Angeles Delores Thornton Baxter

It's farewell dear sister, the scale has finally tilted in your favor. Both the emotional and physical pain you experienced in life is no more, even Nawlins. Your "reality" is now peace. Farewell dear sister, will meet you on the other side.

Angeles Delores Thornton Baxter was born on January 20, 1953 in Jackson, Georgia and transitioned in Washington DC on April 27, 2025. She was the daughter of the late Nellie Brown Thornton and Willie Morris Thornton. Known in later life as “Dee,” Delores (or “Lois” as she was known in childhood) grew up in Locust Grove, GA.

Dee was a loving child, and as the second of five children, she was a devoted caregiver for her younger siblings. In addition, and like many of her generation, she loved R&B music. Dee was an outstanding student and was part of the first high school class to voluntarily integrate the Henry County School System in 1967, which became fully integrated in 1970. She graduated from the newly integrated Henry County High School in 1971. In this challenging time of newly instituted integration, Delores was an honor student, vice president of the “Beta Club” honor society, selected as “Who’s Who in American High Schools” and was elected senior superlative “Most Likely to Succeed” by her multiracial classmates.

Dee studied at Dillard University in New Orleans. She went on to embark upon her career in technology at Digital Equipment Corporation in Washington, DC in the mid 1970’s. She was a trailblazer. She finished her career at Walter Reed Hospital in Washington.

Even though Dee made her living as a hospital administrator, music was her passion. Through her musician friends, Dee was regularly able to perform as a vocalist in many of the local clubs and hotel lounges around the DC area. She even performed at the Lincoln Theater in Washington. When Dee made music, she made magic. Her genre ranged from R&B to Blues to Jazz. “Fever” was her favorite song and patrons often requested it. As her friends would say, “Dee never met a microphone she didn’t like.”

Dee had one child, a son affectionately known as “Starr,” with her former husband Darryl Baxter. Starr was her world. She had many friends during her 50-year life in DC, but in later life and during her illness she had the unyielding support of three dedicated friends: Earnstine “Tina” Jackson, Ken Waters and goddaughter Alisa “Lisa” Jackson-Gray. Her parting farewell with these three friends was always “I’ll meet you at the throne.” Now we appreciate what that meant. She was blessed.

Dee was proceeded in death by her parents, her older brother Harry Thornton and her former husband Darrell Baxter. She is survived by her son Marshall Alexander Starr Baxter whom she lovingly cherished, and her siblings W M “Billy“ Thornton Jr (Meril), Johnny Thornton (Angie) & Wander Thornton.