Ida Olivia Lindsay

Ida Olivia Leverette Lindsay was born into this temporary world on Friday, October 30, 1942, in Lexington, NC, and transitioned to her heavenly, eternal home on Saturday, December 28, 2019, in Rockville, MD. She was predeceased by her parents Luther Leverett Sr. and Isabel Clark Leverette and her elder sister Louise Joselene Leverett, with her baby brother Luther Leverette Jr., surviving her.

I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.— Philippians 4:13

Olivia graduated from Lexington’s Dunbar High School in 1962 and then attended North Carolina Central University (NCCU), Durham, NC, majoring in political science while minoring in history. While attending NCCU, her extracurricular activities included joining Alpha Kappa Alpha, Inc. (AKA) sorority and participating in student government—serving in the student congress and as the first-appointed, student-court justice. Having come of age during America’s turbulent, racial unrest, she actively participated in civil rights marches and segregated-establishment protests, to the point of being jailed for such in Durham.

After graduating cum laude from NCCU in 1966, Olivia relocated to Washington, DC, pursuing an international studies degree via Howard University’s master’s program. While pursuing her master’s degree, she worked in the department under Tony Brown of Tony Brown’s Journal and his former assistant Cathy Hughes— the founder of media company Radio One (now Urban One); engaged in student work-study at the Chevy Chase library; and performed community service—including under the Title I federal program as a teacher’s assistant and representative who attended Capitol Hill hearings on bill status, etc.

In 1969, Olivia married her childhood sweetheart Robert Arthur Lindsay, also a native of Lexington, NC. To this union was born two daughters Sheila and Sháni. The family resided first in Silver Spring and then Wheaton, MD. Robert predeceased Olivia on Thursday, December 24, 2009.

Professionally, from 1983 to 2004, Ida served as a civilian employee in financial management with the Department of Defense Department of the Navy, ultimately with the Naval Audit Service as a technical expert on Naval fiscal accounting. During this time, she graduated from the Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, CA, in 1988.

Olivia was also actively involved in civic activities—including serving as the family reunion’s Martin-Leverett Association, Inc., chief financial officer/treasurer for 16 years, within the Montgomery County Parents and Teachers Association (PTA) for 6 years (2 years elementary and 4 years high school level), and for the Montgomery County Board Of Elections at polling stations from 2016 to 2019.

Her organizational memberships included the NCCU Alumni Association, AKA, Inc., National Council for Negro Women, honorary life member of the Maryland Congress of PTA, National Association of Female Executives (NAFE) and the Martin-Leverett Association, Inc.

The seeds of Olivia’s faith foundation were planted and nurtured by her maternal grandfather Rev. John Thomas Leverett—founder of Friendship Baptist Church, Lexington, NC—baptisizing her at age 12, when she became a member of Friendship Baptist Church. Olivia lived an assiduous, personal-study life of God’s Word, constantly seeking God’s face, having accepted the Lord Jesus as her personal Saviour at an early age.

Ida joined the Mount Jezreel Baptist Church family, of Silver Spring, MD, in 1999, and was ordained as a deacon in October 2009, under the pastorship of Pastor Eldridge Spearman. During this time, Deacon Ida participated in various ministries—including Church School, Koinonia Bible Institute, serving on the Sisters United for Righteous Endeavors (SURE) women’s council and within the ministry, the Jobless By Choice (JBC)-Retirees lay pastor, and spiritual advisor to SURE and the Nurses Ministries. She was also a member of the District of Columbia Baptist Convention (DCBC) Older Adult Ministries and with the National Capital Baptist Convention Women’s Auxiliary.

Olivia leaves an endowment of service, kindness, and graciousness. She believed in sharing the love and faithfulness of Christ with whomever she met and treating everyone with loving kindness. Just as serious as she served the Lord, she was just as joyful and fun loving often sharing her love of reading, music, history, and politics.

Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:5-7

Ida Olivia Lindsay’s loved ones left to mourn her include her daughters—Sheila (Reginald) Lindsay-Johnson [Damascus, MD] and Sháni Lindsay [Wheaton, MD]; brother Luther Leverette, Jr. (Jal) [Takoma Park, MD] and his children Joi, Chante and Trenice and their children; sister-in-law Kathleen Leverette [Silver Spring, MD]; her late sister Louise Leverett’s children—Grant Leverett [Hopatcong, NJ], John (Terri) Leverett [Plainfield, NJ], Andre Leverett [Plainfield, NJ], and Connie (Elton) Broadnax [Freeman, VA] and their children and grandchildren; brother-in-law Harvey Lindsay [Mocksville, NC] and his children and grandchildren; aunt Mary Ann Terry [Lexington, NC] and her children and grandchildren; and a host of family —including the Clark, Martin-Leverett, Lindsay, and Johnson families—and friends from near and far. She also leaves to mourn her church families of Mount Jezreel Baptist Church, Friendship Baptist Church and New Smith Grove Baptist Church.

His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ Matthew 25:21

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