A celebration of life for Ophelia Johnson Cleveland, 78, of McDonough, GA will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, April 1, 2023, at DeForest Chapel on the campus of Talladega College. Mr. Seddrick Hill will deliver the eulogy. Visitation will be held from 1-7 p.m. on Friday, March 31, 2023, at the funeral home.

The beloved matriarch of the Cleveland family has gone to be with the Lord. It goes without saying that Ophelia Johnson Cleveland will be missed, but we understand that God does not make mistakes and her work here on earth was complete. She was blessed to be able to see her six children reach adulthood, some of us become parents and even earn the title of grandparents.

The strong, God-fearing and amazing woman known as Ophelia Johnson Cleveland came from humble beginnings. In Dorchester, South Carolina, Will Chavis Johnson and Alise Gilbert Johnson became the parents of Ophelia on December 2, 1944. In the mid-1950s, her parents decided that they wanted a better life for themselves and their growing family, so they packed up what they had and relocated to Orlando, Florida. She completed her education there. During this time, Ophelia fell in love with the late James E. Cleveland and together their union produced six children: Patricia, Jeanette, Debra, James, Corey and Susan. Motherhood came naturally to her and nothing could have made her happier than her children. Ophelia was a devoted mother, always motivating them to follow their dreams and aspirations, encouraged their successes and inspired them to achieve their goals. She was sure to make time for family and friends, but nothing was more important than the time she spent with family on Sundays in worship and fellowship.

In the early 1970s, Ophelia and her children moved to the Ft. Lauderdale area to begin a new chapter in life. During this time, Ophelia began her career with John Knox Village in Pompano Beach where she remained until retirement. Parents should not have to bury their children, but sometimes life throws curveballs at us that we cannot avoid. Unfortunately, during the family’s time in Ft. Lauderdale, her oldest child, Patricia, passed away at the age of 26. This was an especially hard time, but with faith and family we were able to weather this storm. During her years in Ft. Lauderdale, Ophelia was promoted to the position of Grandmother.

In 2017, Ophelia made one more move that landed her in McDonough, Georgia. She made new friends and enjoyed her conversations about the goodness of God and how he had kept her throughout the years. These years were also filled with family time, carrying with it the title of Great Grandmother. The titles of Mother, Grandmother and Great Grandmother were not taken lightly. She especially enjoyed her summers and holidays with the great grandchildren and leading them on new adventures. During the times she was not faced with the hustle and bustle of family, Ophelia enjoyed working on a good word search. Many people of her era loved watching westerns and she definitely fell into that group. Additionally, she could be found watching game shows, wrestling, Swamp People and shows such as In the Heat of the Night. Previously, Ophelia had soap operas added to her preferred TV line up, but the drama became a little more than she could stomach anymore.

This life well lived came to a close on March 20, 2023. We are sure that she was happy to be reunited with Patricia, Grandpa Will, Grandma Alise, Aunt Delores and her husband, Uncle Charles.

Ophelia’s legacy will live on through her five remaining children, Gwendolyn Jeanette of Fort Lauderdale, FL, Debra Denise of McDonough, GA, James Eric of Talladega, Alabama, Corey Andre (Nikitress) of Pompano Beach, FL and Susan Mae of Fort Lauderdale; thirteen grandchildren, Latasha D. Cleveland, Latkisha M. St. Fluer (Lorenza), Seddrick T. Hill, Sr., Tyneisha N. Cleveland, Brandon B. Butts, Kheldon Houston, Jazmine Cleveland, Corey J. Cleveland, James C. Cleveland, Ashanti D. Hartage, Kyara Cleveland, A’Niaya Fields and Hannah Fields; three great grandchildren, Christopher C. Cleveland, Seddrick T. Hill, Jr. and Miracle P. Greene; two sisters, Fannie Mae Cobwell (John Henry) and LaShawn Johnson Cradic (Terry) of Orlando, FL; a brother, Daryl Johnson of Orlando, FL; a special aunt, Helen Gibson of Orlando, FL; a special cousin, Charles Hankerson of Orlando, FL; and a host of other relatives and friends.