Thomasina Anister

Thomasina Kathleen Anister, daughter of the late Zachariah and Viola Anister was born on February 15, 1956, in Baltimore, Maryland. She departed this life suddenly after a brief illness on Tuesday, January 24, 2023, at Washington Hospital Center. She received her education from the Baltimore City Public School System, graduating from Dunbar High School in 1975.

(Tina) as she was affectionately known by her family and friends entered into the workforce directly upon graduating high school. She dedicated her life of employment to the Baltimore City Public School System with forty-six years of service. She started her career as a bus aid and then transitioned to becoming a teacher’s assistant until she could no longer work.

Spending quality time with her family brought her great pleasure.  Tina dedicated her life to her son Donnie, instilling in him great morals and values while teaching him to be a respectful and wonderful man.  Seeing her son marry her daughter-in-law Dawn, brought her a great deal of happiness.  But her greatest joy was spending time with her granddaughter Lay. She was her heart.

Some of her favorite past times included eating crabs, dining out with family and friends at various restaurants.  Pappas in Glen Burnie was her favorite as she loved their expensive crab cakes. She liked taking pictures and sharing them with all her family and friends on Facebook. She loved holiday dinners with the family, especially Christmas. She started playing her Christmas music during Thanksgiving dinner. Tina also enjoyed watching realty TV such as the Masked Singer, 90-day Fiancé, and Love and Lock Up. Everyone knew where Tina would be on a Sunday afternoon during football season. She would be in front of the television watching the Baltimore Ravens while cheering them on like she was at the stadium. She even turned some family members into Ravens fans.

To know her was to love her.  Her smile and laugh was infectious and her personality was contagious.  You were sure to laugh if you were in Tina’s presence for too long. She loved to laugh and have fun. Shopping with her sister Val, especially on Black Friday was a definite tradition. Tina and Vileen shared a bond discussing the Ravens all the time.  Although her physical home may have been in Baltimore, she spent just as much time with her family in Glen Burnie.

Being a caregiver was not only what Tina did, it was who she was. During the pandemic she spent over a year dedicating her time caring for her mother while working from home until she had to go back to work. Being a teacher’s assistant for special needs children at the William S. Baer school brought her so much joy for the past sixteen years. She hardly ever missed a day of work and at the end of each school day she replied with “see you in the morning”.  Tina loved the students and staff so much that she delayed her retirement plans several times, they were her second family.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her brother Zachary Anister in April, 2020.

Tina leaves to cherish her beautiful memories; a devoted son, Donnie Little, Jr. (Dawn); two granddaughters, Jenell and LaDawn; two sisters, Vileen Hicklin and Valarie Williams (Kevin); three aunts, Kathleen Patterson, Lucille Alston and Deanna Richardson; a bonus sister, Tonya Jackson; a dedicated friend for over 40 years Martina Thomas; a good friend and co-worker Vikki Jones who picked her up in the mornings and took her home every day; the James and Pawlak family for their support; and a host of nieces, nephews and extended family and friends.