Mrs. Sulema Hester

Mrs. Sulema Hester of Tampa, FL, passed away on Tuesday, June 2, 2026. Funeral Services will be held on Saturday, June 20, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. at Ray Williams Memorial Chapel, 301 N. Howard Avenue, Tampa, FL 33606, with Reverend Beverly Green, Officiating.

Mrs. Sulema Hester was a Tampa native who lived in the city for 64 years. She attended Tampa Bay Technical High School and Hillsborough Community College, where she earned her associate’s degree.  Mrs. Hester was employed as a Customer Relations Specialist for the Florida Department of Children and Families.  She was a member of Pilgrim Rest Missionary Baptist Church.

She was preceded in death by: her grandmother, Susie M. Carver; her mother, Willie M. Peterson; her father, JD Dixon; and her brother, James A. Peterson Sr.

She leaves to cherish her memory:  her sons, Corey Chisholm, Ramel Hester, and Brandon Goff; brothers, Walter L Johnson and Charles E. Baker Jr.; nephews, James Peterson Jr., Jayson Peterson, and Jarquez White; niece, Jada Peterson; great nephew, Sage Peterson; great nieces, Faith Peterson, Aniyah Peterson, and Grace Peterson; aunt, Shelia Thomas (Elder Frederick K. Thomas); cousins, Lakendra Manes (Bismarck) and Shelathia Thomas; close friends, Reverend Beverly S. Green, Willie Mae Charles, and Patricia Barnes; and a host of other family, friends, and loved ones. 

Visitation will be held on Friday, June 19, 2026, from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at Ray Williams Funeral Home, 301 N. Howard Avenue, Tampa, FL 33606.

Arrangements entrusted to Ray Williams Funeral Home, Rhodes & Northern, Owners

www.raywilliamsfuneralhome.com

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