Grace “fondly referred to as Gracie” (Bourne) Parkin age 94, passed away peacefully on Monday, September 19, 2022. She was the sixth of seven children born to the late Rev. Joseph Garrick Theophilus and Beatrice Souise Wilson Bourne on January 7, 1928 in the City of Cambridge, Massachusetts. She was raised in a home deeply rooted in the Christian faith and those spiritual principles and religious teachings were the foundation of who she was for 94 years of life.

Grace during her earlier years worked in many places including Chock Full of Nuts as a coffee server and B.F. Goodrich making the de-icer for airplanes. She spent the majority of her working life at the American Telephone and Telegraph (AT&T) Company where she was hired to work in the NY Office at the Avenue of Americas. Grace worked her way from an entry level operator to a supervisory position in international telecommunications. After 40 years of saying, “Hello! This is AT&T, how may I connect your call?” she retired to Matthews and then Mooresville, North Carolina. Grace cared for her family and friends deeply and regularly travelled to Milton, MA and Cambridge, MA to attend family holidays, graduations, and other special events.

Grace leaves to cherish her memory, daughter Noreene Foster, grandson Kimathi Foster, great grandson Julian Foster; devoted and faithful nieces, Lois Thornhill, Joyce Tinkler, Lynne Ladega, Khandi Bourne, and Paula Georges; caring nephews Brian Sandiford (Rosalyn), Clayton Heywood (Karen), Joseph Bourne, and Gerald Braithwaite; and a host of cousins, great nieces, great nephews, friends and extended families. She is preceded in death by her parents, Rev. Joseph and Beatrice Bourne, daughter Sheila Foster, brothers Arthur, Joseph, and Rev. Charles Bourne, and sisters Cynthia Braithwaite, Marian (Pauline) Heywood and Gwendolyn Sandiford.

A Celebration of Life will be held on Friday, October 7, 2022 at Bethel AME Church, 40 Walk Hill Street, Jamaica Plain, MA. All are welcome to attend. Masks will be required.

Wake: 10:00am-11:00am EDT Homegoing Celebration: 11:00 am-12:30pm EDT

Interment immediately to follow at Milton Cemetery, 211 Centre Street, Milton, MA.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Grace’s memory to Cancer Research Institute, 29 Broadway, Floor 4, New York, NY 10006-3111 or www.Cancerresearch.org.