Grace A Middleton

Ms. Grace A. Middleton, 93, entered the eternal kingdom escorted by the Lord’s heavenly angels on Saturday, April 26, 2025.

We respectfully request that no one arrive at the funeral home prior to the posted visitation times, so as not to intrude on the family’s private time. 

Family and friends are invited to the memorial visitation in the Kowalski Funeral Home, 515 Roselle Street, Linden on Saturday, June 14th from 4:00-6:00PM, during which there will be a Sharing of Memories by family and friends.  The cremation in Rosehill Crematory in Linden was private.

Grace, the daughter of the late Grace A. Thompson Middleton and the late Frank A. Middleton, Sr. Grace’s lineage is African American, but also Mohawk Indian…..a rich heritage that she was very serious about and extremely proud of.  Grace was born and raised in Norwalk Connecticut where she was blessed to meet up with Frances Turnage, who became Grace’s best friend for life. Before Frances passed, her daughter, Jeanann Turnage, promised her mom that she would not only continue the wonderful friendship her mom, Frances, started with Grace, but also that she would always look out for Grace.  True to her word, even though she still resides in Norwalk, Connecticut, Jeanann would call Grace on a daily or weekly basis to check on her.       

In her teens, Grace changed the direction of her own journey in life to go and live with her Aunt Ethel in Yonkers, New York and when Aunt Ethel got older, Grace cared for her.  While in Yonkers, Grace was also employed in the production/manufacturing factory of Durall Tool Corporation for over twenty years until her retirement thirty years ago. 

In her younger years, Grace was an active participant in a variety of sports.  As the years progressed, Grace channeled her love of sports by watching games and matches on the television, and she was constantly emersed in viewing tennis and baseball, particularly her NY Yankees.  In between her favorite sports, Grace would tune in to the “Family Feud” and movies on the Turner Classic Movies channel (TCM)  where she was obsessed with vintage Westerns.  If there was a bus trip being organized, then Grace was the first in line to get a ticket.  She loved to hop on the bus and travel to exciting places like Niagara Falls, Disney World and of course the various casinos in Atlantic City and  the Yonkers Raceway & Empire City Casino, where Grace could test her luck at the slots.  The warm weather of the summer months would draw Grace to the beach where she could absorb the heat of the sunshine on her face, the salty smell of the ocean waves as they crashed on the shore, while her toes played in the sand.  Relaxation and a sense of inner peace could always be found just by spending some time at the beach!  Continually enriching her life, Grace indulged herself by doing word search, crossword puzzles, playing checkers or chess and she was even known to “rack ‘em up” and shoot a mean game of pool!  Additionally, everyone knew that they would always find Grace playing her beloved Bingo with all her friends.  In true Grace fashion, she was a very quiet, unassuming woman who was fiercely independent.  She never complained nor did she ever want to bother anyone.  Grace was forever neat and clean and extremely set in her way when it came to her apartment, almost to the point where if you came for a visit, it was akin to stepping back in a time warp.  Grace was a woman of deep faith who increased her love for God and helped meet the needs of humankind by “Loving God with all her heart, with all her soul and with her entire mind and to love her neighbors as herself” which is the mission of the AME Zion Church in Yonkers, New York where Grace was recognized and applauded as a fifty year member of the church.  

Grace loved her family so much!  She constantly told whoever would listen that her niece, Grace Jones-Leverette and her husband, Lee Leverette, were more like daughter and son to Grace.  Furthermore, Grace never stopped talking about her great niece, Ciara Johnson, who brought endless joy to Grace’s life. 

Grace was the last of her siblings to leave this world, as she was predeceased by her four brothers,

Frank Middleton, Jr., Alfred Middleton, Howard Middleton, Arnold Middleton and her sister, Ethel Middleton Jones-Lester.   

Grace is survived by her niece, Grace Jones-Leverette and her husband, Lee Leverette; her 1st. cousin, Charles Andrews, Sr. and his wife, Eula, and a host of cousins, nieces, nephews, great nieces, great nephews, neighbors and friends.

Grace was a bright, shining light in this world, that has now been dimmed.  She had an abundance of love for everyone in her circle, and we know that Grace will be deeply missed, but never forgotten.  We take comfort in the knowledge that Grace was met with loving open arms as she entered the Lord’s house, by all those who went before her.  May Grace have eternal peace and rest.

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