By Marnita Coleman
Special to the AFRO
Roslyn Chandler Wood, a well-admired Baltimore luminary, completed her earthly journey, quietly departing at her home in Catonsville, Md., on July 17. A wealth of family, friends, church members and community members gathered at St. James Episcopal Church, located in the historic district of Baltimore’s Lafayette Square, on July 24 to say farewell. Chandler Wood was 96.
“God has called back one of His good ones to be with Him,” the Rev. Charles Mercer of St. James Episcopal Church declared to the assembly. “Her reality was about love for everyone.”
Mercer mentioned Chandler Wood’s infectious “smile,” a sentiment that was echoed throughout the program. He went on to say, Chandler Wood “left an imprint. She was a powerful person in the life and structure” of her family.
Roslyn Rebecca Chandler was born on Dec. 4, 1928, in Richmond, Va., to Marie H. Lewis and Elisha Alexander Chandler. A year later, she was joined by her cherished baby sister, Phyllis. Tragedy struck early in Roslyn’s life when her mother passed away during childbirth, leaving their father to raise the girls on his own. During World War II, the family relocated to Baltimore, where her father found work with The Afro American Newspaper. The Chandlers joined St. James Episcopal Church in 1943.
Wesley Chandler Wood Sr. believes his mother’s lifelong dedication to serving and empowering others was deeply shaped during her attendance at the National Trade and Professional School for Women and Girls in Washington, D.C., founded by Nannie Helen Burroughs.
“It was very formative for her,” he said. “She developed a commitment to helping African Americans.”
The school emphasized academics and vocational training, instilling self-reliance and community empowerment. There, she learned to cook, a skill she generously shared throughout her life, demonstrating exceptional passion for food, with signature dishes like crab cakes, salmon croquettes and Seafood Newburg.
After graduating in 1948, Chandler Wood returned to Baltimore and earned a bachelor’s degree from Coppin State Teachers College in 1952, while also taking additional courses at Morgan State and Loyola College. Alongside her preparation for a teaching career, she nurtured her passion for music, studying at the Peabody Conservatory, where she earned a performer’s certificate in voice in 1958.
Before starting her teaching career, Chandler Wood worked at Baltimore’s Enoch Pratt Free Library and in the law office of trailblazer Juanita Jackson Mitchell, Maryland’s first Black female attorney. She later became an elementary school teacher with Baltimore City Public Schools, eventually transitioning to a role in the central office during the 1980s. Even after retiring, Chandler Wood continued to contribute her skills, spending 10 years as proofreader for The Afro American Newspaper.
As a mother and educator, her commitment to excellence was constant. “Having a teacher as your mother, we were getting taught all the time at home. She made sure we were learning what we needed to learn and tending to our studies,” her son recalled.
Alexis Gardner Wood, the 24-year-old granddaughter, shared reflections of her grandmother.
She was “definitely old school,” and someone who “wanted excellence.” She encouraged all of the grandchildren to do well in school.
She emphasized the importance of connecting with older generations, gleaning from their wisdom and history, affirming her grandmother’s guidance in shaping her direction in life. Alexis Wood joined Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority and became an eighth grade teacher through her grandmother’s timeless “wealth of knowledge and guidance.”
For 52 years, Chandler Wood was a longstanding, loyal member of the DuBois Circle, the oldest African American women’s group in Maryland, celebrating its 120th anniversary this year.
Beverly Carter, historian of the DuBois Circle, knew Chandler Wood from growing up at St. James Episcopal Church. She confirmed the great accolades everyone attributed to her.
She was “nurturing,” and “very intent on making sure that members of the organization were taken care of,” Carter said then added, “When she joined a committee, she was on that committee for 20 years or more.”
Chandler Wood was a proud member of the Epsilon Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, cherishing the bond of sisterhood shared with her daughter, granddaughter and many beloved relatives and friends. She also held a long-standing membership in Lambda Kappa Mu, a national sorority of African American professional women.
Roslyn Chandler Wood was preceded in death by her beloved husband of 35 years, Albert B. Wood (2003), her sister, Phyllis Chandler Green (2009), and her nephew, Stephen Green (2020). She is survived by her daughter, Tara Wood Gray, of Columbia, Md., and her son, Wesley Chandler Wood, of Baltimore; granddaughters, Alexis Gardner Wood (24) and Chandler Leigh Wood (19); grandson, Wesley Chandler Wood Jr. (17), and a host of nieces and nephews.
Baltimore City State’s Attorney Ivan J. Bates honored the life of Roslyn Chandler Wood with a proclamation, celebrating her as a “trailblazer and changemaker who inspired a generation,” noting that “her talent and charisma shined bright in every room she entered.”
For a complete program and obituary of the Celebration of Life of Roslyn Chandler Wood, click here.
Great Job Marnita Coleman Special to the AFRO & the Team @ AFRO American Newspapers Source link for sharing this story.
