Odessa Rozier Manora

Published 3:13 pm Monday, September 18, 2017

Odessa Rozier Manora, 67, of Midwest City, Oklahoma, passed away on September 14, 2017 in Port Arthur, Texas.

Odessa was born to John Henry Rozier and Claudia Mae (Engram) Rozier on November 7, 1949 in Hawkinsville, Georgia. She was baptized as a young girl at St. Thomas A.M.E. She graduated from James L. Bozeman High School in Hawkinsville, Class of 1967. Odessa began her post-secondary journey at Morris Brown University; eventually moving on to Fort Valley State University, where she obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education. She also pursued a Master’s in Education at Langston University.

While attending Fort Valley State University, Odessa met her husband, Joseph Manora, Ph.D. After a relatively short courtship, they got married on April 10, 1971. They were married for over 40 years.

Being a lifelong educator, Odessa worked at multiple schools throughout the U.S. and Europe. She taught in Italy, Greece, Georgia, Illinois and Oklahoma. She retired from Oklahoma City Public Schools in 2009 after falling ill. Still being an educator at heart, she enjoyed helping a dear friend’s granddaughters study elementary reading, writing and arithmetic through her last days. Odessa was a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., an active member of the American Red Cross and various other community organizations.

Odessa is preceded in death by her husband – Joseph Manora; her sons – Kareem Ralon Manora and Hiram Jerome Manora; her daughter – Shalilah Marie Manora; her father – John Henry Rozier; her mother – Claudia Mae Rozier; and her brother – Tom Cummings.

Survivors include her daughter – Shamara Manora Jones (Spouse: Darnel) of Orange, TX; her son – Ramil Manora of Midwest City, OK; her brother – John Frank Rozier (Spouse: Kathlyn) of Los Angeles, CA; and many loving in-laws, nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.

The family will have visitation at Gabriel Funeral Home in Port Arthur, TX on Tuesday, September 18th from 3:30-5:30pm. Homegoing services in Hawkinsville, Georgia will be handled by Tharpe Funeral Home where floral arrangements can be sent. A visitation will be held on Friday, September 22, 2017 at Tharpe Funeral Home, Hawkinsville, GA from 2:30 – 7:00 pm.

Funeral services for will be held at 11:00 am on Saturday, September 23, 2017 at St. Thomas African Methodist Episcopal Church in Hawkinsville, GA; followed by interment at Pine Bloom Cemetery, Hawkinsville, GA. A repast will be held in her honor at the St. Thomas A.M.E. Fellowship Hall.