Nona Lee Rutledge

Mrs. Nona Lee Rutledge

"In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed." 1 Corinthians 15:52

On Saturday, April 4, 2026, at the age of 81, God dispatched an angel in the stillness of praise and worship, surrounded by family, and called Nona Lee Rutledge (“Momma”), to eternal rest peacefully. Nona, an unforgettable and radiant devoted woman of God, faithful wife, amazingly loving mother, proud grandmother, and tireless servant to others, was an unforgettable presence in the lives of everyone who crossed her path. She lived a life that exemplified exuberance, never-ending love, compassion, laughter, humility, service, strength, and unwavering faith.

Born March 21, 1945, in Hazard, Kentucky, to Al and Zella Hampton, she was raised by a loving circle of aunts and later graduated from East High School in Erie, Pennsylvania. At just 17, she declared her calling to become a social worker, a promise she fulfilled with purpose and determination. Nona pursued her calling with remarkable resilience and unwavering faith. Determined to walk in her purpose, she attended Monroe Community College, earning her Associate Degree in Human Services. She graduated with honors, distinguished as the only African American scholar in her class to do so.

She met the love of her life, Rev. Albert W. Rutledge, Sr., while singing in the choir at Wayne Street United Methodist Church (Erie, PA). What began in song blossomed into a sacred union, one rooted in faith, purpose, and enduring love. From the age of 18, he loved her faithfully and fully, becoming not only her husband, but her steady covering, her partner in ministry, and her greatest earthly support. Together, they built not just a marriage but a ministry, spanning 48 years of unwavering commitment, shared service, a deep love for feeding the masses, and strength. From this union came five children: Robert, Nona, LaCreta, Albert, and Kyla. In their union of love, they served Baber Chapel A.M.E Church, True Christian A.M.E Zion, and Memorial Zion A.M.E Church (all of Rochester, NY).

In 1985, their love expanded yet again with the arrival of their first grandchild, Courtney. In a beautiful expression of generational love and sacrifice, Albert and Nona embraced her as their very own, adopting her at birth and surrounding her with a legacy of faith, excellence, and unconditional love for 41 years. Together, they poured into her a world rich with guidance, opportunity, and joy, nurturing her gifts, strengthening her faith, and walking beside her through every season of life. Through their devotion, they helped shape her character, anchor her purpose, and cultivate the woman she would become, ensuring that their love would continue to echo through generations.

Nona pursued her calling with remarkable resilience and unwavering faith. For more than 40 years, Nona served as a social worker with Monroe County Job and Family Services (Rochester, NY) and Montgomery County Job and Family Services (Dayton, OH), dedicating her life to the overlooked and underserved.  She developed a comprehensive Life Skills initiative promoting stability and self-sufficiency and a clothing initiative providing professional attire to women entering or returning to the workforce, restoring dignity, confidence, and opportunity. After retiring in 2010, she continued serving at the Catholic Social Services Miami Valley Choice Food Pantry, where she helped feed thousands of families. In 2019, she was recognized as a Star Volunteer by the United Way of the Greater Dayton area for her dedication and service to the community. She did not merely serve people; she saw them, valued them, and restored dignity where it had been diminished.

Nona’s greatest accomplishments were not confined merely to programs; they were found in people whose lives were changed because she cared. Because of her, someone ate. Because of her, families stayed housed. Because of her, someone had clothes for an interview. Because of her, someone’s confidence was restored. Because of her, someone felt seen. Because of her, someone believed they mattered.

From Rochester, New York, to Dayton, Ohio, in Jackson, MS, or Washington, D.C., she was known simply as “Ms. Nona,” “Mama Nona,” or simply “Momma,” a woman who never forgot what it felt like to need, and therefore made sure others would not go without. Her work was more than employment; it was compassion in motion, faith made visible, and love poured out without measure. Her life reflected the very heart of Christ, serving all people, feeding the hungry, uplifting the weary, and pouring herself out so others might stand.

Nona accepted the Lord at an early age, and her voice, rich and anointed, carried both melody and ministry. She sang lead in choirs, traveled in song, refined her craft at national musical workshops and clinics, performed in musicals and stage plays, and offered exuberant, participatory praise that could be felt deep in the soul. Her worship was never performance alone; it was testimony. She went on to serve by teaching music, oration, stage presence, and confidence-building leadership skills to her children and the church’s youth, nurturing gifts that would blossom for generations.

Over her lifetime, Nona reared, fed, and housed generations of scholars, performers, social servants, and ministers. Among those nurtured under her loving care were her own minister and professors, Rev. Dr. LaCreta; Law, Communication, and Sacred Music scholar, Courtney; Chef Albert Jr.; devoted co-caregiver Robert; and Nursing Assistant Kyla. Her home became both classroom and sanctuary, a place where discipline met encouragement, and where gifts were cultivated with love, patience, and expectation.

In the 3rd Episcopal District of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, her love language was service, and the kitchen was her sanctuary. She fed bishops, elders, seminarians, strangers, and anyone who crossed her path. Her home became a refuge, a place where love was not only spoken, but demonstrated daily. Known as a faithful pew helper and an unofficial co-pastor to any minister in the pulpit, Nona embodied the ultimate Amen corner. Her voice, unmistakable and full of conviction, resounded through Sunday services, Annual Conferences, General Conferences, and every choir stand she graced, offering encouragement, affirmation, and participatory praise that strengthened both preacher and congregation alike.

As a faithful member of Greater Allen A.M.E. Church (Dayton, OH) for 38 years, she served faithfully in the Congregational Choir, Women’s Missionary Society, as a Stewardess, and as a beloved multi-generational Young People’s Department Director. There, she nurtured young people, preparing them for scholarship, service, the workforce, and life, balancing fierce protection with gentle correction. She affected generations of youth and possessed a unique gift for seeing greatness in young people long before they saw it in themselves.

Nona’s faith was active, persistent, and powerful. She believed deeply in the transforming power of prayer and the redeeming grace of God. When any of her children, natural or claimed, needed her advocacy, presence, strength, or unwavering love, no feat was too great, no distance too far, and no system or bureaucratic structure too complex for her to confront. Nona was often the first fighter en route for her children and for the communities of church and neighborhood youth who lovingly claimed her as their “Momma Nona,” standing boldly as protector, encourager, and champion for all entrusted to her care.

Nona and Albert fiercely and faithfully raised their third generation, with Albert retiring at Courtney’s birth so they might cultivate a new generation of love, faith, and joy. From diapers to diplomas, from classrooms to careers, Nona remained the constant nurturer and steadfast cheerleader present in every season and invested in every dream.

Affectionately called “Poohma” by her grandchildren, she was warmth personified, playful, attentive, deeply loving, and endlessly proud. Whether in the stands, at performances, in rehearsals, or in everyday life, she showed up fully and faithfully. Nona and Albert were often found volunteering in classrooms, walking college campuses, attending ceremonies, practices, pageants, and games, and even making joyful, unannounced visits to their grandchildren’s workplaces, traveling between Ohio, Michigan, Mississippi, Washington, D.C., and New York simply to remind them they were seen, supported, and never alone.

Through her devotion, she cultivated more than achievements; she nurtured confidence, character, humor, faith, and purpose. In every generation she touched, seeds of excellence were planted and allowed to flourish. Their love became legacy, their guidance a foundation, and their family a living testimony that a life poured into others multiplies beyond measure.

She leaves to cherish her legacy of love her children: Robert George Rutledge, Rev. Dr. LaCreta M. Rutledge, Albert W. Rutledge II (Veronica), Kyla M. Rutledge, and Courtney S.V. Rutledge; and very special friends: Jacquise Jackson, Frances Maultsby, Cheryl Steptoe, Carol Ragland, Earnestine Garner, Rosemary Davenport, Britiesh Spells, and Julie Sutton, along with a host of grandchildren, a great-grandchild, nieces, nephews, relatives, and countless spiritual children whose lives she touched.

Her legacy lives on in the life and ministry of her children, grandchildren, and in the lives of the many gathered here today who can bear witness to how her love made a difference. May her love never leave you.

Visitation 4 pm- 7 pm Friday, April 17, 2026 at Greater Allen AME Church, 1620 W. 5th Street, Dayton, OH. Family will receive friends 5 pm- 7 pm. Funeral Service 11 am Saturday, April 18, 2026. Interment West Memory Gardens. Arrangements entrusted to House of Wheat Funeral Home.

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