BEATRICE (MADDOX) TYSON

Beatrice Tyson July 5, 1942 - July 31, 2015 SOUTH BEND - Beatrice Marie Tyson, devoted wife, mother and grandmother, beloved sister, aunt, cousin and friend, went home to be with the Lord on July 31, 2015. She was preceded in death by her parents, John and Mable Maddox.

To cherish her memory, she leaves behind a husband, Luther Tyson Sr., a son, Luther Tyson Jr. (Angela), a daughter, Joy Ellen Carpenter, and a host of grandchildren, great-grandchildren, family and friends.

She was born on July 5, 1942, in South Bend, IN. She was a warm-hearted and obedient girl who learned to accept responsibility at an early age. As a teenager, she was a friendly and popular girl, as evidenced by the huge number of affectionate comments recorded in her yearbook from Central High School, Class of 1960.

Growing up, she was always fascinated by cars and engines. Her secret ambition and heart's desire was to work as an automobile mechanic. However, this type of career was nearly unheard of for a young black woman in the 1960s. Always practical, she chose a career in health care. She devoted over three decades of service to Memorial Hospital of South Bend, serving as an aide, a technician and a ward clerk. Her entire career was devoted to serving the youngest and most vulnerable members of her community, in the delivery rooms assisting mothers as they gave birth and caring for the newborns in the Infant Intensive Care Unit. She had a deep love for children and cared for each of her young charges as if they were her own flesh and blood. At the hospital, she developed a reputation for maturity, moral courage and commitment. Eventually she was selected by her peers to represent them in contract negotiations and other labor matters while serving in the Teamsters Union Local 364. She served in this capacity for nearly ten years before retiring in 2004. I

n her private life, she was quiet and unassuming. Her unselfish nature, her generosity, her kind heart and warm personality were evident to anyone who knew her. She was an avid reader of fiction and non-fiction books, and maintained sets of encyclopedias on subjects ranging from general knowledge, to animals, to American History to medicine. In her free time she enjoyed romantic comedies, Westerns, and Disney movies. She was an absolute treasure, and she will be sorely missed.

Visitation and Rosary is from 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. Sunday, August 9, at Cobb Funeral Home, 3525 S. Michigan St., with the Funeral Mass at 1:00 p.m. Monday at St. Augustine Catholic Church, 1501 W. Washington St. Burial will follow at Riverview Cemetery.

Published by South Bend Tribune on Aug. 7, 2015.

03/07/2023 EJS