Josephine Tervalon

1939 - 2020

Josephine Merritt Cunningham Tervalon
1939-2020
Josephine Merritt Cunningham Tervalon - LCSW, CGP, LFAGPA, CPC
Date of Birth: October 9, 1939 in Burgaw, North Carolina. Landed in God's Hands: December 18, 2020 around 9:00 am in Houston, Texas
Josephine Tervalon's Celebration of Life service will be livestreamed on Tuesday, December 29 at 11:00 am Central Time.
The family has requested in lieu of flowers, that contributions be made in Josephine Tervalon's memory to the Josephine M. Cunningham Tervalon Scholarship Fund of the Group Foundation for Advancing Mental Health. This fund provides financial support for women of color to attend the AGPA Annual Meeting. A link to donate is provided here: https://member.agpa.org/donate. Memorial contributions can also be made by calling the office at 212-477-2677 or via mail to the Group Foundation for Advancing Mental Health, 25 East 21st Street, 6th Floor, New York, NY 10010. Notes of condolence can be posted to Caring Bridge.
A live-streamed service will be held on Tuesday, December 29 at 11:00 am Central Time. Access is through www.owwileymortuary.com. For best results use Google Chrome; on the website click on the Live Stream tap in the upper right hand corner; the login code is Tervalon; click on the red live dot beneath the Live Stream video screen; click on the volume symbol on the toolbar to turn on the sound; the streaming will begin 10-15 minutes before the service; (do not call the funeral home to troubleshoot your devices.)
Josephine Merritt Cunningham Tervalon, LCSW, CGP, LFAGPA, CPC owned Cunningham Tervalon Associates for 43 years, a psychotherapy practice where she mentored and taught other clinicians and had a successful healing practice with clients who came to her for transformative healing in their lives. She was a wife, mother, friend and mentor. Her Vitae is 11 pages full of her professional experiences, credentials, professional affiliations, boards, philanthropy and religious commitments.
Jo had a Master's in Clinical Social Work from Smith College for Social Work in Northampton, Massachusetts and a Bachelor of Science from Tuskegee University as an Honor Graduate in Tuskegee, Alabama and was crowned Homecoming Queen!
Jo had many professional publications, awards and recognitions, and was a prolific presenter (81 presentations) in her profession -- nationally and internationally.
She was a valued member of many professional organizations. Some of her most important commitments were to: National Association of Social Workers, American Group Psychotherapy Association, Southwestern Group Psychotherapy Society, San Antonio Group Psychotherapy Society, Houston Group Psychotherapy Society, and many more.
She was a well-known leader, teacher, mentor, healer, faithful Christian and loving wife, and mother to her two sons, Chuck and Troy, and also to the many people she mentored.
Her favorite book was The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran and this quote holds our love for Jo: "And when the Earth shall claim your limbs, then shall you truly dance."
Rest in God's arms, our Beautiful, Beloved Josephine Merritt Cunningham Tervalon
Jo is survived by her loving husband, Albert L. Tervalon, Jr. and her son (Chuck) Charles Franklin Cunningham. Preceding her in death was her son (Troy) Steven Troy Cunningham. She is also survived by Albert Tervalon III; Mark and Penelope Tervalon; Brett and Cindy Tervalon; and Tasha and Arthur Norcome. She is also survived by her grandchildren: Noah Tervalon, Kahlan Tervalon, David Tervalon, Bobbie Wohlgemuth III, Cassandra Tervalon, Theodore Tervalon, and Dasia Norcome.
She is also survived by her chosen daughters that she mentored, loved, saved, and developed: Helen Chong, Micki Grimland, Janet Saxon, and Linda Estes, along with many others! She was a mother to all.