Honoring the Life and Legacy of Cecelia “Cee Cee” T. Tucker

In loving memory of Mrs. Cecelia "Cee Cee" Tucker

Some people come into your life for a season. Others become a part of your story forever. For me, Cecelia “Cee Cee” T. Tucker was one of those rare, life-changing souls.

I met Cee Cee when I was just eleven years old. I was one of the very first students in her ODU Lambert’s Point Community Summer Program. That’s where I first saw this beautiful woman with a heart of gold, someone who believed in giving young people opportunities to see beyond the limits of their neighborhood. She didn’t just run a program; she made each of us feel seen, valued, and capable of more.

Cee Cee soon learned that I had a love for the arts and music, and she made sure that passion had room to grow. Every summer, for ten years straight, she secured a scholarship for me to attend a summer theater camp. Those years shaped not just my creative skills, but my confidence and my belief that my voice and my story mattered.

Over the years, Cee Cee opened doors to countless opportunities. When I later returned to Old Dominion University to complete my degree, I discovered that I had accumulated 93 continuing education credits due to the numerous programs, trainings, and initiatives she had involved me in. Cee Cee never let me forget the importance of finishing what I started. She stayed on me, encouraging me to come back to ODU and earn my degree. And when that day finally came, Cee Cee made sure I was seated on her side of the stage during commencement so she could hug me and personally congratulate me.

I’ll never forget my senior year of high school when Cee Cee, alongside ODU President James Koch, called me and asked me to speak before the Norfolk City Council about the ODU Village Project. It was a big moment; it could have gone either way, and they believed my voice could make a difference. Standing there in City Hall as a prospective ODU student lit a fire in me that I carry to this day. It was the first time I thought, “I could serve on this City Council one day.”

Cee Cee didn’t just mentor me; she also put my name forward when opportunities arose. In 2013, she nominated me to receive the Virginia Center for Inclusive Communities Humanitarian Award. I was honored to become the youngest individual in the organization’s 50-year history to receive that recognition, a moment that reinforced the values she had instilled in me about service, inclusion, and leadership.

Years later, when I was elected to the Norfolk City School Board, Cee Cee was overjoyed. She worked with me through the Norfolk Education Foundation and continued to be a sounding board, a mentor, and a champion. And when I was elected to the Norfolk City Council, she was proud as if her son had taken up the mantle. She had poured into me for decades, and I knew I was standing on the foundation she helped build.

My last in-person memory with Cee Cee was at the 200+ Men’s Breakfast. We walked down the long corridor of the Virginia Beach Convention Center together, she leaning on me for support, and once inside, she was her usual self, moving from table to table, greeting and laughing with everyone in the room. That was Cee Cee, always connecting, always present.

The last time we spoke was over the phone. I had just landed in Los Angeles for a conference when she called me. She was frustrated because she had opened my e-newsletter as a Council Member, clicked on the supporter gallery, and didn’t see her picture. I told her, “Cee Cee, because you were working with the school system, I didn’t want to put you in a political post.” In true Cee Cee fashion, she told me exactly how she felt, but in that loving way only she could. To make her smile, I shared something I hadn’t announced yet: I told her she was going to be the Humanitarian Award recipient for Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Alpha Phi Lambda Chapter’s Black and Gold Ball this year. She was so excited, and then, in classic Cee Cee style, she asked, “You’re not just saying that to shut me up, are you?” I laughed and said, “No, ma’am.”

I am grateful that I got to visit her in the ICU before she transitioned. Knowing how many lives she touched and how deeply she shaped mine, I can say without hesitation that her impact will live on for generations.

On December 6th, at our annual Black and Gold Scholarship Ball, the brothers of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Alpha Phi Lambda Chapter, will honor Cee Cee posthumously as our Humanitarian of the Year. We will share her story and present a special video tribute, not just to remember her, but to remind ourselves of the standard she set for service, love, and commitment to community.

Rest well, Cee Cee. You built bridges, you opened doors, and you made us all believe we could walk through them. I honor you. I cherish you. And I will carry your lessons in my heart forever.

With gratitude,

Councilman Carlos J. Clanton

🕊️ Read more: Ceceila "Cee Cee" T. Tucker