September 16, 1930 - April 23, 2023 Obituary
Milton E. Cole, Sr.
Milton E. Cole Sr. was born in Indianapolis, Marion County Indiana in 1930. He was the second child to Louis Emory Cole and Minnie Margaret Cole. He is preceded in death by both his parents, his sister Caroline Cole, brother Richard Cole Sr., sister Gwendolyn Cole and his beloved son Tracey Ellington Landrum Sr.
Milt was a man of many gifts and talents. During his early years in Boston, he worked many different jobs to make ends meet. He worked security, at a hospital, at a laundry facility: he even moonlighted as a singer in a local Doo-Wop group which is how he came to meet his wife, Anna Mae. His Father Emory was a traveling musician who sang and played guitar, violin, and piano proficiently by ear.
Milt did not play an instrument but his love for music was a defining piece of his personality. He also had a sharp eye for gadgets and tools. His personal office held a plethora of tools, gadgets and intrigues that he could explain with a fine attention to detail. Milt would often pull out one of his small tools from his chest pocket and fix your light switch or a crooked cabinet door in your kitchen while stopping by for a visit.
He worked for the Boston Housing Authority for 20 years before retiring in 1999. In his later years he looked forward to loading a bus with family once a year and heading to DeMeritt Hill Farm in New Hampshire for apple picking followed by family time at Stephen’s house.
What was most dear to his heart was his commitment to community, public service & safety and improving the lives of those around him. Milt played a key role in establishing the Martha Eliot Health Center at the Mildred C. Hailey Apartments, formerly known as the Bromley Heath Housing Development. Established under the auspices of Children’s Hospital in the late 1960’s, the center continues to provide primary and preventive care for children, adolescents, and young adults throughout the greater Jamaica Plain area.
He founded the Bromley Heath Community Patrol which became a model for other public housing anti-crime programs throughout the nation. In addition, he was instrumental in organizing support groups for addicts and traveled extensively to conduct training workshops on preventing and controlling drug abuse in public housing. Milton Cole was honored at the White House by President George H.W. Bush in 1991 for his community service and again by President William Jefferson Clinton in 1993.
In conjunction with the Mass Union of Public Housing Tenants Milton started Sportarama, an annual youth sports tournament which brought together youth from housing developments all across the state and Jamboree at the Boston Housing Authority for youth in Boston public housing developments to challenge themselves, build self-esteem and network with their peers. He was an active and dedicated board member of Action for Boston Community Development, the Bromley-Heath Tenant Management Corporation, and the Martha Eliot Health Center, to name a few.
In 1974, Milton E. Cole Sr. founded Widow’s Son Lodge #28, PHA in Boston Massachusetts where Shaquille O’Neal, upon his retirement in 2011 was made a mason. Freemasonry is a fraternal order where its members commit themselves to brotherhood, self-improvement and public service. He was a Past Master.
He leaves behind his brother Patrick Cole Sr., his beloved wife of 61 years Anna Mae Cole and his sons Carl Landrum, Michael Landrum, Stephen Landrum, Milton Cole Jr., Kent Landrum, and his daughters Lorenzee Cole and Shari Cole. Milton also leaves behind a legacy of grandchildren, great-grandchildren, great-great grandchildren, cousins, nieces, nephews – all too numerous to list; the Brotherhood and friendships from all walks of life who knew and loved him. We love Milt and we will miss him dearly.
Services were held on Tuesday, May 2, 2023.