Roberta Danette Booker Fauntroy

Published 2:54 pm Wednesday, October 14, 2020

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It is very hard to talk of one so recently alive and loved as gone from this Earth forever. How do you sum up a life well lived? Such is the case with Minister Roberta Danette Booker Fauntroy who, on Sunday, October 4, 2020, at 3:25 a.m. left this world a dimmer, colder place when she breathed her last breath. Minster Fauntroy was born on February 17, 1960. Her parents were Glennis Booker Durham and Freddie Taylor, but she was largely raised by her grandparents, Rev. and Mrs. Daniel Booker. A bright, happy child, she was the second grandchild and the first granddaughter and was extremely loved and spoiled by the other children of the family. At the elementary and secondary levels, Roberta was educated in the public and private schools of Lunenburg County and Petersburg, Virginia as well as Washington, DC and San Diego, CA. At the undergraduate level, she chose The University of Delaware where she earned a BA in Psychology and Educational Studies (1982). She took two masters – a Master of Business Administration (2000) and a Master of Science (School of Business Administration 2003) – both from Marymount University. At the time of her death, she was enrolled in a Doctoral Program at Liberty University. While always interested in learning, there was something more important to her – the eternal security of her soul and the need to share what she knew of Jesus with others. She was first baptized as a preteen at the Covenant Baptist Church in Washington, D.C. by Rev. H. Wesley Wiley. Later in her mid-teens she became more deeply embedded in her faith and was baptized by the Holy Spirit and re-baptized by water by Bishop James Shelton at what was Bible Way Church in Kenbridge (now Cornerstone of Deliverance). No matter where she lived and visited (and that includes most of the continental U.S.) she always planted her feet and worked diligently in a Christian congregation and for Christian causes such as Promise Keepers, Christ on the Mall (D.C.) and Transformation Ministries in Baltimore, Maryland. For a large part of her career, Minister Fauntroy worked in various areas dealing with computers and was CEO of Innovative Computer Strategies; a business she operated with her husband, Innovative Management Technology and Systems Solutions. When employed by others, it was usually at the management level, garnering over 20 years experience in the information technology field with companies such as Lockheed Martin and MCI. As she grew in her field, she filled the niches of adjunct professor, speaker, consultant, writer, life coach and many other related areas. Once she learned more of the nuts and bolts of work in front of and behind the camera, she found a new hope that eventually became InspirRadio, a blog talk radio program, and RI Omnimedia, a communications network designed to educate, inform, invigorate and inspire entrepreneurial excellence. Although she had no natural children, she always found a place in her heart for the children she was around. Since moving back to this area from Atlanta, Georgia, these include her godson, Christopher Lewis; ‘daughters’ Brittany Booker, Shakeita Townsend and Kimberly Coles Taft; adopted-in-the-heart children: Hamilton Booker, Marcus Reed, Brianna Green, Sidney Moorman, Chanel Davis and Jaden Reaves; two “gran-dorables” Sean Townsend, Jr. and Zaniyah Townsend. And her latest conquest, little Ethan Branson. Roberta leaves to cherish her memory her mother, Glennis Durham, stepmother Agnes Taylor; brothers Victor, Glenn and Elias; sisters Tonya and Olivia; two great aunts; two great uncles, many nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles, cousins and friends. She was preceded in death by her brother Walter; sister Virginia; father Freddie Taylor and her grandparents Rev. & Mrs. Daniel Booker. Also cherishing her memory and already missing their daily calls is her dear friend Mrs. Martha Yates at Heritage Hall and her Aunt Joyce Harmon who was always there for Roberta. As many of those who preceded her into God’s presence were staunch Christians and led exemplary lives, we are sure that she had a great welcoming committee on Sunday morning. Still, we miss her! Minister Fauntroy was laid to rest October 10, 2020. Thank you friends for all you have done.