Coletta J. White 1926-2025

“Co” was born Nov. 8, 1926, in Youngstown, to the late Rev. Ernest P. Womack and Mrs. Josephine Rankin Womack.

She was a faithful member of Third Baptist Church for 34 years. As a young lady, she sang with The Womack Sisters and attended Chaney High School. She was employed with Bill Robinson’s BBQ, housekeeping, Strauss, Livingston’s and Truscon Steel Company as a welder. In 1948, she married Ernest Goler of Dublin, Georgia, and to this union, two children were born: son, Ernest Goler Jr. (stillborn) and daughter, Nancy Elizabeth Goler.

After her divorce to Ernest, she joined with Roosevelt White in matrimony in 1954 and their union spanned 50 years and nine months. In 1957, “Ro” and “Co” packed up the family and headed west to Los Angeles, California.

She worked for I. Magnin, Bullocks Wilshire, Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, as manager of an apartment complex and Fedco, from where she retired after 10-plus years and received numerous excellent customer service awards.

In 1992, her husband “Whitey” decided to return to Youngstown.

Coletta worked for the Youngstown City School System as a crossing guard, and at Jefferson and Harding elementary schools. She obtained certificates for her years of volunteer service with Seniors Teaching And Reaching Students (STARS) and Ohio Reads, as well as numerous diverse certificate of excellence awards.

Coletta was also an associate of the Red Hatters, involved with the Ice Breakers and the Texas Hold ‘Em card group.

Her pets, Ginger and Lizzie, were a huge part of her life.

In 2024, Coletta went to Victorville and Apple Valley, California, to be with her daughter and son-in-law.

To cherish her memory and mourn “big-time” the loss of “my Little Mother,” is her daughter, Mrs. Nancy Elizabeth Goler Freeman; son-in-law, Mr. Frank Daryl Freeman; three grandsons, Mr. “Tri” Lee Allen Massey III, Mr. Kasimu Saburi Massey and Mr. Jelani Shakir Freeman; two granddaughters, Miss Jamie Cha and Miss Melitta Freeman; three great-grandsons, Mr. Daniel Cha, Mr. Leo Nance Massey and Mr. Peter Bishop Jr.; and three great-granddaughters, Miss Akimi R’ Marie Guerra, Miss Elyahna Love Nancy Massey and Miss Maliyah Bishop; as well as a host of nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.

Besides her parents, she was preceded in death by her husbands, Ernest Goler and Roosevelt (aka “Ro” and “Whitey”) White; one son, Ernest Goler Jr.; five sisters, Uzzeia Womack, Juanita Womack Johnson, Bernice Womack Colpetro, Gertrude Womack Copeland and Pearline Womack Dukes; and two brothers, Ernest Womack Jr. and Joe Louis Womack.

Funeral services will be held at noon Friday, Feb. 14, 2025, at Third Baptist Church, 1177 Parkhill Drive, Youngstown, OH 44502, with calling hours 11 a.m. to noon.

Burial will take place in Tod Homestead Cemetery.

Arrangements of comfort were handled by the Sterling-McCullough Williams Youngstown Funeral Home.

(special notice)