Hazel Jean Whitsett

Hazel was a community activist constantly working to improve situations and her community. While living in Niagara Falls, New York, she was introduced to her first activist event protesting for a traffic light in front of her daughter's school. Many events and marches followed. So it was just in her nature when three women, Mildred Pitts Walter, Shirley Sims and Hazel were planning workshops for the Colorado Black Caucus and the discussion turned to the lack of services for women in Northeast Denver. It was agreed that "somebody" needed to address the issue. They realized that they were 'somebody' and founded the Northeast Women's Center (NEWC), which was incorporated in 1983.

Hazel served as the President and Executive Director of Northeast Women's Center (NEWC) offering participants the opportunity to become self-sufficient through Job Training, General Education Degree (GED) and Basic Literacy Instruction, Prevention and Intervention programs for teens, Parenting Classes, Computer Literacy, Nontraditional, Business development programs and Rites of Passage for adolescent males.

Hazel Whitsett received numerous awards and recognitions including; The Dr. Martin Luther King Humanitarian Award; Black Women for Political Action; National Council Of Negro Women; Trailblazer — Lift every voice Family Tree Recognition; Shaka Foundation; Delta Sigma Theta; Jack and Jill; City and County of Denver 150th Birthday Unsung Hero and many more. The most memorable of these was the National Common Cause Community Service award in Washington D.C. She had the opportunity to take the "light and inspiration of her life", her mother, with her to see all the National Monuments, and the White House.

Her mother was her inspiration and encouragement for everything she wanted to accomplish. She was told that she could do anything if she kept Christ first in her life. Her mother was a domestic housekeeper. Hazel remembered waking up one night and her mother was ironing some unfamiliar clothes. That's when she learned that her mother cleaned houses in the daytime and took in ironing at night and she sent both of her girls to college.

Along with the gift of four children Hazel was given three grandchildren; Shanika NaCole, Myles Deon Il and Celeste Marie. Eight great grandchildren; C.A. Dajzore, De Andre, Zalayha, Erica, Willow, Zoe, Ayden and Taytum were added.

One of the greatest events of her life was the entrance of a 14-year-old girl, Shannon Marie in 1988. Shannon later became a Medical Assistant at Kaiser Permanente and obtained a Degree in nursing which led to her current position as Director of Nursing Affairs. Shannon bought special joy to Hazel's life through her three sons: Dwayne, Mikal and Marquille.

The proudest opportunity on her journey was being able to teach Sunday school in California and at Zion Baptist Church for almost 25 years, where she has been a member for since 1952. She loved teaching the nursery and pre-school level where she could teach and show them the Love of Jesus and how there were to live and serve God at an early age. Her favorite chapter in the Bible is I Corinthians Chapter 13. Expressing the "Greatest Gift is Love. She felt that if you love God and love one another, you will automatically live and respect the Ten Commandments.

Hazel leaves to cherish her memories, her sister, Mary Hewing of Aurora; brother-Joseph S. Johnson (Ollie) of Sacramento, CA; I stepbrother-Ronald Watkins of Aurora, CO; 3 stepsisters — Norma Clark, Billy Martin and Vera Taylor of Des Moines , IA; four children — Vittoria Daynette of Denver; Myles Deon (Florence) of Aurora; Anthony Damon of New York and Mark Darron of Seattle, WA.; three grandchildren Shanika NaCole, Myles Deon II and Celeste Marie; eight great grandchildren; C.A. Dajzore, DeAndre, Zalayha, Erica, Willow, Zoe, Ayden and Taytum.- Adopted and very special daughter Shannon Marie Jones - three godsons, Dwayne (preceded her in death) Mikal and Marquille and Aunt Eula Donaldson of Dallas and many special cousins.