Jamila L. Hanshaw

On June 23, 2019, Jamila Lovejoy Hanshaw peacefully transitioned from the Earth realm into the hands of the Almighty God, our Father, to sing in the heavenly choir and reign with Him forever. As Coles-Hanshaw family folklore would describe, the summer of 1968 belonged to Jamila for only she could be born into the world in her grandmother’s teacup in Ocean Springs, Mississippi. Her family welcomed her into this world not fully aware of the impact she would make in the lives of everyone she knew. From an early age, Jamila, whose name means “Beautiful” in Arabic, Swahili, and many other African languages, loved everything pretty. She also loved to surround herself with her older cousins while declaring, “I’m the baby” which demanded submission to her request. At the age of eight, Jamila and her parents, Maudie and Ernest Tucker, moved to Detroit, Michigan, where she became a big sister to brothers Jamaal and Jason Tucker. Having accepted Christ at a young age, Jamila flourished into a God-fearing, resilient woman. Jamila attended Wayne State University in 1986, majoring in Political Science with a concentration in Judicial Administration. While attending school, she also worked at the university for 10 years as an Office Manager in the English Language Institute for Graduate Admissions Department. This work experience allowed Jamila to forge relationships with international students from around the world which she continued to nurture for over 30 years. In 1997, Jamila moved to New Orleans, where she laid her roots. Jamila began working as a legal secretary for Entergy Corporation, New Orleans before transferring to Entergy’s Human Resources Department as a Senior Human Resources Associate. In 2015, Jamila successfully completed her course requirements and examination to obtain a license to sell insurance. Jamila worked as an insurance agent for American Income Life until 2018, at which time she became the caretaker for mother who had relocated to Mississippi. Professing that God and love were her foundation, Jamila earned her wings as an Ambassador of Servitude. Jamila dedicated her life to serving others. She was selfless—always thinking of others before herself without seeking personal gain. Jamila, a social butterfly by nature, genuinely loved people with a pure heart. Jamila never met a stranger and she cultivated her relationships with people, no matter how long or short the relationships existed. Jamila had an enormous personality —she was full of love and joy and her laughter was contagious. It became the norm that Jamila was the person who checked on everyone else. Jamila’s name adequately describes who she was and what she represented …“Beauty, Love, and Joy.”… That Part! Jamila is preceded in death by her mother, Maudie Hanshaw-Tucker. She leaves her father, Minister Ernest Tucker Jr of Fort Walton Beach, FL; two brothers: Jamaal Tucker of Detroit, MI and Jason Tucker of Atlanta, GA; her niece, Amani Thornton of Detroit, MI; her sister-cousin, Judge Paula Brown of New Orleans, LA; three aunts: Marie Frazier-Cannon of Oxnard, CA, Evangelist Myrtle Middleton of Las Vegas, NV and Mamie Thomas of Jackson, MS; two uncles: Steven W. Harris of Glenwood, IL and Henry Harris of Latimer, MS; and a host of very close cousins, relatives, church family and friends to mourn and celebrate her wonderful life.