Lady Estelle Williams McKissick

McKissick ~ Estelle Williams McKissick is the youngest of three siblings born to J.L. and Gertrude L. Williams, a family of five educators.

Mrs. McKissick attended local schools in Jacksonville graduating from Old Stanton High School. She received a B.S. Degree from Hampton Institute (Now Hampton University) in Accounting and her Master of Arts from Jacksonville University in Elementary Education, furthering her certification in Administration and Supervision from Florida A & M University. 

Lady McKissick spent 50 committed years in Duval County Public Schools as a Teacher, Assistant Principal, Principal, and as a District Interviewer of new teachers for the Duval County Public School System. Through the years, she has served as a motivational speaker, workshop lecturer, and facilitator for Community, Religious and Education entities, locally and at the State level. Lady McKissick felt that her “bragging” rights in the system were her years at George Washington Carver Sixth Grade Center where she ingeniously implemented three signal programs. They were a Drown-Proofing Swimming Program in partnership with the community Y.M.C.A., (the only one in the system), the Triple A Program (AAA) Able, Aspiring Achievers, and the Peer Tutoring Program. George Washington Carver, under her leadership, was acclaimed to be one of the higher achieving Sixth Grade Centers and the most popular in the city. After her retirement, she served as a volunteer at various schools, among them being Andrew Robinson, Long Branch, Arlington Heights and as a mentor at Ribault High School.

Community involvement was very significant to Lady McKissick. Her prior community services included:  Advisory Board for the Girls Club, Big Brothers and Sisters, Ronald McDonald House and Hubbard House for Domestic Violence, Project Blue Print Mentor, a mentor in the Career Beginnings Program at Jacksonville University, Board of Directors of the Jacksonville Urban League, Conflict Resolution Mediator for JCCI, Trustee Board of the Jacksonville Public Library System, A.L. Lewis YWCA Branch Leadership Council, and Edward Waters College Advisory Board.  For years, Lady McKissick served as the Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of Ducote Federal Credit Union, Board Member of Community Hospice, Basilei Council and Scholarship Committee of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority. She also served on the Advisory Committee of African Americans Uniting for Life (Bone Marrow Donor Program), Community Advocacy Board of the Women’s Health Initiative for the University of Florida’s Jacksonville Site.

Lady McKissick is a Life Member of the NAACP, the Florida PTA, the National Council of Negro Women, and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., where she was a Diamond Soror, with seventy-seven years of uninterrupted service.   

She has been the recipient of many honors and awards. She was an Eve Award Finalist in the area of Education and in the area of Volunteer Service; acclaimed one of Florida’s outstanding educators 2002-2003 by the Conference of Minority Educators in Florida; Overall Legacy Recipient by the Jacksonville Chapter of Continental Societies; and successful Role Model Award by El-Bethel Divine Holiness Church; Community Service and Human Relations Award by Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority; Golden Soror of the Year 2016 Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority; “A Woman of Distinction” by The Girl Scouts of America and The All Peoples Church of God in Christ.  

Lady McKissick was never a First Lady who sat in observation with a title. She served her church in a myriad of ways. She co-founded and co-directed a viable Marriage Ministry at Bethel Baptist Institutional Church, along with her husband, Bishop McKissick, Sr. for over 30 years; served as Superintendent of the nursery, beginners, and Primary Departments of Church School. She, along with Bishop McKissick, Sr, founded B.E.S.T. (Bethel Enhancing Students Totally) Academy, a free Saturday Academy for grades 3-12 at Bethel Baptist Institutional Church. Lady McKissick also served as the Executive Director of Bethel’s Summer Enrichment Program, which was a grade recovery program for high school students provided at Bethel for eleven years. This program was in partnership with the Duval County Public Schools and Florida State Community College, Downtown Campus.   

She leaves to cherish her life and legacy her husband of sixty-two years, Bishop Rudolph W. McKissick, Sr.; their only child, Bishop Rudolph W. McKissick, Jr. (Kimberly); three beautiful grandchildren, Jocelyn, Janai, and Joshua; a niece who was like a daughter, Paula Robinson; grandnieces, Tiffani Dailey (Torin) and Ersula White; a host of cousins; “adopted” children, Willie Lee Perry (Dianna), George Perry (Shanita), Bruce Perry, and the entire Perry family; and too many friends to confine to this page.

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