Lenore Genevieve Blackburn was born in New York City on August 25, 1929. She was the eldest

daughter of Louise and Arthur Ryland. Her sister Dolores was born a year and a half later, and she

too is deceased. The family moved to Queens before the girls began school. Lenore and Dolores grew

up in Corona, a modest, quiet neighborhood. The girls enjoyed attending the Corona Congregational

Church, the local Girl Scout troop, piano lessons, ice skating, and movies.

Lenore was the first African American to be employed by the New York Telephone Company in

Queens in 1953. She met and married Merton Charles Hill, and from that union, Kenneth was born.

They later divorced. Several years later, she married Thomas Blackburn and later welcomed a second

son, Kevin. The family purchased a home and settled in nearby Flushing, New York. There, Lenore

created a community newsletter, reporting local news and writing a column on home decorating that

was titled “Sprucing”. Her column won an award for outstanding journalism.

In 1974, Lenore enrolled in Queens College and earned both bachelor’s and master’s degrees,

magna cum laude. In 1979, she earned a teaching license and substituted throughout the NYC public

school system. As a member of “Key Women,” she created a remedial program for children. She also

taught an adult education program at York College in Queens for Haitian immigrants. Her induction

into the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated was a proud moment, and she continued active

service until her passing.

In 1988, Lenore and Tommy relocated to Virginia and purchased a home in Clifton. She

commuted to New York for more than a year to care for her mother and to continue working as

Director of a NYC Jobs, Testing, Assessment and Placement Center. After settling in Little Rocky

Run in Clifton, she volunteered for many years at the Katherine Hanley Family Shelter and the Fairfax

Food Pantry. Sharon Bulova, then Chair of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, recognized her

volunteer work and, in a letter, commended Lenore for making a tremendous difference locally and

countywide. She accepted a job with Richmond American Home Builders, greeting and assisting

potential home buyers. She enjoyed the job immensely because it related to one of her passions, home

decor, and she met a wide variety of interesting people looking to buy a new home.

Lenore joined the Mount Olive Baptist Church in Centreville, Virginia. She especially enjoyed

working on the decorating committee, transforming the church and getting it ready for a multitude

of special occasions. When she couldn’t get to church for Sunday services, she made sure to tune in

virtually. Lenore was also an active participant at the Centreville Baptist Church, participating in its

senior program. The senior group was nicknamed the Go Go’s, and ‘GO’ they did, traveling far and

wide to explore, dine, and have fun. Lenore was the documentarian for the Go Go’s, writing articles

for each trip about who attended, what they saw, where they dined, and how they got there. Lenore

was an active member of the Braddock Seniors, a group that met at the Mott Center in Fairfax,

VA. She also documented all their trips with great specificity and detail. Her collection of articles,

spanning several years, formed a strong historical basis for the two senior organizations. Lenore was

an avid traveler who found herself in many far-off places, including Scandinavia, Russia, other parts

of Europe, Korea, China, the Caribbean, Alaska, Hawaii, coast to coast, and many other places.

Lenore leaves to cherish her memories: her sons Ken (Carol) and Kevin (Kathy); grandchildren

Janai (Charles) and sons Jalen and Kaden. Janniece and daughter Nolani. Patrice and son Parker.

David (Rekha) and children Aliyah, Jarobi, Adya. Jasmin (Joseph) and children Kayla, Ryland, Faith.

Josue (Jessica) and children Ariana, Jayla, Joshua. Sandra and son Melik; Alaka and Omari. Also,

special niece and nephew Beverly and Wane Byer. Lenore had many relatives, friends, sorority sisters,

and neighbors who loved her and will miss her.

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