Karen Deneen Georgia's Obituary
Karen Deneen Pinkney Brockington Georgia, daughter of Edward, Jr. and Emily Pinkney, was born on March 15, 1964 at John Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland. God sent his angel to escort her to her heavenly home on Thursday, January 7, 2016.
Karen suffered for many years from an autoimmune disease called sarcoidosis. Sarcoidosis is a disease that involves the abnormal collection of inflammatory cells that can effect and attack any part of the body. Symptoms include shortness of breath, chest pain, cough, fatigue,, night sweats, loss of appetite, or you could have no symptoms at all.
Karen received her early education in the Anne Arundel County Public School System. She graduated from Annapolis Senior High School in 1982. She attended Morgan State University where she traveled and sang under Dr. Nathan Carter. Karen left Morgan to pursue her career at Hardee’s, Roy Rogers, and Blockbuster Video. Twenty-five years later, Karen returned to college and received her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Early Childhood Education from Sojourner Douglass College in 2007. She also earned a graduate certificate in ESOL (English as a Second Language) from the University of Maryland Baltimore County in 2012. She was then able to obtain her dream job of teaching for seven years in the Prince George’s County Public School System. She retired from the school system on May 1, 2015, due to her illness.
In 1985, Karen married Willie Brockington and from that union one child, Jenifer, was born. Karen later married Troy J. Georgia, Sr. and she also helped to raise his son, Troy J. Georgia, Jr.
Karen would fondly enter a room by saying, “H-i, Ms. Georgia says hi.” Karen enjoyed singing, people watching, movies, cards, surfing the Internet, and vacationing. She had the opportunity to sing for the Queen of England as a member of Morgan State University’s choir. She loved seeing her grandchildren Jayden Edward Larry Foote, Mariah Danee Karynn Butler, and Darius Kenneth Butler, Jr., playing and running around the house. She especially loved when it was time for them to go home. (Ha ha ha!)
Karen accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as her savior at a very young age. She was a faithful member of the Mount Zion United Methodist Church up until her passing. It was there that Karen learned she could sing under the leadership of Mrs. Agnes T. Abernathy. Karen sang on the Youth Choir, Children’s Choir, Gospel Choir, Khmer and Senior Choir. She also sang and acted in many plays written by her daughter, Jenifer.
Karen was preceded in death by her maternal grandparents, William and Mary Butler, Paternal grandparents, Edward, Sr. and Ora Pinkney, one niece, Ashley Johnson, and two nephews, Anthony Johnson and James R. Sharps, Jr.
She leaves to mourn, yet rejoice in her transformation her best-friend, sister, and caregiver who never left her side, Sheree Sharps, and her never married third husband James R. Sharps, Sr.
She also leaves to cherish her memory her loving parents, Edward W., Jr. and Emily J. Pinkney, her only daughter: Jenifer Renee Butler (Darius, Sr.), three grandchildren: Jayden Edward Larry Foote, Mariah Danee Karynn Butler, and Darius Kenneth Butler, Jr.; her sister: Sheree Sharps (James, Sr.), her nephew and godson: Michael A. Johnson (Carolyn), two nieces: Kayla Johnson (goddaughter) and Jazmyne Sharps; one great nephew: Tyson A. Johnson; four sister-nieces: Kesheia Wilson (goddaughter), Kyra Wilson, Torreka (Brandon), and Shanika Tasker; one brother-nephew: Damitri A. Thorne; four special cousins: DeWayne Jones, Rowlena Edward, Marrell Harden, and Andterri El-Amin; godparents: Joseph Butler and Oralean Thompson, five aunts: Virginia Trotter (Jerry), Yvonne Jones, Christana Watts (Theodore), Oralean Thompson, and Greta Thompson (Charles); four uncles: William Butler, Jr. (Winifred), Joseph Butler (Ernestine), Henry Butler (Kathy), and Dennis Butler (Rosalind), adopted sisters, Wanda Kimball, Cherita Montoney (Aafaq), Carol Turner (Jamie), Cynthia Tims (Larry), and Sharon Gardner (Michael); and a host of many others, cousins, friends, co-workers, and a loving church family.
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