franklin, Mohawk, Brookhaven, and Northland High School. Norma also taught summer classes at the Ohio Civil Rights Commission for several years. Norma Fitz was a faithful member of Centenary United Methodist Church, and expected all her family members “under [her] roof” to get up and go to church on Sunday morning, no matter how late they may have gotten in the night before. She fought for church outreach to the poor and homeless in the neighborhood, and because of her tireless efforts, Centenary opened its doors to feed hundreds of people every Saturday morning. She enlisted her family to deliver meals to the sick and shut in, as well as drive the church van to pick up the elderly for Sunday service. In later years, Norma and Nathaniel carried that same zeal to St. Paul A.M.E. Church, where they spearheaded, together with Rev. Bean, a building drive which led to a Community Outreach Center and many improvements to the church. A room at the church was financed by Nathaniel and Norma and is dedicated to the memory of Norma’s grandfather, Norman Howard McGhee. Norma was nominated for the Jefferson Award, and was regularly recognized by various organizations for her work in the schools, church, and community. A Life Member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, Norma was initiated into the Beta Alpha Chapter while at Florida AM (1961), was a charter member of Psi Eta Omega Chapter (2008), and was previously a member of the Alpha Sigma Omega Chapter for many years. Norma was honored as a Golden Soror for having been a member for more than 50 years. In addition, she was a member of the Columbus chapters of the Top Ladies of Distinction and Charms, Inc. Norma was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2008, and fought courageously to maintain her independent lifestyle. She continued to travel, sometimes driving hundreds of miles, until, upon her final hospitalization, we were able to wrench the keys from her tightly closed fist. She received excellent care at the Cleveland Clinic from Dr. Sola, Dr. Hammer, and Dr. Haddad. Her doctor of record, Timothy Rowland, cared for Norma and often coordinated care among the Cleveland Clinic doctors and those at various hospitals. Many times, while shopping or going into the hospital for tests, etc., former students would stop Norma and ask, “Do you remember me, Miss Fitz?” In addition to her parents, Norma was preceded in death by her husband of 44 years, Nathaniel E. Fitz., Jr., first husband Joseph Robinson, and siblings Mary James-Gill, Preston Seard, Jr., Barbara Joyce Clemmons, and Elbert Seard. Surviving Norma Fitz are her children, Lynn Robinson Weaver of Pickerington, Ohio, Constance Robinson Ranaldson of Macon, Georgia, Damita Robinson-Rhea of Columbus, Ohio, and Kenneth Fitz, also of Columbus; twenty grandchildren, David Holland, Courtland Booker (who was constantly at her side), Shur-hon Weaver, Rashid (Anya) Weaver, Amin Weaver, Olisa (James) Watkins, Brooke Brown, Andrea (David) Mobley, Nnamdi Rhea, Germain Koehler, and Bianca West, all of Columbus, Obiageli Ozobu of Los Angeles, California, Carey (Dr. Rachael Harris) McCray of Tampa, Florida, Halima Rhea of Hampton, Virginia, April (Rev. Sanjay) English, Austin (Lakita) Booker, both of Atlanta, Georgia, Dominique, Michael, and Emily Fitz, all of Rothschild, Wisconsin, and Alliyah Clarke of St. Louis, Missouri; twelve great grandchildren; siblings, Anna Mercier of Chicago, Illinois, Marshall Seard of Tennessee, Arlene Gatewood, Zuri Barton, both of Dayton, Ohio, and Geraldine Henderson of San Pedro, California; dear aunt, Pearl Parham, and first cousin, Dr. James B. Parham of Atlanta, Georgia, first cousin, Jacqueline McGhee of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and first cousins Theodore R. (Nayima) McGhee, Jr., Dutch McGhee, Carolyn Stewart, and many cousins in the Woodard, Henderson, and McGhee families of Chattanooga, Tennessee, as well as a host of nieces, nephews, and cousins throughout the continental United States. Others include beloved lifelong friends, Ernestine Curry of Key West, Florida, Mary Johnson of Tallahassee, Florida, and Ernest Hardaway of San Diego, California; favorite in-laws, Jimmie and Grace Fitz of Ft. Lauderdale, Florida and J.C. and Carrie Fitz of Tallahassee, Florida; also Edith Fitz of Tennessee), Verdi Fitz of Columbus, Solomon Fitz, Grace Fitz of Tallahassee, Barbara Jean Fitz of Gainesville, Florida, and Evelyn Fitz of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Norma’s wonderful Columbus friends included Cecil and Toni Mitchell, Lynn Chavers, Martha Wickliffe, and good neighbors Jesse and Bonnie Little, to name a few. Jackie Sheets, Obiora Ozobu, Bradley Brown and Aida Bennett should also be counted. A long line of distinguished family members paved the way for Norma or continue the legacy: William Henry (the Alaska Purchase) Seward, Secretary of State during Abraham Lincoln’s presidency; Norman H. McGhee, former president of Campbell College; Mississippi State Senator Big John Williams; Dr. Leon Seard, Head of Urology, UCLA Medical Center, and Dr. James B. Parham, Business Administration, Troy University. Her mother, Evelyn, an accomplished pianist and organist who accompanied Al Jolson and Aretha Franklin, was invited to play the pipe organ at the Mormon Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Utah, and played piano and organ in the churches of Rev. Adam Clayton Powell, Sr. and Rev. C. L. Franklin. Educator and humanitarian Booker T. Washington taught Norma how to play tiddly-winks, and Dr. George Washington Carver regularly solved mathematical equations with the help of her grandfather, Norman. Entertainers Moms Mabley and Redd Foxx were known to have visited the McGhee home as well.