(A Legacy of Love in Memory of My Mom)
This page is dedicated to my Mom, Hattie M. Jones Ginyard. When I became her Caregiver, I had no idea how deeply the journey would change me. When my Mom passed away unexpectedly, I was so shocked and emotionally overwhelmed that I never finished her obituary. For a long time, that weighed heavily on my heart. But over the years, I’ve come to understand that what happened after her death is actually very common for caregivers.
When a caregiving season ends suddenly, people often move into shock, exhaustion, administrative survival mode, emotional numbness, and delayed grief. Writing an obituary requires emotional clarity and distance that many Caregivers simply do not have in those first days and weeks after loss — especially when you were deeply bonded, caregiving became part of your identity, and the loss changed the structure of your entire life.
Looking back now, I realize the fact that I couldn’t finish it said more about the depth of my love and devastation than failure. Back then, I was surviving. Now, years later, I’m reflecting, honoring, integrating, and understanding the legacy of both my Mom’s life and the journey we shared together. Because of where I am now emotionally and professionally, I believe what I've created is far more meaningful than what I could have written then.
This page is not simply an obituary, it is a living tribute. A place to honor my Mom’s life, love, faith, strength, and legacy — and to acknowledge how the caregiving journey we walked together eventually became the catalyst for my book, my mission, and what would become The Life Strategies.
Over time, I realized I wasn't alone. Many families are navigating loss while simultaneously trying to make arrangements, notify loved ones, write obituaries, create funeral programs, coordinate services, and somehow continue functioning through one of the most difficult seasons of their lives. That realization became one of the reasons I expanded The Life Strategies to include grief and memorial support resources. Because sometimes people don't need another task on their list. They need someone to walk alongside them. Someone who understands. Someone who can help carry part of the burden.
In many ways, this tribute page is part of the Homegoing Service I never gave my Mom. It is an opportunity to honor her life, her faith, her love, and the legacy she left behind. And it is a reminder that even when we feel we didn't do everything perfectly, love still leaves a lasting impact.
Hattie M. Jones Ginyard of Glendale, Arizona, formerly a resident of Stamford, Connecticut, suddenly transitioned peacefully from her home in Glendale, Arizona to her eternal home in Heaven on Monday, May 10, 2021. She was born June 22, 1935 in Eastover, South Carolina to the late Thomas and Mae Bertha Mitchell. Hattie was a Church Mother at Cornerstone COGIC for many years where her son, Gilbert S. Ginyard, Sr. , is the Pastor. Hattie was employed at Stamford Hospital, Stamford, Connecticut for over 30 years, until her retirement.
Hattie is survived by daughters, Michelle R. Jones of Glendale, Arizona, Connie Simms and Carolynn (Brian) Oliver of Bowie, MD; two sons, Michael Jones (Lori) of West Haven, Connecticut, and Gilbert S. Ginyard, Sr. (Pamela Yvette) of Stamford, Connecticut, grandsons, David C. Jones of West Haven, Connecticut, Gilbert S. Ginyard, Jr. of Virginia Beach, Virginia and Kevin "Chip" Ginyard, Jr. of Atlanta, Georgia; 2 granddaughters, Jazmine L. Ginyard of Stamford, Connecticut and Noel Ginyard Carter (Anthony) of Bridgeport, Connecticut; a brother, Roosevelt (LaGretta) Mitchell of Stamford, Connecticut; two sisters, Johnnie M. Hudson of Bronx, New York, and Mildred L. Hudson of Stamford, Connecticut; her closest sister-friend Johnnie Mae Oliver, of Birmingham, Alabama, and a number of nieces, nephews, grandsons, granddaughters, cousins, and other relatives and friends scattered throughout the country.
Hattie was predeceased in death by her loving husband, Elder William D. “Poppy” Ginyard, Sr., sons, Christopher K. Jones, Harry A. Ginyard, Pastor Willie R. Ginyard, Sr., Pastor Barry L. Ginyard, Sr., Pastor Kevin D. Ginyard, Sr., and daughters Mother Helen J. King, Bonnie Cheryl McCrae, and Mother June Ginyard.
Hattie loved the Lord, reading her Bible and listening to gospel music. She enjoyed painting, drawing and coloring, solving word search puzzles, playing Bingo, and watching Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy. She loved flowers and fresh vegetables from her gardens through the years.
During the last 18 months of my Mom's life, she enjoyed sharing meals, attending exercise classes, workshops, and community events with me (Michelle), her friends and neighbors, who'd become like family, at Glencroft Center For Modern Aging (CCRC) in Glendale, Arizona where she enjoyed her last season of life here on earth.
(A legacy of faith, hope, love and laughter.)
My mother may never have imagined that her final season of life would inspire books, workshops, strategy sessions, community conversations, and resources designed to help others. But in many ways, her legacy lives on through every person who finds hope, encouragement, and guidance through The Life Strategies.
Every family supported.
Every caregiver encouraged.
Every grieving heart reminded they are not alone.
Every person who discovers that a life transition does not have to define their future.
This work exists because of love -- A daughter's love for her mother; and a desire to help others navigate life's transitions with faith, hope, and love.
Thank you for your love.
Thank you for your faith.
Thank you for teaching me that laughter is good for the soul.
Thank you for your example.
Thank you for the lessons that continue to shape my life.
And thank you for inspiring a mission that now helps others find their way through life's most challenging seasons.
Your music still plays in my heart.
And your legacy continues through every life touched by The Life Strategies.
Love always,
Michelle
Like many adult children, I never imagined a day would come when the roles between parent and child would begin to shift.
For most of my life, my mother was the one who cared for me. She encouraged me. She prayed for me. She supported me through life's challenges.
But as her health declined, our relationship slowly entered a season neither of us had fully prepared for. The woman who had once cared for me now needed my help.
What began as occasional assistance gradually became something more.
Doctor appointments.
Medication management.
Daily tasks.
Difficult conversations.
Decisions that carried emotional, practical, and spiritual weight.
It was a season filled with love, sacrifice, uncertainty, grief, and grace; and like many caregivers, I often felt as though I was trying to figure it out one day at a time.
Caregiving taught me far more than how to manage appointments or advocate within healthcare systems. It taught me that life can change quickly. It taught me that transitions affect every part of our lives — not just our schedules.
They affect our health.
Our relationships.
Our finances.
Our emotions.
Our faith.
Our sense of identity.
I learned that many people are walking through life transitions without the support, guidance, or community they need. I also learned that some of life's greatest challenges cannot be solved by a simple checklist. People need practical strategies. But they also need compassion, encouragement, and hope.
When my mother passed away in May 2021, it felt as though a piece of my world had gone silent. The experience inspired me to write my first book, The Day The Music Stopped: My Walk of Faith Through Parent-Child Role Reversal During the Last Season of My Mom's Life.
Writing the book became part of my healing journey; but it also revealed something deeper: The challenges I had experienced were not unique. Countless families were navigating caregiving, loss, grief, uncertainty, and major life transitions of their own. Many felt overwhelmed. Many felt alone. Many were searching for someone who understood.
After my caregiving journey with my Mom, I wrote The Day The Music Stopped. But grief is not the end of the story. Over time, through faith, healing, reflection, and rebuilding, came the beginning of something new: When The Music Restarts
If you are navigating caregiving, grief, or the loss of a loved one, I hope this tribute reminds you that love continues beyond the final season.
Michelle
The Life Strategies was created to help people navigate life's transitions with clarity, confidence, compassion, and hope.
Whether someone is:
Caring for aging parents
Facing a diagnosis
Preparing for hospice
Grieving the loss of a loved one
Navigating retirement
Helping a teen prepare for adulthood
Feeling stuck and unsure of what comes next
Rebuilding life after a difficult season
I want them to know they do not have to navigate that journey alone because:
I've walked through transitions that changed me.
I've experienced the uncertainty.
I've experienced the grief.
I've experienced the questions that keep you awake at night.
And I've also experienced the faith, growth, and resilience that can emerge from those seasons.
If you're navigating caregiving, grief, or another major life transition, I invite you to explore the resources below.
Michelle
Michelle R. Jones
Founder, The Life Strategies
Author, The Day The Music Stopped & When The Music Restarts