Lucille Badger, mother, wife, minister and social work counselor, age 53, passed away with her husband by her side on Saturday, April 17, 2010, after a courageous battle with cancer. Lucille was born on February 24, 1957 in Detroit, Michigan to Howard Moncrease McKissick and Mary Virginia Wood. She married Pastor William T. Badger Jr. at the Apostolic Church of God in Chicago on May 25,1985.
Lucille loved worshiping and praising God. She trusted Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord at age eleven. Lucille devoted her life to ministering to people, in particular to women and children. She graduated from Cooley High School in Detroit and from the University of Detroit with a bachelor’s degree in social work. She continued with her education, earning a master’s degree in social work from the University of Chicago School of Social Service Administration. In December 2009, Lucille completed a second master’s degree in Christian counseling from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, Illinois.
She was very active in her community: She was the founder of Images Family Daycare which provided a great head start for many children in the Madison area. She worked in the schools as a parent volunteer. She co-founded Parents on a Mission (POM) at Wright Middle School. She founded and directed W.I.N.R.S. for Christ (Women Individually Nurturing & Reaching Souls) Ministry, offering services to help free women from substance abuse and improve parenting skills. She began Shoebox Gifts for Children at Christmas through W.I.N.R.S. Ministry.
Lucille was known as Lady B. on the Best of Gospel radio program, airing Sunday nights on WORT 89.9 FM, and also hosted a Christian talk program on WNWC AM 1190 entitled Speak Out with Larry and Lucille. Lucille hosted women’s conferences in the Madison area entitled Setting the Captives Free.
She helped to pastor New Beginnings Alliance Church as an associate minister, focusing on women’s and prayer ministries, and mentoring many women in their walk with the Lord. In 2006, Lucille was program coordinator for InterVarsity Christian Fellowship’s Urbana Missions Conference in St. Louis, MO, and in 2008, she coordinated InterVarsity’s Black Students’ Conference in Atlanta, GA. Most recently, she worked as a therapist intern at Samaritan Counseling Center in Monona, Wisconsin.
Lucille enjoyed relaxing with the family by playing board games, being outdoors, preparing delicious meals, documenting her life in her many journals and listening and composing gospel music. She was the prayer warrior of our family.
She was a national conference speaker with engagements in Seattle, WA, San Francisco, CA, Cinncinati, Ohio, and Chicago Ill. She enjoyed traveling on missions trips with InterVarsity to Turkey and Egypt. In November 2009, she was delighted to travel to Dakar, Senegal with her husband and 21 other African Americans in the C&MA on a missions trip entitled Bridge To Senegal. She was part of a team that ministered to prisoners in Senegal, toured Goree Island (a launch point for honorable slaves coming to the Americas) and experienced Bandia game preserve. She enjoyed life to the fullest even in her last year.
She is survived by her loving husband of 24 years, William (Rick)Badger; their three children, Theodore, Ricquelle, and Quentin; one sister, Geraldine Smith-Bey; three brothers, Victor McKissick, Jerome McKissick and Sean McKissick; a special nephew, Edward Brewster; mother-in-law, Mary Badger; sister-in-law, Dianne Badger Johnson and her husband Bill; sister-in-laws Jean McKissick and Karen Wahls as well as many, many
other family and friends.
Lucille was preceded in death by her parents, Howard McKissick and Mary Wood; brother, Raymond McKissick; and sister, Beverly Brewster.
We rejoice that Lucille is now home in the arms of Jesus. On behalf of the family, we thank you for all your prayers and support during Lucille’s journey.
Memorial contributions can be made to New Beginnings' Celebrate Recovery Ministry, 602 Acewood Boulevard., Madison,Wisconsin, 53714
www.nbaccelebraterecovery.com
