Geraldine Bessie Fleet-Garrett w a s bo r n th e 8th ch i ld of 17 c hildren
on Sept e mb e r 12, 1946, at Cit y Hospit a l in Baltimor e, M D to th e l a t e Ve rnon and
Lillian Fle e t . Sh e d e part ed th i s lif e to be w i th J e su s aft e r a l e ngthy illne s s early
T u e sda y mo r nin g on Januar y 2 4, 2 01 7 .

Ge raldin e a tt e nd e d Baltimo re Ci ty publi c s ch o ols .

On J a nuary 25, 1964, Geraldin e or Bess , as we lo v ingly liked to call h e r,
m ar ri e d th e lat e L e on Ga r r e tt Jr . From this union fi v e c h i ldr e n we r e born: Er ic,
Domeni c k , Cartr i na , Keshia, and Tro y . A ft e r b ec omin g a y oun g widow , Ger a ldin e
wa s left on h e r o w n to tak e ca re of f iv e youn g ch i ldr e n . With d e termination to tak e
c ar e of h e r c hildr e n , a nd t h e lo ve a n d s upport of mam a ( Lul a Ga r r e t t ) , sh e s e t out t o
obt a in the m e an s to p ro vi de f i nan c ial s u p port a nd s tabilit y for h e r f a mil y. Sh e
b eca m e a sal e s re pr ese nta t iv e for A von product ss and a s a l e s per s on for Shackl y
produ c t s. A l s o , s h e op e r a t e d h e r own sm a ll tim e mom stor e from h e r h o m e , se lling
can d y a nd froz e n cup s . Be ss e w a s a g ood c oo k and lo ve d g ood s e a s oned f ri e d
c hi c k e n, so whe n financ es be ca m e t ight and m e als w e re l e an , s h e l e arned how t o
mak e th e b es t t as ting , s om e th i ng o ut of nothin g y ou eve r did w ant to ea t .

B es s w as a ve r y cr ea ti ve and tal e nt e d woman. Sh e wa s gift e d in th e a rt of
pot te ry , d e coratin g ( w h e th e r fo r home o r offi ce ) , c r ea t e d b e aut i ful bouqu et s , a s we ll
gardening and landscaping . G er a ldin e w a s a loving and c arin g moth e r ,
grandmoth e r , si s t e r, a unt, an d fr ie nd. W ho se lo ve w as so g r eat th a t i t o ve r flow e d
t h e boundar ie s of her o w n fam i l y . S he w as a lso a mo t her , b es tf r i e nd , w i se c oun se lor ,
and spir i tual m e ntor to m a ny p eopl e outsid e of h e r f a mily. Sh e w as a light a nd a n
inspiration t o all th a t kn ew h e r. Sh e h a d a s mil e th at could li g ht u p a room and a
lau g h th a t c ould b e c onta g ious . Sh e could al s o b e a soft spok e n woman or a po we r
house disciplina r y , a s her off spring , gr a nds , an d ex te nd ed family w ell kn e w.

But with a ll that b e in g s aid , th e gr ea test ach ie v e men t of h e r lif e wa s o n
N o ve mb e r of 1968, wh e n s h e was b a pti ze d in J es us n a m e a t First U nit e d A post o lic
Chur c h , und e r t h e l ea d e r s hip of th e lat e Monro e Saund er s S r., and r ece i ve d th e gi f t
of the Holy G hos t sometim e th e reafter . Lat er sh e l e ft Fi r st U nited an d b eca m e a
m Viewing Joseph H. Brown Jr. Funeral Home Wednesday, February 01, 2017 03:00 PM - 08:00 PM Email Details 2140 N. Fulton Ave
Baltimore, Maryland 21217 Directions Funeral Service Nazarene Temple Apostolic Faith Church Thursday, February 02, 2017 10:00 AM Email Details 2312 Harford Road
Baltimore, MD 21218 Funeral to begin @ 10:30A Directions