Harriett Letha Dean Turman was born March 9, 1956 in Atlanta, Georgia to the late Henrietta Hines Dean and Willie Dean. As a child, Harriett’s smile never failed to light up a room. Her interest in people made her a most delightful child. Many often remarked at what a beautiful child she was, but it was her vivacious personality that was most memorable.
Harriett was a student of the Atlanta Public School System, where she attended English Avenue Elementary School and H. L. Harper High School. It was here that her interest in the medical field became a professional focus. Harriett was a phlebotomist for over twenty years and a medical secretary at Morehouse School of Medicine for over ten years.
Harriett’s daughter, Shiwanda Dean and Isha D. Howard, fondly remember their mother having three loves: the Lord, her grandchildren, and music. There was no genre of music that Harriett did not appreciate - The O’Jays, Shirley Ceaser, Whitney Houston, and the Five Blind Boys of Alabama, she believed it all to be “a joyful noise unto the Lord”.
“Grand”-parenting was a natural role for Harriett as she loved children and senior citizens with equal fervor. Her only son and youngest child, Brandon M. Turman, bestowed her with a granddaughter, Sasha, who was her constant companion and sidekick during the last few years of her life. Harriett was known to beam with pride when speaking of Shiwanda’s daughter Ariana who was a rising junior at Georgia State University. Ariana’s brother, DeAndre, possesses his grandmother’s love of Christ as Harriett’s immediate family remember the young man stoically praying over his beloved grandmother during her stay in hospice.
She was delighted to give her daughter Isha away in the marriage to her college sweetheart, Terrance, and was excited to gain a son-in-law. When Isha and Terrance announced that Harriett would once again be a grandmother in May of 2013, she immediately made plans for the baby’s birth and to assume her role as a grandparent.
Harriett found Christ at an early age, but re-dedicated her life to the service of the Lord at Cathedral of Faith Church of God in Christ under its former, Pastor Doctor Jonathan Greer. She remained under his tutelage by receiving evangelical training from Pastor Greer which ultimately culminated in her delivering her trial sermon. Harriett was an acting member of the Christian group known a Friends and Family Network which is dedicated to using music and the gospels to spread the Good News, that Jesus Christ is our Lord and Savior.
She leaves to cherish her memories her father, Mr. Willie Dean, her daughter Ms. Shiwanda Dean, her daughter and son-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. Terrance and Isha Howard, her son, Mr. Brandon M. Turman, grandchildren Ariana, DeAndre, and Sasha, her sisters Ms. Georgia Farley, Ms. Lynette Willis, and Mr. and Mrs. Dwayne and Cynthia Jones and a host of family and friends.