Mildred Coleman Marks
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Mildred Olive Coleman, the eldest child of McVicker Munroe Coleman and Ada Lewis Coleman was born November 7, 1920 in Chicago Illinois. At the age of three her parents moved back home to Gibsland, Louisiana to teach at Coleman College. Mildred is the granddaughter of Oliver Lewis Coleman, the founder and charter president of Coleman College. Founded in 1887, the college was originally located in Gibsland to educate freed slaves, preparing them to be "teachers and preachers". Coleman College eventually moved to Shreveport and is the only HBCU to be located there.
Mildred was educated in the public schools of northern Louisiana and graduated from Arcadia High. She began her college career at Coleman College and attended Bishop College in Texas. She transferred to Florida A&M College and graduated in 1942 with a degree in Home Economics and Science. While at FAMC she joined the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority and remained an active member in the Miami graduate chapter.
While at A&M she met the love of her life a young man from Miami, John Robert Marks Jr., a student and eventual graduate with a degree in Business Administration. They married in 1941 and in1942 their first child Charmaine Camille Marks was born. Her husband, John, served in the United States Army during World War II stationed in the Aleutian Islands. While John was on active duty, Mildred attended graduate school in Iowa and eventually earned a Masters Degree from the Atlanta University School of Social Work. After completing his military obligation John return to his wife and daughter in Florida. They move to Miami where their second child, John, III was born.
In 1950 Mildred became a Social Worker at Miami's Jackson Memorial Hospital. She later began her teaching career in the Dade County Public School System and remained there as a teacher and social worker until her retirement in 1985. She is active in the Miami civic community, her sorority and her church, Mount Zion Missionary Baptist Church. Her husband, John, passed away in 1972 and her daughter Charmaine died as result of a tragic automobile accident in 1992. Her son John Robert Marks, III an attorney, is the former mayor of the City of Tallahassee, Florida, founder of the Jane and John Marks Foundation, and currently Vice president for Government and External Relations for the Black News Channel (BNC).Her daughter-in-law, Jane, is a licensed psychotherapist, lifestyle coach and resident family therapist with BNC. Affectionately called Nana, Mildred has two grandchildren John Robert Marks IV (Cristina) and Tia Smith Harrison, four great grandchildren, Kenneth Harrison, Kai Harrison, Elsa Marks and John R. Marks, V. She is the proud great, great grandmother of Kyree.
On Saturday, February 20, 2021 the Marks family will receive friends at Range Funeral Home - 5727 NW 17th Ave, Miami, FL 33142 from 2-5pm.