Attorney Alma Faye Posey WashingtonJuly 27th, 1941~August 31st, 2013DHS Class of 1958On July 27, 1941, Alma Faye Posey was born to Weldon Burnett and Alma Vertena Posey in Oklahoma City where she lived all her life, building her world around the family and community she loved. Her roots ran deep and bore great fruit. At age five, she was baptized at Fifth Street Missionary Baptist church where she was a life-long member, serving in a variety of roles. As a child she was a two-time winner of the Sunday School and BTU Congress of the National Baptist Convention of America, Inc.’s Bible drill. A junior usher and senior usher, she also lifted her voice in the choir and taught Sunday School. In honor of her parents, she served as chairman of the Posey Memorial Scholarship Fund for Christian Education. She represented Fifth Street as a Messenger at District, State, and National Conferences, and sat on the Scholarship, Building Fund, Williams Gallery, Black History, and Pastor’s Search committees. Like her father before her, she played an active and outspoken role in the church she held dear. Her contributions to Fifth Street are too numerous to list here, as she was a committed member for nearly seven decades.One of her greatest passions was education. For many years she dedicated herself as a teacher at Coolidge and then Millwood Elementary School. She touched the young people in our community from first through sixth grades. Often, she was stopped in public by a young man or young woman who wanted to thank “Mrs. Washington” for the contribution she made to his or her life. She understood that teaching involves more than chalkboards and lesson plans. She initiated the annual Millwood Spelling Bee and parents often asked her to tutor and mentor youth who were in danger of straying from the path. Alma always obliged, with strict rules, but also with creative ways of building their self esteem. For example, she sponsored the 1995 winner of the Miss Merry Christmas pageant, who marks that moment as the day she turned her life around and started down the path to success. Her counsel to them was short, but sweet: If at first you don’t succeed, try try again.When it came to education, she not only talked the talk, she walked the walk. She was a1958 graduate of Douglass High School, where she reigned as “Miss Douglass.” She then earned a bachelor’s degree from Central State College (now UCO). She was a Charter Member of Beta Gamma chapter of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated, which combined scholarship, service and fellowship. As a Zeta, Alma Faye was an active and committed soror—showing her pride with blue and white frocks for every occasion. She earned the title of Basileus (President) and going on to the same office in the Chi Zeta, graduate chapter. She extended her reach, serving as the Midwestern Regional Director, National Phylacter and Trustee of the National Executive Board. A Zeta Dove,she was also a Golden Life Member. Chi Zeta, in addition to many other accolades, honored their beloved soror with the Finer Womanhood Award and chose her as Zeta of The Year.While active in the church, raising three boys, leading the sorority, and teaching full time, she turned her sights to the law. She was admitted to Oklahoma City University School of Law and graduated in the class of 1984, and was admitted to the Bar of the State of Oklahoma in 1986.Through her law practice she benefited her community by using her legal acumen to mend broken families. In addition, she served as Legal Counsel to Fifth Street Missionary Baptist Church. Al-though the law offices were her “bread and butter,” she was known to provide council to friends and family free of charge. Sometimes she would say, “Do you want legal advice or common sense?” She then served a generous helping of both.Alma Faye changed the lives of those who knew her, but she also worked tirelessly for the generations to come.
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