Sidney Toombs
Printed Program for Sidney's Funeral
Front Page
- Photo of Sidney from the top of this page Goes here (Please click the photo for the high resolution photo suitable for printing.)
- Sidney James Toombs Jr.
- April 10, 1940 to July 5, 2014
- Funeral Service - Saturday, July 12, 2014
- Viewing - 10 am
- Service - 1130 am
Inside Page 1
Inside Page 2
- Photo Collage Goes Here
- We are sending an email with ten jpg attachments to use for the collage.
Inside Page 3
He'll Understand and Say Well Done
If when you give the best of your service
Telling the world that the Saviour has come
Be not dismayed when men don't believe you
He'll understand and say well done
Misunderstood the Saviour of sinners
Hung on the cross He was God's only son
Oh, hear Him calling His Father in Heaven
Let not my will, but Thine be done.
Chorus
Oh when I come to the end of my journey
Weary of life and the battle is won
Carrying the staff and the cross of redemption
He'll understand and say well done
Oh when this life of labor is ended
And the reward of the race you have run
Oh the sweet rest that's prepared for the faithful
Will be his blest and final "Well done"
But if you try and fail in your trying
Hands sore and scarred from
Oh when I come to the end of my journey
Weary of life and the battle is won
Carrying the staff and the cross of redemption
He'll understand and say well done
Fold Out Page
Order of Service
- Organ Prelude
- Processional
- Prayer of Comfort by Elder Rodney Willis
- Selection -- It is Well With My Soul
- Scriptures - Matthew 11:28 - 30
- Selection - He'll Understand and Say Well Done - Solo by Sterling Spencer
- Reading of the Life Story by Hugh Pickens
- Appreciations from the Family by Sidney Jack Toombs III
- Expressions (Two Minutes Please)
- Selection - His Eye Is On the Sparrow
- Family Tributes - Dr. Sunday June Pickens, Sidney Jack Toombs III, and others
- Final Viewing as Choir sings "I'll Fly Away"
- Benediction by Elder Rodney Willis
- Recessional
Back Page
- Photo of Sidney and his sister, the second picture from the top of this page Goes here. (Please click the photo for the high resolution photo suitable for printing.)
- The three verses from the Rubaiyat go under the photo (Follow this Link for the verses)
- The poem Miss Me But Let Me Go goes here.
- Print "Well Done, My Brother, Well Done" (in large print)
Life Story
Sidney James Toombs Jr. was born in Philadelphia, Pa on April 10, 1940, the son of Mildred Lurene Shields and Sidney James Toombs Sr. Sidney grew up on the 2100 block of Diamond Street and the 2400 block of 29th Street. Sidney and his sister Sunday June spent summers with their grandparents in Wilberforce, Ohio where his grandfather Norwood Shields was a professor of agriculture at Central State College.
Sidney attended Douglas Singerly Elementary School, Fitzsimmons Junior High School, and Germantown High School where he graduated in 1958. Sidney was an altar boy at St. Augustine's Episcopal Church and Sidney ran cross country and was a high school track star. Sidney attended Central State College in Wilberforce, Ohio and was a member of Phi Alpha fraternity and the Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC). Sidney attended Temple University from 1972 to 1974 on a part time basis in the Temple Opportunity Program (TOP).
Sidney was employed by the United States Post Office as a clerk and he worked at Domino Sugar. In his later years Sidney was a census taker and he worked on voting machines in every election. Sidney also held a position with the Harmonious Volunteer Center, a program for feeding the homeless. Sidney cared for his mother, Mildred S. Toombs, in her home for over twenty years. After his retirement and his mother's death in 1996, Sidney lived the last years of his life at the Landreth Apartments in South Philadelphia beginning in 2009. Sidney was a member of Operation Town Watch, an organization dedicated to the development and promotion of organized, law enforcement-affiliated crime and drug prevention programs.
Things that Sidney loved include his favorite restaurants, Charlie's Country Ribs at 2528 W Diamond, the Prime Rib at 1701 Locust St., and McGillians on Drury Lane, one of America's oldest pubs and Philadelphia's oldest continuously operated tavern. Sidney loved Argyle Dark Corojo cigars from Holt's and Crown Royal, a blended Canadian Whisky. Sidney loved to read "The Rubaiyat" by Omar Khayyam. Sidney often told friends that he was living the life of an "English Earl" and Sidney always said that AA stood for "Alcohol Allowed". Sidney was a movie buff and a history buff with a special interest in World War Two and the D-Day invasion. Most importantly, Sidney deeply loved his family and all his many friends. Sidney never met a stranger. Sidney's bright eyes, wonderful smile, warmth and generosity, made him loved by all.
For the last ten years, Sidney loved coming to Oklahoma every year and spending Christmas and New Year's holidays with his sister Sunday June and her family. Sidney came for one month every year and loved staying in the Guest House which he called a "Five-Star Hotel," watching movies around the clock and playing endless games of "cut throat" pinochle with his sister. On one of his trips to Oklahoma, Sidney visited Langston University in Langston, Oklahoma where his mother, Mildred Shields Toombs, was born in 1907 when her father Norwood Shields was one of the first professors of agriculture at the only historically Black college in the state.
Sidney is survived by his sister, Dr. Sunday June Pickens and her husband Hugh Pickens of Ponca City, Oklahoma; by his son Sidney Jack Toombs III and his wife Lisa Toombs and two granddaughters Nia Nicole Toombs and Winter Joy Toombs, all of Philadelphia; by his daughter Celeste Toombs of Durham, North Carolina; by his daughter Stephamie Rose Jones and her husband Rahsaan Jones of Snellville, Georgia; by his cousin Strawberri Lucas of Newark, New Jersey; by his cousin Leonard Blake and his wife Barbara Blake of Columbus, Ohio; by his cousin Norwood Rainey, of Tuscon, Arizona; by his cousin, Sandra Fisher, of Los Angeles, California; and by numerous other relatives including Atreva and Clyde Vaughn Jr., Delena D. Johnson, Pamela Blake, Patricia Blake-Smith and Jonathon Smith, Lavern Williams, and Gwendolyn and Marcel Hollenger, and several other relatives.
Sidney passed away due to complications arising from cancer of the liver on July 5, 2014 at 7:41 pm at University of Pennsylvania Hospital in Philadelphia. With him at the time of his death was his son Sidney Jack Toombs III and his sister Dr. Sunday June Pickens and her husband Hugh Pickens. Sidney was 74.
Schedule of Funeral Arrangements
Wednesday
2pm Tentative list for the food and numbers to Bishop Williams, ask if he officiate, get a choir, get a photographer, contact at Golden Bus.
3pm Meet with Kim to go over the program, have the limos come to Rittenhouse Hotel and to Bo's house and make sure the limos will bring us back
Thursday
1000 run through of presentation, Ask Bishop Williams to call Golden on our behalf. See if they have two easles.
5 pm pick up photos
7pm bo comes by to go over program
Friday
Morning - Get proof for the program
10 am Come back to Shiloh for second run through
4pm Go by Savin to settle bill, see Sidney, need stands for flowers, and need two easles for the photo, get death certificates, increase the number of programs to 125, 25 more announcements, put crown royal, cards, cigars, and silver dollar in coffin, go over minor changes in the program.
Evening print the programs
Saturday
0830 to 930 - David delivers the flowers
0800 Hp leaves hotel to pick up Larry and take him to Golden Bus
0830 Pick up Larry at 2243 N 18th
0845 Larry gets to Golden Buses
0900 Bus departs with larry for apartment building
0930 - Bus arrives at the apartment building
1000 - Bus arrives at 29th street
1000 - Viewing starts
1015 - Bus arrives with people from apartment and 29th street
1130 - Memorial Service begins
1230 - Lunch begins
1500 - Bus returns people
How Many are Coming - 92
Family - 22
Limo 1 - 7
Bo, Lisa, nia nicole, winter joy
Celeste and julie
Stephanie
Limo 2 - 4
Hugh and Sj
Norwood and Tierra Rainey
Own Transportation - 11
Strawberry and Georgie
Leonard, barbara, and pam
Laverne and 1 child
Gwen and her husband
Beaver and clyde
29th Street - 25
Cynthia says 20 to 25
Landreth Apartment House - 14
Mary s. says 14
Larry and Tommy and Stan - 25
Larry says he has talked to about 15 people who will come on their own
Tommy, wife, and daughter and 4 other people
Stan and bunny.
Choir Members - 6
Choir members - 6
Not Coming - 0
Sandra, gene, and her mother
Rahsaan
Action Items
Pending Action Items
27 Get key and phone number from Bo and give to Larry when I pick him up
39 check with the mayor about August 14
40. Go to Walnut Theatre Sunday night
43 let Kenny know about the funeral
46 call ken in housekeeping about angus burger and crab cake
48. Write review for savin
49. Write review for rittenhouse
51 go out saturday morning, pick up larry, take him to the bus
52
Completed Action Items
2 get flowers. Sj
11 call other florist and cancel. Bo
10 check with bishop williams on bus to 29th and apartment sj
14 check on the suit, shirt, tie bo
4 chose minister sj
21 Sj needs Sidney's SSN sj
15 stop by holts sj
12 check with cynthia how many are coming bo
24 Bishop Williams to provide name and number of bus company
6 get singer kim
9 flyers at apartment bo
13 check with mary on apartment people bo
17 Get a copy of the Rubyait for the service hp
19 get larry's address and coordinate
18 Find out time the bus leaves Shiloh and make sure we have someone on it
20 make poster of sidney for service hp.
31 Ask Bo how to spell Rashaan and do they live in Atlanta or Snailville
1 Finish bio. Hp
5 order of service sj
8 pass out flyers on 29th bo
16. Talk to stan tommy and larry sj
23. Bishop Williams to get a choir
25 Bishop Williams to let him know if he can officiate
29 call Kim and tell her we will come by at 3pm
30 Should we have a photographer? Ask bo if he knows somebody
32 Ask Bo to bring a USB memory card with about ten to fifteen of the best photos of Sidney to our meeting with Kim on Wednesday afternoon to create a photo collage
34. Sj to reserve a room for Norwood and Tierra
35 Hp to email Norwood with his reservations and address
22 for Bo to get a singer
7 pay for food sj
33 Bo to go to Amazon and buy this MP3 of He'll Understand and say Well Done by Arthur Buckner (follow link) to use as the background music for the powerpoint show.
36 Hp to call dental
3 make up dvd nia
28 call Golden bus with Bishop Williams let them know about Larry
37 Sj to call Virginia -remind her
26 Pick up poster hp
45 Let Bishop Williams know we ned three family tables
38. see about buying an inexpensive dark jacket
41 Sj and Bo to determine who will do expressions
42 Nia and Bo to shorten slides to 8 seconds, use same font throughout, and make the pictures and text come on at the same time
44 Let kim know we want to increase the programs to 150, need two easies, pay the bill
47 make corrections to program
50 see the remains
Order of Service
The Rubaiyat
For some we loved, the loveliest and the best
That from his Vintage rolling Time hath prest,
Have drunk their Cup a Round or two before,
And one by one crept silently to rest.
And when like her, oh, Saki, you shall pass
Among the Guests Star-scatter'd on the Grass,
And in your joyous errand reach the spot
Where I made One--turn down an empty Glass!
With them the seed of Wisdom did I sow,
And with mine own hand wrought to make it grow;
And this was all the Harvest that I reap'd--
"I came like Water, and like Wind I go."
Miss me But Let Me Go
When I come to the end of the road
And the sun has set for me
I want no rites in a gloom-filled room
Why cry for a soul set free?
Miss me a little-but not too long
And not with your head bowed low
Remember the love that we once shared
Miss me-but let me go
For this is a journey that we all must take
And each must go alone.
It's all part of the Master's plan
A step on the road to home
When you are lonely and sick of heart
Go to the friends we know
And bury your sorrows in doing good deeds
Miss me but let me go.
Reference
Funeral Arrangements for Sidney Toombs
Music
- His eye is on the sparrow
- It is well with my soul
Photos
Addresses
Shiloh Apostolic Temple Church. 1500 W Master St. Bishop Williams cell 267-339-8069 Office 215-763-7335. BishopDWilliams@gmail.com
Savin Funeral Home - 802 N 12th St, Philadelphia (215) 765-7065
Landreth Apartment (former Landreth School) 1201 S. 23rd - Entrance to Parking Lot is across the street from 2243 Federal St
Mary Smitherman at Landreth room number 208 phone 215-881-3485
Mary Alston - Landreth 215-881-3485
Golden Bus leaving from Ridge and Allegany 215-224-1940
Larry Statton 2243 n 18th st. 215-232-0108
Kim Corbin 215-765-7065. email Corbinkim318@yahoo.com
Norwood's email nhrainey1@aol.com
McGillins Pub at 1310 Drury st.
Dr. Mae H. Caleb, MD. 5800 Ridge Ave, Philadelphia, PA. 610-543-2737
Rittenhouse hotel. 215-546-9000
Sydney Ann Beckett. Cell. 267-663-8504 Home. 215-843-1965. Work 215-997-2400
email to Bishop Williams
Tentative list for the food and numbers to Bishop Williams ask if he officiate, get a choir, get a photographer, contact at Golden
Here is a list of our questions:
1. Who is going to officiate?
District Elder Rodney Willis 856-513-5823
2. Can we meet with the minister to go over the program and discuss the hymns and scripture? We need to do this today so it can go in the printed program.
3. Can we have a choir at the service? They will be invited to join us for the repass.
The Choir is called the "Shiliites" Mother Mary Francis phone number 267-275-4896
4. Can you find a photographer for the viewing, the service, and the repass?
Working on this request
5. Can you give us a contact and a number for Golden Buses? Do they know already that we will have someone at their offices at Ridge and Allegany at 830 am Saturday who will ride with the bus to the two destinations?
Reverend Golden 215-439-0304
6. We want to plan the repass for 100 people and want the Gold Menu. Our choices are: Salad: Tropical Fruit salad Entre: 1) Turkey with stuffing and cranberry sauce. 2) Broiled stuffed fish Vegatable: 1) Mixed greens 2) Southern string beans Second vegatable: 1) Candied sweet potatoes 2) Shiloh Macaroni and Cheese
7. Can you please send us an email reply to confirm you have received this message.
Best Regards,
Hugh Pickens
Dance the night away
You'll find the pocketbook at Bradford Exchange under "Dance the Night Away."
Final Changes to the Program
The program looks great.
We are working from the second version you sent us.
I just got together with the family and we read to program out loud all the way through and found about ten minor tipos/corrections/changes.
Here they are:
Changes to Life Story
1. In paragragh 1,
change "2400 block of 29th
to "2500 block of 29th"
2. In paragraph 3
Delete the phrase "in 1996"
3. In para 4
Change "McGillians"
To "McGillan's"
4. In para 4
Change "He never met a stranger."
To "Sidney never met a stranger."
5. In para 6
Add a close parenthesis after "Hugh Pickens"
6. In para 6
Change "Newark, NJ"
To "East Orange, NJ"
7. In para 6
Change "Marcel Hollenger, and several other relatives."
To "Marcel Hollenger, Tiera Rainey, and several other relatives."
8. In para 6
We are going to change the order of the son and two daughters in the paragragh
From: Sidney, Celeste, and then Stephanie
To: Celeste, Sidney, and Stephanie
To put them in correct order for their ages.
9. In para 7
Change "was his son"
To "were his son"
Changes to Order of Service
10. In Expressions
Before "(Two Minutes Please)"
Add a line with "Larry Statton"
Add another line with "Stanley McMullen"
11. In Family Tributes
Delete the line "(Open to Others)
12. In Family Tributes
Add "Strawberri Lucas"
After "Sidney Jack Toombs III"
One More Proof
After you have made these changes, please email me one more proof.
Here is how paragraph 6 should read
Sidney is survived by: his sister, Dr. Sunday June Pickens (her husband, Hugh Pickens) of Ponca City, OK; his daughter, Celeste Toombs of Durham, NC; his son Sidney Jack Toombs III and his wife Lisa Toombs and two granddaughters Nia Nicole Toombs and Winter Joy Toombs, all of Philadelphia; daughter, Stephanie Rose Jones (her husband, Rahsaan Jones) of Snellville, GA; his cousins, Strawberri Lucas of East Orange, NJ, Leonard Blake (his wife, Barbara Blake) of Columbus, OH, Norwood Rainey, of Tuscon, AZ and Sandra Fisher, of Los Angeles, CA; and numerous relatives including, Atreva and Clyde Vaughn Jr., Delena D. Johnson, Pamela Blake, Patricia Blake-Smith, Jonathon Smith, Lavern Williams, Gwendolyn and Marcel Hollenger, Tiera Rainey, and several other relatives.
