Obituary
Martha Lou Harris Calloway was born on December 27, 1945, in Tangipahoa, La. Martha received her wings on Saturday, January 22, 2022, at the age of 76.
Martha grew up in Muncie Indiana, graduated from Muncie Central High School and started her higher education at Ball State University. Martha received her undergraduate degree from Central State University in 1968, which she then attended graduate level studies at the University of Cincinnati.
During graduate school Martha was offered an opportunity to serve in an executive position at the Minneapolis Housing Authority (MHA). Martha then went on to accept challenging positions with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) in Houston, Texas; Los Angeles, California; and Atlanta, Georgia. Her housing career of nearly fifty years culminated as the executive director of Lithonia Housing Authority in Georgia.
Martha was a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., in addition to being a Red Hat Society Member. Martha’s community service stretched all the way to South Africa where she was a benefactor to an impoverished school. She had many diverse and international friendships. Her close interactions with her former high school and college friends were a joy to her. Some of her most cherished times was traveling with her husband across three continents by planes, trains, ships and all manner of conveyances.
Martha was committed to her faith. She was a loyal member of Union Baptist Church in Macon, Georgia where Rev. David Stanley was her pastor. Rev. Shirley Scott and Rev. Joe & La Marta Brooks also provided her with spiritual counseling.
Martha is survived by Jon Calloway, her husband of over 47 years. She also leaves behind two daughter’s (Tina Smith and Alinka Pollock) grandson (Kristopher Pollock) and beloved granddaughter (Aysia Pollock). Additional family includes, goddaughter (Staci Sudduth) brother’s (James Harris Jr., Bobby Robinson, Matthew Harris Hanifa, Jimmy Storm, Jackie Galloway, Herman Galloway and Alton Knighten Jr.) sister’s (Maggie Barnes and Kathy Williams) sister-in-law’s (Kimberly Hendricks Harris, Yvette Robinson and Shirley Watkins) brother-in-law’s (David Barnes and Kelvin Williams) special aunts (Roselee Brown and Gloria Allen) special cousins (Cornelius & Mary Dollison) Along with a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, friends near and far.
Martha is preceded in death by her mother Auntee Allen Levy Brown and fathers James Harris Sr. and Carl W. Brown, “Pop”. Grandparents Everette and Martha Levy Pierce and Almer Harris “Rose”. Mr. & Mrs. Jon Calloway Sr. were her beloved father and mother-in-law’s.
The family wishes to acknowledge with deep appreciation the many comforting messages, prayers, flowers and any other expressions of kindness and concern evidenced at this time in thought and deed.