Caroline Cecilia Countiss

Caroline’s Journey

Caroline Cecilia Countiss, 95 of Chaptico, Maryland went home to be with the Lord on Saturday, July 24, 2021. Caroline (affectionately known as Momma and Tom Cat) was born in Chaptico, MD on January 1, 1926 to the late Harry and Mary M. (Mae) Thomas.

Caroline married Benjamin Alexander (Bee) Countiss on June 10, 1950 and was blessed with 8 children, the late Mary Ernestine (Puddin) Thomas, Mary Ellen Dorsey, Benjamin Countiss (Benny), Kevin Countiss, Charles (Chuck) Countiss, Winfred (Windy) Countiss, Shelia Thomas and Jeffrey Somerville.

Everyone knows that Mama’s passion was cooking and cleaning. She enjoyed cooking so much that the local food stores knew her on a first name basis. She kept it real when it came to their prices and she would leave it and go to the next store to find it cheaper. She didn’t care that it was costing more because of the gas that it took to go to another store. You would have thought she had her driver’s license because she could drive for you and didn’t mind telling you if you were wrong. One thing about Mama, her house was always open and she didn’t mind cooking you a meal. You could go to her house any day of the week and she would have a full course meal prepared. She really enjoyed having everyone at her house on New Year’s Day to celebrate her birthday. Family and friends would come from all over the DMV to celebrate with her and as long as her guest were eating, she would have the biggest smile on her face. The minute you walked in the door, she would say, “Come on and get something to eat”. She made the best (and biggest) homemade chocolate and coconut cakes. Family looked forward to her bringing cakes to every event. Even though there was a cake there for the event, everyone would run to get a slice of her chocolate or coconut cake. And you can be sure that there was enough for everyone because she made the biggest cakes. She made sure all of her brothers had a chocolate and coconut cake for their families on Christmas Day. You would tell her that you were only stopping by for a few minutes, next thing you know, an hour has passed by and the table is set with a full course meal. She would make sure each of her children got their favorite dish, Puddin got her kale, Kevin got his fried pork chops, Chuck would get his pancakes on Saturday mornings, Jeff would get his fried chicken wings, Windy would get his potato salad, Benny would get his cabbage, and Shelia would get her big salmon cakes on Friday nights. The only one you couldn’t tell what their favorite dish was Mary Ellen and we all knew why. Ask people which of her dishes they enjoyed the most and you would get a list like fried chicken, potato salad, homemade rolls, kale, cabbage, sweet potatoes, chocolate and coconut cakes and the list would go on and on. Every one of her dishes were phenomenal.

When she was getting around pretty good she would call Shelia up on Friday nights asking where the yard sales were that weekend. She really enjoyed getting out on Saturday mornings and she would buy up every dish, pot and pan that she could find.

After losing her daughter Puddin last year, she began playing online bingo with Shelia on the weekends. She enjoyed playing and had gotten good at it although she didn’t win much. If someone rang the phone she would say, tell them I’m playing bingo and she would call them later. Caroline would talk on the phone for hours with her sisters Agnes, Rose Anna and Elizabeth. They earned the nickname “The Golden Girls”.

Her name was CCC (Caroline Cecilia Countiss) but we all knew those initials were for Cooking, Cleaning and Caring because those were her specialities.

People often asked her how she got the nick name “Tom Cat”, and she told them that an uncle had given it to her at the age of 5 or 6.

Caroline was preceded in death by her husband Bee, her parents, her daughter Puddin, Brothers - Wilson (Rosetta), John Henry, Hilary (Bub), James Richard (Jim), James Louis (Wallace) Thomas and Charles Butler (Ester), Sisters - Goldlina (Sis) and Annie (Shug) Thomas and Dorothy Ann Somerville, Daughter-in-law Gloria Countiss, and Great-Great-Grandkids Jaylen and Jashaun Ball.

Caroline leaves to cherish her memory her loving and devoted children Mary Ellen (Cecil), Benny (Sonya), Kevin (Audrey), Chuck (Anita), Windy (Ann), Shelia (Clarence) and Jeffrey (Debbie), 3 Sisters – Agnes Queen, Elizabeth Dickerson and Rose Anna Shade, 1 Sister-in-law Barbara Ann Thomas, 17 Grandkids, 42 Great Grandkids, and 16 Great-Great grandkids and a host of nieces, nephews and other relatives.

Pallbearers for Caroline are Joseph Wilson, Steven Scott, Rashaun Maddox, Donald Thomas, Jr., David Thomas, and John Queen.

Honorary Pallbearers: Donald Thomas, Sr. Darrell Countiss, Tony Countiss, Dwain Countiss, CJ Shubrooks, Roy Maddox, Jr., Kenny Dickerson, Martese Thomas, Cory Countiss, Jaron Briscoe, Deonta Briscoe, Edwin Scott, Travis Fenwick and Jim Queen.

Family and friends will gather on Thursday, August 5, 2021 for visitation at 9:30 am until Mass of Christian Burial at 11:00 am at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, 23080 Maddox Road, Bushwood, MD 20618. Interment to follow at Queen of Peace Cemetery, Mechanicsville, MD.