Reflection of Life
Rosalind Lynette Stephens was born on March 31, 1948 in Memphis, TN to Dorothy
Mae and Robert Lee Stephens. She was the second of eight children, and the eldest of
two girls. Rosalind was a leader and strong willed from an early age. She graduated
from San Diego H.S. in 1966 and received a BA in Business Administration, BA in
Theology (United Theology Seminary), and an AA in Human Services (University of
Phoenix).
She married Donald Ray Haywood at the age of 18 and to their union was her first
daughter, Tiffinie Rene. She later married Benix Henry and of their union came her
second daughter, Catrina Regina. In 1979 she relocated to Seattle where she joined
Beacon Hill First Baptist Church and became an active minister. She also served as a
deaconess, usher, Sunday school teacher and pastor’s aide.
Rosalind, lovingly known as “Rose” to her patients, “Wassie” to her family and “Nana” to
grands and great grand spent countless hours in the kitchen making tamales, baking
bread and mixing up her famous agave juice. She was an entrepreneur selling
handmade dashikis after and homemade tamales, owning and operating a daycare for
12 years, and creating Be Cool—a personal coolant providing relief in the hot sun.
Before retiring in 2009, Rosalind worked as a hospice nurse for Banner Hospital and
Hospice of the Valley in Arizona. 
Rosalind was a single mom who loved God and her family. Always encouraging and
uplifting others. She had a heart for serving people and helped anyone in need. She
found interest in cooking, traveling and collecting elephants. She was full of wisdom,
positivity and family unity; in her presence, you always felt loved.
Her contagious laughter, clever nicknames for loved ones (NyNy, Emo, Jada, Shay
Boo, The Man, Bearry Boo, Cur and Cernie Journey, Elijah Bean, Ca-Henry, Tiff-a-riff
and Hey Baby). She was known for her unique catch phrases (Jammin’ on the one,
Bomb dot com, Yea babe, Go head Chil’, Hey Stinky Girl, Hush Shay, Shoot Girl, Call
me if you need me, & Everything is just as it should be). They were just some of her
signatures which showed her affection and love.
On July 22 nd , 2018 at the age of 70 God called his angel home. Rosalind was preceded
in death by her parents Robert and Dorothy Stephens, and by her four brothers:
Raymond Stephens (Eloise), Donald Stephens, Ronald Stephens, and Adolphus
Stephens. She leaves to mourn her two daughters: Tiffinie Jones (Elijah) of Fort Worth, TX and Catrina Henry of Federal Way, WA. Eight grandchildren: Cernie Smith and Ceirra Smith of Phoenix, AZ; Curiya Thompson, Darren Thompson Jr., Shayla Thompson, Emyrald Newton of Federal Way, WA; NaJada Jones and Emmoni Jones of Fort Worth, TX; as well as one great grandchild, Maniya Jackson. Rosalind is survived by two brothers Robert Stephens Jr. of Phoenix, AZ and Edwin Stephens of Seattle, WA and one sister Nadolyn Regina Stephens of San Diego, CA and a host of nephews, nieces, relatives and friends.
David Fredrick Mann, the youngest of ten children, was born in Dalton, Georgia, on February 16, 1933 to the union of King Solomon and Mary Mann located at 603 Spring Street. After attending first through eighth grades at Emery Street School in Dalton, David moved to Detroit, Michigan, to live with his brother, John “Snook” Mann. He finished his high school education at Miller High School in Detroit and soon after attended Wayne State University. In 1953, David had the privilege of being the first Sepia athlete to sign a professional baseball contract out of the State of Michigan. Adding to this historic fact, two black Daltonians, he and Harry “Suitcase” Simpson, were the first and only athletes to play pro baseball from Dalton,Georgia. David played professional baseball for 13 years with the St. Louis Browns, Brooklyn Dodgers, Boston Red Sox, and Cleveland Indians organizations. David holds the distinction of playing with and being the roommate of Satchel Paige, when they played for the Miami Marlins in 1960.
Another prominent memory for Dave happened in 1963 when he became the first black baseball player to play for the then Atlanta Crackers of the International League. In 1962, the year of the World’s Fair in Seattle, David moved out west to play baseball. He, along with Hall-of-Famer Carl Yastrimski and Earl Wilson, came from the Minneapolis Millers, a Triple A Club of the Boston Red Sox organization, to play for the Seattle Rainiers. David played with the Rainiers for three years before retiring in 1965. David fell in love with the Pacific Northwest and made Seattle his home. After retiring from baseball, Dave worked for Nordstrom. He was the first African American male model to be featured in the Nordstrom catalogs. His recognition and achievements in the black community were important, but David was even more passionate about the growth of mankind. He was an ambassador for equal rights and the struggle that brought all of us together.
In the early 70’s, David found an outlet to speak his truths from a black athlete’s point of view. He became the sports editor for The Facts Newspaper, a weekly publication with a focus on the black community in the Pacific Northwest. He wrote Mann’s Bits & Pieces, a newspaper column that was published weekly for over 40 years. David was also a photographer (Mann’s Photography) capturing the memories and moments of a lifetime. David was a man of habit. Healthy living was his obsession. He worked out relentlessly. After baseball, Dave played tennis, skied, and lifted weights. A true man’s Mann, David had three heart attacks on the racquetball court. But his love was golfing. For David, it was more than chasing rabbits and squirrels….it was about the individuals and people he met .
Fir State “David Mann Celebration of Life”
Sunrise: January 2, 1937 Sunset: May 6, 2018
In 1966 McKinney founded and served as president and CEO of the Seattle Opportunity Industrialization Center. He later led the construction of Samuel Berry McKinney Manor to house elderly and working poor people which was completed in 1998.
(Cat, Margie, Mommo)
