Josephine Thomas-Pinkard

Mrs. Josephine (Jo-Jo) Thomas-Pinkard, the oldest of 7 children, was born to James Thomas and Mearknee (Perkins) Thomas in Birmingham, Alabama on May 7, 1953. She gave her life to Christ at an early age and joined Macedonia Baptist Church in Gastonburg, Alabama. She has always said that those years were wonderful, because she got her FOUNDATION OF FAITH and grew up with her grandparents, Albert and Relia Perkins; her aunts, Johnnie Mae, Sarah, and Marion, her uncles, Albert, Robert, Brady and Joe Lee and her brother-cousin, Dr. Jobie Crear. She later joined First Baptist Jeffersontown, Green Castle Baptist and Burnett Avenue Baptist where she is/was now. She graduated Woodlawn High School in Birmingham, Alabama, and was in the 1st class of Blacks to graduate after integration. She earned her BS degree in Nursing from Tuskegee Institute and her Master’s from The University of Louisville. Jo-Jo practiced ICU, CCU and Med-Surg. Nursing in almost every hospital in Louisville including the VA for 17 years. She was also a Nursing Professor at Kentucky State University and managed Care Accounts with Almost Family and several other enterprises in Chicago, Illinois and Kentucky. She retired from Humana as a Clinical Consultant after over 10 years there. Since then she spent most of her time with family, growing and caring for her flowers, Rosemary and any person she came across who needed help. Jo was the CONSUMATE GIVER. She also re-activated her AKA membership and became Connections Committee Chair focused on being an AKA Liaison with state and local Voting Registration and candidate awareness. Sadly, on Monday, October 19, she passed away, totally unexpectedly, at Baptist East Hospital. Death was truly that thief in the night the Bible speaks to, but her Soul is safe, because she was truly anchored with the Lord as an obedient child of God and lover of Jesus Christ. Her Legacy is of HARD WORK IN FAITH, OBEDIENCE, CHARITY/LOVE and she leaves that for her husband, Mikeal Pinkard; and 3 children, Mikeal T. (Louisville), Ashley (Columbus, Ohio) and Bryen (Covington, KY); her mother, Mearknee Thomas; aunts, Johnnie Mae Johnson (Isaiah) and Sara Johnson; sisters, Mearknee Thomas-Austin, and Regina Thomas; brothers, Cedric Thomas, Aaron Thomas, Terry F. Thomas Sr. (Joannie ), Eric Thomas (Chezvona), Dr. Jobie Crear and a host of brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, nieces and nephews. John 14:23…Jesus replied…, “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.” This scripture gives us full assurance that Jo-Jo is with our Lord God, because this is how she lived….Loving and Obeying our Lord. Visitation: 9am-11am Saturday, October 30, 2021 at Burnett Ave. Baptist Church, 6800 So. Hurstbourne Pkwy., with funeral service to follow at 11am. Burial: 11am Monday, November 1, 2021 at Resthaven Cemetery. In lieu of flowers send donations to "The Home of the Innocents" in Louisville. To donate online to Home of the Innocents, her favorite charity, go to https://www.homeoftheinnocents.org/donate-now/ put in your amount and check the gift box that says “this gift is in honor or memory of someone” and fill out the information. **Burnett Ave. Baptist Church requires masks be worn the full time inside the church.

Josephine Thomas-Pinkard

May 7, 1953 - October 19, 2021