Delores H. Cherry

Delores Harriette (Tate) Holmes Cherry was the youngest born to the late Harry and Maude Tate.  She parted this life peacefully on Tuesday, December 5, 2023.  She resided at Cra-Mar Meadows in Cranston, RI.  Delores was born on December 1, 1928 in New York City.  When she graduated from high School, she attended Howard University where she met and married James B. Holmes, who served in the US Army.  They had four children.

Delores took over her father’s taxi business for a few years.  During that time, she also saw the needs for families to have a voucher for transportation to get to and from supermarkets that were located outside their local communities in order to utilize the food stamp program and became an advocate for their needs through her business.  After selling the taxi business, she worked at the Ruth Taylor Institute as an intake and discharge coordinator for the social services department, located at the Westchester County Medical Center in Valhalla, NY, from where she retired at the age of 65. 

She married the late James Cherry of Ossining, NY, who had two children from a previous marriage.  They then both moved to Rhode Island, where she attended the Woonsocket Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses.  After his passing, she moved to live with her son, Dwayne, in Antioch, CA and lived there for at least 25 years.  She attended the Kingdom Hall in California as well.  Delores has been a devoted Witness for over 25 years.  Her grandmother had donated land in Tuskegee, Alabama to the Kingdom Hall to continue serving Jehovah.

Delores enjoyed serving Jehovah, family and friends.  She loved traveling to  East and West Coast, including a trip to Europe, and loved her family pets.

Delores leaves to cherish her memory her daughter, Alicia (Holmes) Jackson and her husband Lorenzo of Rhode Island, her son, Jarvis Holmes and his late wife Kadeijah of Rhode Island, her daughter Anjette (Holmes) Payne and son-in-law Richard Payne of New York, and her son, Dwayne R. Holmes of California.  She was the sister of the late Alice Tate Cauley and brother-in-law Robert Cauley (living) from Tuskegee, AL and the late Ruth Flynn Taylor and her husband the late Larry Taylor.  She also leaves behind her two close nieces, Donna Taylor and Denise Taylor Pugh of West Palm Beach, FL.

Her beloved grandchildren are Keron Jackson, the late Zoe Jackson, and Anton Jackson, all of RI; Empress Payne of New York; Tyan Kathain and her husband Railey Kathain of California; and Shelly and her husband Michael Jackson of Florida.  She also leaves her great-grandchildren, Darren Frappier of Massachusetts, Corey Jackson of Rhode Island, Thaire Chattman of Texas, and Isaiah Jackson Morales, and her great-great-grandchildren, Keion Jr., Jayda, Tobyius, Milani, Mendell, Darren Jr., Stephanie, and Melissa.

She is also survived by a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, and in-laws, as well as many close friends.  She will be dearly missed by all of us.

In appreciation, the family of the late Delores H. (Tate) Holmes-Cherry wishes to express gratitude for all of the kindness, concerns, and expressions of written thoughts that reflected and celebrated the life of my mother.  May God’s Blessings be upon you all. 

Services are respectfully private.  Donations may be made to the Kent Heights Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses, 475 Forbes St., Riverside, RI 02915.