Rebecca Laing

Celebrating the Life of Rebecca Laing It was a story written before she was conceived in her mother’s womb. Please understand that the Lord had a plan for his child, this child! It began with a plan by our master planner, the one who begins life and ends it. The plan he carefully designed was brought to this physical shell on December 8, 1933. For her, he crafted and stitched every pathway, maneuvered the turns, and make the necessary corrections for the dear soul that we have come to love. Our lady and matriarch, Rebecca (nee Rhoomes) Laing was gifted and placed in the care of Irene and Levi Rhoomes in Mandeville, Jamaica. Over the first 40 years of her life, she began it with two brothers and four sisters and attended Bellfield Primary School in Jamaica. Mrs. Laing grew up in Manchester, Mandeville and moved to Kingston and became a skilled and master seamstress. She was well known for her great taste as a well-dressed lady who designed and made her own clothing for herself and her children. As a fashionista of her times, one of the best compliments was that her style was ‘wicked’. In the current generation, it would be said that she ‘slayed’. Our mom was a mix of Audrey Hepburn and Lean Horne and more. In the 1960s, she met and later married Delroy Owen Laing in 1963. As an entrepreneur, she owned and managed a small grocery store. From this venture, she grew to become a great hostess and party planner. She hosted several parties that went into the late hours of the night and were always sought after. These parties were fun-filled at all times. As a child, I remembered waking up to the music that we came to appreciate and love and people asleep and a bit intoxicated. She could have had her own cooking show as she always had an absolute talent of creating the best tasting food! She enjoyed cooking and was quite simply an artist at creating tasteful food that dazzled the taste buds. You just could not leave the bones on those chickens. They were bone licking good. She taught herself to bake and treated us to her favorites such as carrot cake and sweet potato pie. As a woman of great character, determination and hustle, she pursued better opportunity for her family and migrated to the United States in 1974, where she spent the next 40+ years of her life. Mrs. Laing was the catalyst for the migration of her family from Jamaica to the U.S. She worked with SBNC agency in the field of home care for over 20 years before she retired. She was a star caregiver who was loved by her clients. She loved to dance…she would have been a delight to watch on Dancing with the Stars. Mrs. Laing was an avid fan of Whoopi Goldberg and just loved watching her on the day time show, The View. She brought many smiles and happiness to many who came to know her. Mrs. Laing loved taking care of her family and was loved very much. She would light up a room with her great sense of style, warm personality and tenacity. She had a wonderful sense of humor and enjoyed playing puzzle games and dominoes. She was a quiet soul that was filled with love and generosity that extended beyond her family. If you needed shelter, food or clothing, she was there for you. She had a strong spirit, was honest and outspoken. A descendant from the Maroons in Jamaica, she stands to no nonsense and could always stand her own with man or woman. She was such a classy lady with a strong dose of sassiness throughout her life. Although bedridden and suffering from dementia, our mom always maintain herself as a lady and enjoyed regular spa treatments in the comfort of her home. When asked what she did for a living, she always reply, ‘I cultivate’; meaning she farms, and she was one of the best in her district. Our heavenly Father brought her story to an end on Friday, October 5 with her daughter, Sharon Laing by her side. She suffered not but quietly and peacefully departed her physical shell and returned to God. Mrs. Laing was predeceased by her husband, Delroy Owen Laing; parents Levi and Irene Rhoomes, daughter Minerva (Brooks) Coleman; sisters Phyllis Anderson, Helena (aka Tiny) Rhoomes; brothers Luther Morgan and Johnny Rhoomes. She is survived by her sisters Celesta Henry, Clementina Rhoomes, her daughters Rosetta (Rhoomes) Pennant and son-in-law Isaacs Pennant, and Sharon Laing; her grand children Neville Laing, Diana Chutkan, Charmaine Lodge, Nicholas Lodge, Debbie (Pennant) Townsend and husband, Michael Townsend; Mark Pennant, Janay Pennant, and 13 great grandchildren and 2 great great grandchildren. She also leaves behind a host of caregivers who gave their heart in loving and caring for her. She loved and enjoyed the care from Sharon Thomas Mason Love, Loyce Boykin, Dinah Miller, Karen Madourie and others from Georgia, Illinois and Connecticut. We are tremendously grateful for the love and kindness that was extended to our mother and lady, Mrs. Rebecca Laing, fondly known as Lynette to her husband. A memorial service celebrating her life will be held on Saturday, October 20 at 2:30 pm at Southern Cremations and Funerals, 1861 Dallas Highway, Marietta, GA. We will gather for her repast following the service at 2720 Battery Trace NW, Marietta, GA. In lieu of flowers, please make a memorial contribution in her name to: American Diabetes Association http://www.diabetes.org/ Alzheimer Association https://alz.org/