Sulura J. Boykin-Mabry

Sulura J. Boykin-Mabry, 74, of Kent, died Wednesday, December 24, 2008 at Robinson Memorial Hospital. She was born June 15, 1934 in Kent to Harbon and Lydia (Gant) Merrett. Sulura Boykin-Mabry is one of the true pioneers of the War on Poverty, beginning her career at the Community Action Council of Portage County (CAC) in 1967. She has been involved in early childhood education services for her entire professional life. She was the first Director of the Full Year Portage County Head Start Program, a position she held for over 21 years, where she helped thousands of Portage County pre-schoolers and their families obtain early childhood education, parenting skills, nutrition, transportation, health, dental, and other essential services. She left CAC in the late 1980’s and served as Head Start Director in Stark County. In 1991 she began working for the Child Development Council of Franklin County. Inc. (CDCFC) and was instrumental in the creation of CDCFC's Family Service Center, one of the first Head Start Family Service Centers in Ohio. It was developed from a former strip mall into what is known today as the Family Enrichment Center at Capital Park. She helped establish programs providing, drug/alcohol counseling, after-school programs, computer training, and a Head Start program. In the mid 1990's, she "retired" but was immediately hired by the Ohio State University as a regional consultant for Head Start Programs in Illinois, Indiana and Ohio. She worked in this capacity for 5 years, where she assisted Head Start programs in a 5-county region in NE Ohio, including Portage. Sulura has served on the Mental Health Board of Portage County, several Governors' Task Forces, State President of the Ohio Head Start Association, and many other local, regional and national groups. She is a life long resident of Portage County, attended Kent City Schools' Kent State University, and Johnson and Johnson Management Institute at UCLA in 1997, life-long member of Spelman Chapel AME Church, which was organized in the home of her grandparents. She has held many offices at Spelman, and is currently a member of the Steward Board. She is an active member of the Kent Area Chapter of the Links, Inc., and is currently employed by the Child Development Council of Franklin County Inc., and has been honored by Kent Roosevelt High School as a key figure in the birth and development of the civil rights movement in Portage County. This program was part of a national grant designed to document, preserve, and honor individuals whose efforts ultimately resulted in the passage of the Civil Rights Act. Sulura has dedicated her professional life to the education of children and has been a role model for her children and grandchildren, and literally thousands of other Portage County youth. She has served this community in many official and unofficial roles, always a team player, and looking out for what is best for the community.

She is survived by sons, Wendell (Zara) Boykin of Milwaukee, WI, William T. "Tommie" Boykin Jr. of Stow, and Brian Boykin of Kent; daughters, Fanette Merrett of Stow, Adrienne (Michael) Coleman of Stow, and Sheilah Boykin of Kent; grandchildren, Deral Boykin, Trenton Boykin, Rodney (Dorienne) Boykin, Dedrick (Susan) Taylor, Latesha Dukes, Derrick Taylor, Angela Jackson, Bryant "BJ" Jackson Jr., Brianna Boykin, Victoria Heart, and Shane Heart; Special daughter, Cindy Heart; fifteen great grandchildren; brother, Wendell Merrett; sisters, Sandra Townes and Donna Dean Hendricks. She was preceded in death by her grandmother, Sulura “Nanny” Perdue; her parents; sister, Sally Burrell; and brother, Adolph Merrett.

Calling hours will be held 6-9 PM Friday, January 2nd at Bissler & Sons Funeral Home in Kent. Funeral services will be held 1:00 PM Saturday, January 3rd at Spelman Chapel AME Church with Pastor Julene Thompson officiating. Burial will be in Standing Rock Cemetery in Kent. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Sulura J. Boykin-Mabry Scholarship Fund, Home Savings Bank, 142 N. Water St., Kent, OH 44240.