Tomasina S. Tillery

On September 7, 1940, a beautiful girl was born to the late Alfred T. Vines Sr. and Eloise Love Johnson in Suffolk, Virginia. She departed this life on February 8, 2022, at her energetic age of 81. Tomasina was reared by her loving grandmother the late Daisy (Big Mama) Love. She often talked about the love and care that Big Mama showed her and her brother. She was a true worshipper and always shared and characterized a woman after God’s own heart. She accepted Jesus Christ as her personal Lord and Savior at an early age. She later joined the Macedonia African Methodist Episcopal Church under the leadership of Revered George Johnson. She remained a faithful member no matter the leader. Tomasina was a 1959 graduate of Booker T. Washington High School in Suffolk, Virginia. It was there that she met the love of her life, Amos (Fluff) Tillery, Jr. They were high school sweethearts and voted most likely to marry. They were married for 38 years. She loved and cared for him in illness for 19 years and 4 months until his passing in 2011 and shared that testimony with everyone she met. They were blessed with two children, Steven Jordan who proceeded her in death and their one and only beautiful and devoted daughter Megan. Tomasina was a diligent worker and believed in the importance of providing for her family. She worked at Lipton Tea Plant for over 25 years. She retired in 1995 as a machine operator. She was genuinely loved by her family, her church family, her classmates, and her many friends. Anyone that knew her was clear that her church was important to her ministry, but she did not need to be in church to worship the Lord. She served on the choir and the missionary society at Macedonia AME Church. She was never shy about speaking of the goodness of the Lord. She often said I am going to testify to the goodness of the Lord now, because I cannot testify to His goodness when I close my eyes. Some of her favorite sayings were: “There is nothing too hard for GOD. Keep praying, trusting, believing, and knowing that GOD will never leave or forsake you;” “No matter how hard the situation becomes, know GOD will never leave you;” and “It is no secret what GOD can do. What He has done for me, He will do for you.” A few of her favorite scriptures were Psalms 23, Psalms 91 and John 14 1-3. Tomasina loved her grandchildren and enjoyed spending time with them. They would gather at the kitchen table to play games, talk, and eat and she reminded them on the regular that she was the grandmother in charge. Tomasina would always say that God blessed her with one child but a hundred children. She was blessed to raise Aljeanna Davis and her son Dominique. She took them in and raised them as her own and always cherished the relationships with both of them. On October 19, 2019, she was diagnosed with Leukemia Cancer and after 8 treatments, she rang the chemo bell. She was in remission until January 11, 2021. When the doctors said her cancer was progressing at a fast rate and she would only have 6 months to live, Tomasina said there is nothing too hard for my God, what He did before; He will do it again. After much FAITH and prayer God put her cancer in remission without any treatment. She was a two-time Leukemia cancer survivor. She was blessed to have an astonishing team of care givers. They watched over her and listen to her feisty ways while providing the best care possible. She loved and appreciated Detrice Tillman, Arnae Spicer, Alexandria Canada-Marcus and Vivian Brown for the attention they gave to her. She was treated with the utmost respect and love that any mother would desire, by her daughter Megan. Megan cared for her on the daily basis and did whatever was necessary to assure her that she should had no worries, just focus on being happy and comfortable. She enjoyed all that attention. Her motherly instinct would kick in from time to time, but she allowed Megan to do what was needed to care for her. Whatever she wanted to eat, or drink was provided for her. She enjoyed having the family all together in one home again. She always made her grandchildren promise to be good to her baby Megan. In October 2021, Megan surprised her with a trip to Raleigh, North Carolina to visit Mt. Calvary Baptist Church to give her testimony. She met and enjoyed dinner with her favorite singer, Pastor Shirley Caesar. She had the time of her life with Megan, Alexandria, and her granddaughters. Every Sunday she watched Pastor Pamela Jones-Watford. She would attend bible study and noon day prayer at East End Baptist Church with her special cousin Vivian Turner whenever she could. She was always the second person to arrive at every family reunion. Tomasina loved and loved deeply. Tomasina loved reading her bible several times a day, reading the Daily Bread, praying, listening to gospel music, doing crossword puzzles, talking to family and close friends on the telephone. She adored her companion dog, Bella. She would dress Bella up daily; Bella would follow her wherever she went. She enjoyed talking on the telephone with her best friends, Edith Williams, Elizabeth Mason, Barbara Johnson, and Valeria Jones. She treasured those times and conversations. Tomasina often spoke of her brothers who proceeded her in death, John Johnson Jr., and Alfred T. Vines Jr. She never forgot the times she had with her cousins, Elgin Vines and Vivian Turner. They were reared together by their grandmother and always considered themselves sisters. She leaves to cherish her wonderful memories her beloved and selfless daughter Megan and her husband Roger Jr. of Chesterfield, Virginia, special daughter Aljeanna and her husband Micheal, her grandchildren, Za’Kiya, Kamarius and Ah’Naysia, Rajae, Roger III, Mechelle, Nicole, Steven Jr., and Jasmine, her beloved sisters Gloria Dolsberry of Suffolk, Virginia, N. Johnella Porter and her husband Frank of Fort Washington, Maryland, Carol Johnson and her wife Lisa of Suffolk, Virginia, Beloved brother Robert Almond, her devoted Sister in laws, Irene Jordan and her husband Jimmie of Baltimore, Maryland, Tonya Tillery of Suffolk, Virginia, her devoted Brother in Laws, Lovoil Tillery and his wife Rory of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Milton Tillery and his wife Kim of , Clementon, New Jersey, her three Godchildren, Rodney, Lamar and Dominique, and a special cousin, Vernetta Grant, her dedicated barber, Herbert Smith, nieces, nephews, cousins and friends. She will REST in ETERNAL Peace! A celebration of life will be held 12:00 p.m. Friday, February 18, 2022 at Balm Church-East Campus. Bishop A.S. Hall, Sr., will deliver the message of comfort. She will be laid to rest in Meadowbrook Memorial Gardens. Professional services with dignity have been entrusted to Crocker Funeral Home, Inc. To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Tomasina S. Tillery, please visit our flower store.