Jameszenna Lorraine Roach

Jameszenna Lorraine Hitchens Roach, affectionately known as "Jamie," transitioned into eternity on Monday, December 1, 2025, at Bayhealth Hospital in Dover, Delaware. Jamie was born on Saturday, May 25, 1957, to the late Bertha Cooper Hitchens and Rhuel Goslee.

She received her early education in the Laurel School District and graduated from Laurel High School with the class of 1975. Her senior year, she received a distinguished home economics award. She then went on to further her education and attended Delaware State College (now Delaware State University).

Her Christian foundation was laid at St. Matthew's First Baptist Church in Laurel, where she grew as a member and served faithfully. She was Vice-President of the Missionary ministry, member of the Usher board, and supported numerous other ministries including Sunday School. On her birthday, May 25, in 1991, Jamie was joined in holy matrimony to the love of her life, Ralph Roach. The two shared an unbreakable bond. While they never had any children, they "spoiled" the children in their family especially their nieces, nephews, and little cousins.

Jamie served for 29 years as an Assistant Supervisor at Woolworth's Restaurant in Seaford, Delaware. She passionately served as a Certified Nursing Assistant at Genesis Healthcare in Seaford, Delaware for 27 years. She genuinely enjoyed giving to others and showed her love for her clients by buying them Christmas presents including candy, nail polish, and ink pens. She was a member of the Laurel Senior Center and donated many supplies throughout the year.

Jamie was most known for her cooking and baking, and enjoyed blessing her family and friends with her baked goods. She was known for making desserts such as Paula Dean Pound Cake, Cherry Poke Cake, Strawberry Cake, Applesauce Cake, Zucchini bread, Sweet Potato pie, brownies, and her famous banana pudding. You could always count on Jamie to make the macaroni and cheese for an event. She also enjoyed fixing beef and dumplings for Sunday dinner, deviled eggs, chicken salad, vegetable soup, wet corn bread, you name it. One of her pastimes was cheering for the Dallas Cowboys football team. Her smile and laugh were infectious to those around her.

Jamie leaves to cherish her memories her beloved husband Ralph Roach; five sisters, Cheryl Hitchens, Robin (Trent) Goslee, Marlene Felton, Sheila (Kenneth) Carter, and Yvette Goslee; three brothers, Derrick (Cynthia) Goslee, Eric Goslee, and Martin Hitchens; bonus mom, Sylvia Marva Goslee; sisters-in-law, Carolyn Ricketts, Brenda (Keith) Davis, Margaret (Carl) West, Wanda Jones, and Patricia Roach; brother-in-law, Charles (Lavessa) Roach; uncles, Charles Wayne Hitchens and Charles Goslee; aunt, Faye Twine, a special niece, Kiondra Strand, and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Bertha and Robert Hitchens and Rhuel Goslee; grandparents, Richard and Anna Louise Cooper; Rhuel and Martha Goslee; mother-in-law, Betty Woolford; father-in-law, Ralph Roach, Sr.; brother, Gregory Hitchens, godson, Terrance Elzey; aunts, Lorraine (Donald) Hitchens, Carmetta (Donald) Holden, Hattie (Eugene) Puckham, Sylvia (Joe) Oney; Hortense Stanley, Nora Morris, and Gertrude Brown; Uncles, Richard Cooper, Jr., George Goslee, Reid Goslee, Louis (Margo) Hitchens; Theodore (Ardella) Hitchens, and William (Claudette) Hitchens.

Lovingly Submitted,
The Family

I'm There Inside Your Heart
Right now I'm in a different place,
And though we seem apart,
I'm closer than I ever was…
I'm there inside your heart.
I'm with you when you greet each day
And while the sun shines bright,
I'm there to share the sunsets, too…
I'm with you every night.
I'm with you when the times are good,
To share a laugh or two,
And if a tear should start to fall…
I'll still be there for you.
And when that day arrives
That we no longer are apart,
I'll smile and hold you close to me…
Forever in my heart.