Florence Beatrice (Grimes) Macon, 73, better known as Bea, died on Oct. 7, 2022. She was born on July 20, 1949, to Florence Corinne (Baynard) Grimes and Asa Leroy Grimes Sr. in Lancaster, Pa.
She grew up in Philadelphia, graduated from West Philadelphia High School in 1967 and completed one year of further education at Pierce Business College. Shortly after high school she met Gunsalla Macon at a dance party. They were married on July 17, 1971.
She was an active member of Diamond Street Mennonite Church, where she and her husband, Gunsalla, served and raised their four children. She later went to join Faith Chapel of Philadelphia, where she remained until her death.
She accepted Jesus Christ into her heart as a young child at First United Baptist Church and sang in the church choir. She went on to sing with many more choirs, including the All-City Choir of Philadelphia, Diamond Street Mennonite Church Choir, Faith Chapel Choir and the Brockington Ensemble. As a part of the latter two choirs, she also served as a lead soloist on several recordings. The DSMC choir traveled broadly, including to the 1984 Mennonite World Conference assembly in France. Some of her most memorable solos included “Going Up a Yonder,” “I Go to the Rock” and “When All God’s Children Get Together.” Holy Spirit-filled, she could raise a room to their feet in songs of worship and praise.
In addition to being a homemaker for many years, she also worked as a childcare assistant at Bethany Childcare Center and was employed as a school crossing guard with the City of Philadelphia, from which she retired after 30 years.
Survivors include her husband, Gunsalla Macon; three children, Corinne A. Macon, Katrina (Paul) Pollard and Joseph Macon; and three siblings, Barbara Grimes Bell, Asa (Vera) Grimes Jr. and Daniel (Brenda) Grimes.
She was preceded in death by a son, Michael Gunsalla Macon, on March 3, 2016.
A memorial service was held at Oxford Circle Mennonite Church in Philadelphia. Burial was in West Laurel Hill Cemetery in Bala Cynwyd, Pa.
