Charlotte Watkins

her home. She was always so proud of the fact that she was Charlotte Watkins on Watkins St.

She took every opportunity to tell of how the street was named after her father. In the early

1800’s her great great grandmother was one of the earliest slaves to come to Canada through

the Underground Railroad. Her family settled here and there has always been a Watkins on that

land ever since. The city changed the name of the street to honour the family.

Born to Homer and Edith Watkins, she was the youngest of 5 children, Lloyd, Beulah, Howard,

and Vivian. Charlotte was a very curious and feisty child, always asking questions and, yes,

getting into a few scuffles in her day. But it was that fighting spirit that would later take her far in

life. Charlotte’s mother Edith recognized her musical talent as a young child and worked tirelessly

cleaning homes to afford piano lessons for her, however it was her gift of singing in which she

would excel. Charlotte attended Forster Collegiate High School, and while she was there she entered a

singing contest. One of the attendees at that contest was a catholic nun belonging to the

Ursuline Order which was also a school of music. The nun, impressed with her talent, took

Charlotte under her wing and it was at Ursuline where she was cultivated and trained as an

opera singer. She went on to attend the Juilliard School of Music and was invited to attend the

highly acclaimed LaScala School of Music in Italy. On returning to Canada, Charlotte entered many singing competitions winning medals and titles. She entered the acclaimed Canadian Exhibition, winning the coveted Rose Bowl and Dominion medal, the highest award for opera in Canada. She went on to win that award a second time. Charlotte began to headline many local performances including the grand opening of the Cleary. Auditorium in Windsor. She also performed in Windsor Light Opera productions of Showboat and Porgy and Bess. She then went on to sign with Gold Soul Records which led to many

appearances on radio and television in the US and Canada. One of the highlights of her career

was an invitation to attend and perform at a state dinner for the Prime Minister of Bermuda

where many other heads of state and dignitaries from other countries were in attendance.

Charlotte went on to teach piano and voice and eventually opened The Music Studio of Fine

Arts in the old Tivoli Theatre. There, her school expanded into teaching not only voice and piano

but also violin, cello, flute,drums and even dance which also employed more teachers. Her

music studio students performed in recitals, Kiwanis Festivals, churches, schools, and

Emancipation Celebrations. Some of her students went on to obtain parts in productions at the

Music Hall Center for Performing Arts in Detroit and entered and won vocal competitions as far

away as California. Charlotte would teach free if students could not afford to pay. She would buy their music books, even clothes and winter coats for students whose families fell on hard times all out of her own money. Her relationship with her students extended beyond music as she was considered a

mentor, even part of their families. She would attend their graduations, weddings and

celebrated the birth of their children. She successfully taught generations of students teaching

well into her 80’s. Much attention has been made of Charlotte’s music career, but she was also a trailblazer in another occupation. She was the first black medical transcriptionist in Windsor. She

simultaneously worked and taught music while raising her four children. She even went on to

teach transcription to a new generation of young black trainees at Highland Park Community

College in Detroit MI. In 2017, at 84, Charlotte was awarded the Mayor's Inspiration Award for her contribution to young musicians and the community at large. Charlotte loved the Lord. She has always been active in His service. She was a missionary, a choir director, a Sunday school teacher and a church pianist from age 12. God has truly blessed her. She is predeceased by her daughter, Erika MacNevin, survived by daughter Heidi and her husband Jerry, daughter Darlene, son Mel and his wife Debbie, grandsons Philip and Jordan, granddaughters Kirsten, Darryn and Evan, great grandchildren Quinton, Elijah, Isaac, Elora, Liam and Levi.

Charlotte is an icon and will live on as her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren pick

up her torch and carry it on.

A visitation for Ella Charlotte will be held at Anderson Funeral Home (895 Ouellette Ave., Windsor) Friday, March 11, 2022 from 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm. A funeral ceremony will occur Saturday, March 12, 2022 at 11:00 am at Sandwich Baptist Church, 3652 Peter St, Windsor, Ontario. Ella Charlotte will be laid to rest in Puce Memorial Cemetery, Puce, Ontario.

Webcasting link - https://funeraweb.tv/diffusions/49188

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.AndersonFuneralHomewindsor.com for the Watkins family.