Willa Mae Brooks was born in Upper Marlboro, Maryland on June 3, 1937 to Nelson Louis Bell and Mary E. Brown-Bell whose maiden name was Mary "Susie" Jackson. Willa Mae was affectionately known to family as "Aunt Mitt"; her birth name was Philomena Alvertha Bell. Aunt Mitt was raised and educated in Upper Marlboro. As a young woman, she moved to the City of Baltimore where she lived and worked for the rest of her life. She maintained a relationship with family through her contacts with her sisters Mary, Grace and Delores. In the 1980's, she came into our lives more fully as she formed a close relationship with her niece, Mary. Aunt Mitt lived for many years in West Baltimore in the "Garrison-Wallbrook" area. In the year 2000, she moved to the West Baltimore senior apartment complex known as the "Bernard E. Mason, Sr. Senior Living Center where she spent many happy days among her friends. She was known as a loyal and faithful person to those whom she befriended. As Aunt Mitt's eyesight began to fail during the last decade or so of her life - probably the good Lord's way of slowing her down - she moved to the "Honor and Cherish" assisted living residence on Gwynn Oak Avenue where she spent her final days. Aunt Mitt's life would seem, on the face of it, to be unsensational, but those of us who heard her many stories know that the events of her life with their tragedies and joys could make a best-selling novel. Aunt Mitt was preceded in death by her faithful companion of many years, Stevie Wright, her beloved sisters Mary, Grace, Delores and Catherine and her brothers Ernest and William. She is survived by her sister Hilda, by her nieces and nephews and many great (and great-great) nieces and nephews, and her friends to numerous to mention. Those of us who took the time to know Aunt Mitt loved her much; and those of us she knew, she loved greatly. We will always cherish the memory of Willa Mae Brooks, our Aunt Mitt. Viewing Joseph H. Brown Jr. Funeral Home Thursday, April 24, 2014 05:00 PM - 08:00 PM Email Details 2140 N. Fulton Ave.
Baltimore, Maryland 21217 Directions Funeral Service Joseph H. Brown Jr. Funeral Home Friday, April 25, 2014 12:30 PM Email Details 2140 N. Fulton Ave
Baltimore, Maryland 21217 Funeral to begin @ 1:00 pm Directions