Leona Meddaugh

Leona Rene Meddaugh, affectionately known as Rene and “Mazy,” was born on May 14, 1949, in Camden, New Jersey, to the late Marjorie Julia Pruitt-Brown and Ellsworth Leon Hopkins.

She was educated in the public school system and graduated from Camden High School. Rene went on to earn her undergraduate degree from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore and later achieved three master’s degrees from Morgan State University, Columbia Union College, and George Washington University, a testament to her lifelong passion for learning and personal growth.

Rene began her professional career at Campbell’s Soup before moving on to IBM, where she worked for several years prior to retiring. Afterward, she relocated to Cambridge, Maryland, where her entrepreneurial spirit flourished. She owned and operated a successful nail salon, Rene’s Fi-Nail Touch, located on Route 50, and also played an instrumental role in opening and managing Gentleman Joe’s Lounge on Pine Street. She also founded the Harriet Tubman Gallery INC. located in Cambridge, Maryland on September 7, 1992.

Never one to remain idle, Rene embraced a new chapter as an educator. She taught in Talbot County, Washington, D.C., and later with Prince George’s County Public Schools, from which she retired in 2015.

Rene was a vibrant and devoted mother and grandmother who was always on the move, opening her home and her heart to many foster children. She lived with a spontaneous spirit and had a deep love for travel, fashion, and staying on trend. Her entrepreneurial drive, paired with her commitment to lifelong learning, shaped much of her journey.

She leaves behind a legacy of laughter, love, and lasting inspiration.

She leaves to cherish her memories with her three children: Monique Diaz (Tony), Keith Evans, and Olivia McDonald (Antonio); and lifelong foster sons, Jeremy Jackson and Brandon Richardson-Evans. She is also survived by her ten beloved grandchildren: Tonesha Diaz-Nwachukwu (Chukwudi), Estevan Sevilla, Keith Evans Jr., Tony Diaz Jr., Malique Diaz, Oberron Evans-El, Zeki Evans-El, Brice Evans, Oaklyn McDonald, and Amir McDonald. She is further survived by her stepdaughter, Dana Gaines (John); and her grandchildren, Christopher Collins II (Talisha), Christian Collins (Tykia), Dana-Rene' Gaines, and DeJanae Hargrove (Jaymes).

Rene is also lovingly remembered by her siblings: Pandoria King, Rosetta Brown-DeJesus (Candido), Yalonda Brown Cain, Charisse Johnson (Andrew), and her brother Jesse Brown (Sharon); her aunts: Martha McRae and Willie Mae Brooks; along with a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, foster children, and dear friends.

She was preceded in death by her loving husband, David Meddaugh; her granddaughter, Tatiana Diaz; and her sister, Ella Mae “Cynthia” Bryant.