Carolyn M. Cockfield

Carolyn was born September 28, 1949 in Cleveland, Ohio to the union of Alfred McClain (later to have changed his name to Harambee El Medamfo) and Bernice (Reed) McClain. She spent her childhood in Cleveland attending Robert Fulton Elementary, Alexander Hamilton Junior High and graduated from John F. Kennedy High School in June of 1967 as a student of the first graduating classes that year. Her lifelong childhood friend Cynthia said as a child she was always a leader who took charge of activities on the street. She was born into a family of politically conscious parents. Her father had affiliations with the Nation of Islam and her mother’s father was cousin to John O Holly and was involved in the Future Outlook League. In 1968, after working a year, she decided to attend college and was accepted to Howard University in Washington, DC.

Also, during the summer of that year, 1968, she met Ross Cockfield who would later become her husband. They met at a party and, as fate would have it, she and her girlfriend Debbie needed a ride home. Ross obliged and when he arrived at her home, she gave him her number and permission to give her a call. In later years they always debated who asked for the number or who gave the number first.

She majored in Early Childhood Education having a love of children. Unfortunately, due to financial strains, she left Howard in 1971 at the end of her junior year to return to Cleveland to help her mother. A year later she married Ross Cockfield. They moved into East Cleveland into an apartment on Elberon Ave excited about the prospects of East Cleveland being a model for African Americans exhibiting self-rule during the racially charged times of the day.

A year after they were married, they were blessed with their first child, Kianna Yanee. Two years after that their second child Zahra Akosua and four years after that their third child Toure Henry. Carol was a loving mother who fiercely looked over her children. Her early employment years were as teacher and director of daycare centers. She also became the Education Coordinator for the AIDS Cooalition Network during which time she traveled to Zimbabwe, Botswana, and South Africa to assist with AIDS education. It was during this period in her life that she and some of her friends formed the “Sista Circle” as a support and outreach organization to assist young African American women.

In the late seventies she became politically active in East Cleveland and twice ran for city council – not winning either time. During these runs for office she established herself as a no-nonsense believer in political correctness and a champion of doing what was right. During the Ononwar administration in East Cleveland, she was appointed to the position of Director of Parks and Recreation with her office in the MLK Recreation Center. Here she had the most visible impact on the city by tackling the parks system which at the time had been suffering from neglect. She revived Pattison Park, cleaned the smaller less used public spaces, engaged the State Wildlife Department for assistance with grant funding and worked to have the Forest Hills Park pond stocked with fish for seasonal fishing. Additionally, she assisted the summer baseball league to make sure the baseball diamonds were properly maintained and worked to bring activities back to the parks for public enjoyment. She worked tirelessly to ensure that the residents of East Cleveland had the benefit of recreational facilities and services comparable to other municipalities. It was during her tenure as Director, in 2004, that she suffered a stroke and had to retire from public service.

After her stroke she devoted all her time to maintaining her house and becoming a staunch advocate of maintaining her street, Roxbury Rd and surrounding community. It was not uncommon to see her anywhere on the street picking up trash or loose paper where ever it might have been thrown. She demanded respect from the children in the area and had no problem reprimanding them for improper language or dress.

The life of Carolyn Cockfield cannot be described with facts but can only be described by the impact she had on people simply due to the principled stand she took on matters, her kindness, and her unflinching determination to do “what was right”. She lived her beliefs and went out of her way to help and assist those she was able. Affectionately called “Queen” by her daughter she exemplified an upright life.

She leaves to mourn her transition her loving husband, Ross Cockfield as they would have been married forty-eight years this year. Her transition was preceded by her mother, father, sister Latisha and grandson Miles Golden Cockfield. She also leaves her children, Kianna (Baskerville), Zahra, and Toure her grandson Kaden, Great aunt Betty, cousins, close friends, neighbors and an entire East Cleveland community who experienced the love and care of a woman who was of the people.