Elder Diana E. Badgett

ELDER DIANA EUNICE BADGETT, affectionately called “Sug” and “Mama Sug” was born in Baltimore, Maryland on October 22, 1940 to the late Leon and Annie Mae Wilson of South Carolina. Sug peacefully departed from this world on October 9, 2022. In 1960, Diana married Roy Alden Badgett. From this union, she was blessed with Roy Chauncey Badgett. In 1975, Diana married Charles Linwood Washington; from that union, Charles David Washington was born. She remained in contact with her husbands Roy and Charles until their passing. Mama Sug was the ultimate matriarch: she was the sounding board to her sons, siblings, nieces and nephews, and grandchildren. She attended as many parties, graduations, recitals, births, and weddings that she physically could: no event was complete without an appearance from Mama Sug. She also taught the youth in the family how to pray and commune with each other: everybody spent time over Mama Sug’s house. The impact of the time that she spent mothering her sons and nurturing her family will transcend time and space. A denizin of Baltimore, Diana attended schools throughout the City. In 1958 she entered Morgan State College where she graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in history in 1964. While history was her major, advocacy was her calling. As a result, she worked at the Department of Social Work, where she met her dear and lifelong friend, Marie Price. In 1972, she received a Master’s degree in Social Work from the University of Maryland. In the summer of 1973, she studied at University of Chicago for a Post-Master’s degree in Social Work Administration. As a social worker, Diana advocated for the lives of Baltimore City’s most vulnerable youth. She retired as Chief of Foster Care in the mid-1990s, but she did not stay inactive for long. Acting as the pillar for her family, Diana was an advocate for seniors and children alike, often visiting family and friends in their homes, medical facilities, schools, and other places: she was the person you called when you needed prayer, a place to recover, good food, and Christian music. Sug has had many callings and challenges in her life because each step has been ordered by God. Throughout her life, God has moved her from “faith to faith”. He has caused her feet to be strategically placed in many ministries. Not only did she affect those ministries who so greatly benefitted from her presence, but more importantly for her own spiritual growth and development. It all began from birth where she was nurtured in the ways of the Lord at the Rehoboth Church of God in Christ Jesus Apostolic, under the pastorate of the late Bishop R.A. Carr. In this ministry, she blossomed as a flower doing the will of God in many capacities such as a youth leader, Sunday school teacher, usher, choir director, and church administrator. Touching many ministries, Elder Badgett was also aligned with the Redeemed Church of Christ Apostolic, where she was ordained as Elder Badgett; Mt. Olive Holy Evangelistic Church, Transformation Church of Jesus Christ (formerly known as First United Church); New Destiny (formerly Living Word Christian Center), and the Christian Women’s Fellowship. Elder Badgett’s last church home was Center For Life Restoration Ministries, under the pastorate of her sister, Pastor Corinth Matkins. After Pastor Matkin’s passing, Elder Badgett kept her legacy alive by hosting bible study, prayer sessions, and giving the word on Sundays. In ministry, she worked tirelessly and unselfishly with the youth department: they will never forget the bus trips and the rehearsals when she would cry to make them feel guilty if they misbehaved. She also served as a trustee, church administrator, choir director, and many other positions. There is so much that can be said of this giving, dedicated woman of God. From Social Worker to sister, to mother of Chauncey and David, to minister and evangelist. We can be here all day to talk about her community work, her relationships with her friends, her committed work to the elderly members of her family, or of her work with neglected and abused children. Words right now seem so small, however we can say “Thank You, Thank God for you.” The tears that you shed, the endless days and nights of studying the Word in preparation for teaching, the personal sacrifices, and most of all the labor pains that you bore in travail for those that you led you can now see were not in vain. The results of Elder Badgett’s labor pains have birthed ministers; elders, pastors, teachers, prophets, deacons, administrators, directors, youth leaders, STRONG men and women of God who learned from her how to utilize the gifts that God has given them. Preceding her in death are her parents, sister Corinth Matkins, and brother Willie Lee Wilson. She leaves to cherish her memory: sons Chauncey (Shenna) and David (Stephanie), grandsons Devon Jones, Demetris Jones, Ivan Dyer, Jr., Darius Sprye, and Nathan Sprye; granddaughters Kayla Badgett, Ariel Washington, and Avah Washington; siblings Ernestine Hairston, Leon Wilson, Jr. (Dorothy) and Jonathan Wilson (Catherine); great grandchildren La’Rae Jones, Chasity Jones, and Zhymeir. Jones, and a host of cousins, nieces, nephews, great nieces, great nephews, mentees, and friends, too numerous to list individually. Sug, we LOVE you, for you are the “WIND BENEATH OUR WINGS.”

Tributes

Elder Diana E. Badgett

October 22, 1940 - October 9, 2022