Lee Esther Livingston

Lee Esther Livingston was born November 11, 1927 out of the beautiful marriage  of the late Hollis and Willie Mae Rayford. Her birthplace was Yellowpine, Texas in  the Sandy Creek area near the national forest of East Texas. She was the fifth  child born of this union and shared her young life with five siblings, Pervis, Annie  Mae, Ellen, Bernice and Prentiss all of whom preceded her in death. 

At an early age Lee went to Houston, Texas to live with, and assist her blind  grandmother. Her education took place in Houston, Texas. While attending  Phyllis Wheatley High School, she met her childhood sweetheart, Clarence  Livingston. They fell in love at an early age and were united in holy matrimony on  December 24, 1944. Their marriage flourished. They were married sixty-two years  and were blessed with six children, Willie Faye, Donnie Ray, Clarence Jr., Arthur  Dwayne, Roselyn Marie and Jeannette. 

In 1947, Lee and Clarence, along with their young baby, Willie Faye, moved to San  Francisco where they worked as a team to provide for and raise their children. Throughout their years together, Lee actively took part in helping her husband  build the foundation for their home. She worked throughout her marriage when  she wasn’t having a new baby. She partnered with her husband, one working  days and the other nights to ensure the complete and thorough welfare of their  children. Her occupations spanned a variety of areas to include twenty-five years  of service at Marin General Hospital as a Radiology Assistant, twenty-five years at  the University of San Francisco Medical Center, as an Administrative Secretary and fifteen years at Macy’s as a Customer Service Associate. She worked for  Macy’s until retirement in 1980. 

Lee accepted Christ and was baptized at an early age in Texas. After moving to  San Francisco, she united with the Macedonia Baptist Church in 1950 under the  leadership of Rev. P. S. Osborne Sr., who died in 1957. Rev. G. L. Bedford then  

became the Pastor of Macedonia Baptist Church. She served on the Usher Board  and remained a faithful servant until 1992. In 1992, Lee and Clarence Livingston  were founding members of the newly organized Saint Paul Tabernacle Baptist  Church under the leadership of the late Rev. A. J. Eberhardt Sr. She served as  one of the founding trustees, was a member of the Benevolence Committee and  served on the Usher Board. She was a strong, capable, and faithful member of St.  Paul and she was also highly effective in fund raising for the church. She loved  her St. Paul Tabernacle Baptist Church family, and above all, she loved the Lord  Jesus Christ.

Lee was a devoted and loving mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. She  was deeply loved and she was affectionately called “Mama Dear” by everyone  close to her. She believed deeply in the Lord, read her Bible, and her Christian life  was one of continuous love, caring and sharing. Lee’s primary concerns were for  the well being of her children. She worked hard to take care of them and would  give them her last dollar anytime it was needed. Her hard work and teachings  produced professional children and grandchildren which gave her great joy. Lee  also loved to travel and had the opportunity to travel the world with her children. 

In November 2013, Lee became ill when she suffered a major stroke, that affected  her ability to walk. She fought a good fight during her illness and was called to  eternal rest on February 27, 2021. She leaves to mourn and cherish her memory,  her three daughters Willie Faye Livingston-Evans, Roselyn Livingston-Kirkwood,  Jeannette Livingston-Kidd, two daughters-in-law, Shirley Livingston, DDS, Sheila  Meadors-Livingston, two son-in-laws, Philip Llewellyn Evans and Michael Kidd Sr., nine grandchildren, Armonn Livingston (Daneen), Shawn Livingston-York  (Troy), Dawn Livingston, Clarence Livingston III, Angela Livingston-Goode (Troy),  Donnie Ray Livingston, Julian Ralls, Michael Anthony Kidd Jr., Morgan Kidd Macey (Stefonn), six great-grandchildren, Marlee and Kaiya Crawford, Nevaeh and  Faith Livingston, Malia Reed, Samara Macey, one sister-in-law Jeri Rayford and  brother-in-law, James Smith Sr., and a host of nephews, nieces, cousins and  friends, as well as the St. Paul Tabernacle Church Family. 

In addition to her parents and five siblings, her beloved husband, Clarence  Livingston Sr., her three sons Donnie Ray Livingston, MD, Clarence Livingston  Jr., ESQ., Arthur Dwayne Livingston Sr., two grandsons, Carl Esten Crawford Jr.,  Arthur Dwayne Livingston Jr., and son-in-law Clyde Kirkwood Sr., all preceded  her in death.

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