Obituaries

Ada Lavern Tinson Howard

Ada Lavern Tinson Howard passed away peacefully on December 14, 2016 with her two daughters by her side. Ada was steadfast in her faith, and is now with the Lord.

She is survived by her daughters Cynthia O. Chambers of Fremont and Earthala J. Howard of San Francisco and grandchildren Tanesha Chambers and Desean Chambers of Fremont and Kayla Chambers of Los Angeles. She also leaves behind many other relatives and friends in California and throughout the United States.

Born on May 19, 1939 in St. Joseph, Louisiana to Melvina Hatten and Pastor Isaac Dan Tinson, she was adopted at an early age by Ada Nuce, who raised her. When she was very young, she was called Puddin’ – a nickname that some still call her. In high school, Ada played basketball and softball – she was athletic as well as scholarly. Not long after high school, she moved west to California with her cousin, Edna, in 1960, and lived in Palo Alto. In 1962, she moved to Oakland with her best friend, Mary. She attended Laney College to obtain her real estate license and later Ohlone College to learn about computers. She met her husband and together they raised Cynthia and Earthala. In 1973, they moved to Fremont where she worked for Lucky Stores for 30 years.

Ada retired in 1998 and moved to Stockton in 2001. At her new home she enjoyed various hobbies in her retirement years including fishing, gardening, movies, collecting coins, flea markets, and camping with her grandchildren. She also enjoyed traveling - her favorite places to visit were Lake Tahoe, Capitola, Carmel, Monterey, Canada, and Hawaii. Ada loved going on cruises to Panama, Costa Rico, Mexico, Alaska, and the Caribbean. She liked to watch TV shows and other entertainment, particularly The Carol Burnett Show, Amos ‘n’ Andy, Sanford and Son, The Golden Girls and her favorite Reality shows. Her favorite movie was My Cousin Vinny. She loved seafood, soul food, chocolate cake, and could eat vanilla ice cream until she almost passed out!

Above all, Ada held her family dear. She cherished Cynthia and Earthala and adored her grandchildren. Her most proud moments were when all three of them attended college. She reveled in their company and had special times with each of them: She loved baking bread and planning family dinners with Tanesha, who also was the one that always made sure she had everything she needed; she had a strong bond with Desean and together they spent hours talking about everything from finances to life in general; and Kayla, being the baby of the family, was in the most photos in her grandmother’s house. She enjoyed simply spending time with her: laughing and hearing about Kayla’s life and her many adventures. She took tremendous pride in the wonderful, self-reliant adults they each have become.

Ada was strong, intelligent, beautiful, loving, sassy, and independent. She stood up for what was right and would not back down from anyone. Yet, she could charm the socks off of just about anyone (no matter their age!) and made friends wherever she went. She was fiercely loyal to her family and friends and her laugh was hearty and true and her sense of humor was electric – when she didn’t have the occasional “fuss-i-tis!” Ada took a special interest in causes for the homeless, women and children and supported family shelters.

Ada passed away knowing that she was loved and cherished until the end. She left this earth with dignity and secure in the knowledge that her Lord and Savior awaited her.

I love the Lord, for he heard my voice, he heard my cry for mercy. The Lord is gracious and righteous, our God is full of compassion. The Lord protects the unwary, when I was brought low, he saved me. Return to your rest, my soul, for the Lord has been good to you. Psalm 116