LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION congratulating Willett Thomas upon the occasion
of celebrating her 100th Birthday

WHEREAS, Willett Evelyn Smith was born to her parents, Gertrude and
Wallace on March 19, 1912 in Macon, Georgia; and
WHEREAS, On Saturday, March 24, 2012, a centennial celebration in
Willett Thomas's honor will be held at the Teen Challenge Center in
Brooklyn, New York; and
WHEREAS, The oldest of three sisters, Willett Smith's earliest educa-
tion began in a small school house known as the Walden School housed in
the Rising Star Society house next to Mount Hope Church; she went on to
complete her elementary education at Rutland Station School, a public
school that housed grades one through seven; the school was located
outside the city limits and miles away from her home; and
WHEREAS, Willett Smith attended high school at Hudson High located in
the city limits of Macon, Georgia, but in order to reach the bus line,
she had to walk a long distance and then take the bus through the city
to the school; and
WHEREAS, After high school, Willett Smith went on to attend Georgia
Baptist College to study business; at some point in her adult life, she
moved to New York, and by this time, her sisters, Ida and Tempia were
married and had already started families; and
WHEREAS, Time passed by and Willett Smith began working at the Brook-
lyn Hospital preparing food in the kitchen and serving in the doctors'
lounge; she later met and married the late Nelson Brown and through this
union, their son, Thomas was born; and
WHEREAS, Unfortunately, Willett and Nelson soon divorced, but she did
remain close to her son, mother, sisters and their children; Willett and
her mother attended Apex Beauty College and at age 33, she graduated
with a license in Cosmetology; and
WHEREAS, One day, Willett met Leroy Thomas who swept her off her feet
and they had a short courtship due to his being drafted by the United
States Army during World War II; they were soon married and during his
time away for several years, Willett spent lots of time with her mother
and sisters; and
WHEREAS, In 1948, Willett Thomas' sister Ida passed away; by this
time, Ida had four daughters and Willett and her mother helped to take
care of them; and
WHEREAS, Upon Leroy Thomas's return from the War, Willett had some
difficulty with her husband through his post war syndrome; however, they
soon settled in and purchased a house, making a home for themselves and
their son, Thomas; and
WHEREAS, Throughout her life, Willett Thomas wore many hats to provide
for her family; with the purchase of their home, the Thomas's were able
to provide apartments for rent, and Willett became the property manager
while maintaining her full-time job; and
WHEREAS, By this time, Willett Thomas had become an Assistant Dieti-
tian at Brooklyn Hospital, but continued to work the night shift; she
had a strong work ethic and believed a young, strong, healthy body
should work to the fullest, a steadfast philosophy her ancestors incor-
porated in order to provide for their families; and
WHEREAS, At the age of 54, Willett Thomas learned how to drive and
earned her New York State Drivers License in 1966; as a devoted, prompt,
and competent worker, Willett's superiors encouraged her to take advan-
tage of new opportunities by enrolling in a number of on the job train-
ing sessions and certificate programs, thus landing her a job as a Nurs-
es Aide at the Brooklyn Hospital; and

WHEREAS, In 1976, Willett Thomas' son took ill, becoming disabled; in
the prime of her life at age 64, she continued to work the night shift
while her husband, Leroy worked during the day; this schedule was truly
beneficial since one of them could be at home at all times to assist
their son; and
WHEREAS, A few years after retirement, Leroy Thomas died in 1988;
Willett kept busy as her job created a social outlet outside her home;
however, she soon fell ill and was hospitalized; upon her dismissal, she
returned home for an extended sick leave of six months; and
WHEREAS, Willett Thomas returned to work on her regular night shift
only to find that she was unable to effectively do the things she had
previously done in the past; she was later summoned to the office of her
superiors where she was applauded for her dedication, attendance, and
excellent work ethic over the years; and
WHEREAS, By this time, Willett Thomas was encouraged to retire; she
had worked at the Brooklyn Hospital for more than 60 years, and in 1996,
at the age of 84, she retired from the Hospital, giving her more time to
care for her son and manage her rental property; and
WHEREAS, In 1998, Willett Thomas and her son, Thomas traveled back to
Macon, Georgia to attend the funeral of her youngest sister, Tempia;
while there, she walked around on the land she grew up on enjoying the
view while visiting neighbors, friends, and her mother's grave; and
WHEREAS, Returning to Brooklyn after the two-week visit, Willett
Thomas' son, Thomas was hospitalized on several occasions and underwent
surgery; she then sought professional help in order to assist her in the
daily routine of her son's care; over time, his health showed some
improvement and they resumed their daily activities; and
WHEREAS, Willett Thomas was then invited to attend worship service at
the New Faith Community Baptist Church; she and her son, Thomas looked
forward to going every Sunday; they joined the church and became very
active in church functions; and
WHEREAS, By the time she was 93 years old, Willett Thomas was unable
to transport her son in and out of the house and had some difficulty
getting herself outdoors, therefore, they spent more time at home; and
WHEREAS, In December of 2005, Willett's son, Thomas had passed; today,
she remains in good spirit enjoying each moment of every day, and is
constantly cared for in her own home by the children of her sister,
Tempia; she also enjoys going for rides and occasionally attends special
cultural events and performances; in addition, she travels to Georgia to
visit her sisters' families once a year; and
WHEREAS, It is the intent of this Legislative Body to publicly recog-
nize those who have reached such a remarkable age and who have witnessed
and celebrated the innovations, cultural developments and awesome
achievements of this country during the last century, while themselves
contributing to the growth and excellence of this great Empire State;
now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
congratulate Willett Thomas upon the occasion of celebrating her 100th
Birthday; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to Willett Thomas.