Judge Gladys Toney Bransford's Obituary
The Honorable Gladys Toney Bransford, Municipal Court Judge, was born and raised in Madison County, Alabama to Jeanette Toney and Walter Lehman. She attended the Homer G. Phillips Hospital School of Nursing, in St. Louis, Missouri where she earned her R.N. and made friends that would last a lifetime. Along the way, she married the love of her life, a dashing young physician named Paris Bransford, who also hailed from her hometown. Dr. Bransford was a medical student at Meharry Medical College when they married and welcomed their son, Paris Patrick Bransford, along with their daughter Toni Lynne Bransford, the following year. The Bransford family moved to Winston, Salem for his general surgery residency where their third child, Traci Leigh Bransford, was born a few months later.
In 1971, the family moved to Houston and Gladys went back to school, earning her B.A. in Sociology from the University of Houston followed by a law degree from the University of Houston Law School in 1979. Thanks to the loving and nurturing environment provided by Dr. and Mrs. Bransford, all three of their children became professionals in their own right, two cardiologists and one attorney. If you were to ask Judge Bransford, she would proudly agree that her children and her six grandchildren, not her professional career, were her greatest accomplishments.
Upon graduation, Gladys began her legal career with the Texas Department of Corrections as an inmate attorney. Her career with the City of Houston began in 1986 when she was appointed as an Associate Judge by Mayor Kathryn J. Whitmire. In 1987, she was tapped once again by the mayor, but this time as a full-time judge. She served in that capacity until 1993. In 1994, Judge Bransford took on a new role as a hearing officer. In 2002, Mayor Lee P. Brown appointed her once again as a full-time judge. Judge Bransford presided over her various court assignments with dignity, compassion, humor, and professionalism. She was known for caring immensely for her community. Recognizing the profound disparities within the court system, the key principle that drove her legal approach to court management was to work to improve her small corner of Houston.
Judge Bransford was an active member and participant in many professional and civic organizations and activities including the State Bar of Texas, the American Bar Association, and various local legal associations. She held the position of vice-chair and treasurer of the Black Women Lawyer’s Association.
Judge Bransford was very active in her community through organizations such as Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, The Carrousels, Incorporated, The Moles, and Jack and Jill of America. She was most proud of her involvement with The Links, Incorporated, an international volunteer service organization with several chapters in Houston, including The Houston Chapter of The Links, Incorporated where she held platinum membership and continued to be active until the very end. The Links, Incorporated is an organization of professional women committed to enriching, sustaining and ensuring the cultural and economic survival of African Americans and other persons of African ancestry. She was a charter member of the Green Gavel Electronic Unit of the National Association of Parliamentarians and watched it become the premier parliamentary arm for African American organizations. She was active in the Auxiliary to the National Medical Association (ANMA), a nonprofit volunteer service organization comprised of the spouses of active members of the National Medical Association whose mission was to educate and serve the public in matters of health, legislation, and education. She was the 57th President of the ANMA from 1994-1995 with the theme, “Violence and its Effects on our Future Generation” and the 79th President from 2016-2017 with the theme, “Charting the Course for Healthier African American Communities”.
Judge Bransford is survived by her three children, Paris Patrick (Angela), Toni Lynne, (Kevin) and Traci Leigh (Michael), her grandchildren, Preston, Melanie (Jesus), Prentiss (Ivan), Melissa, Meredith, and Kaitlyn, and her great-grandchildren, Paris, Marc, and William. She is also survived by her sisters, Geniece, Marie, and Marvelene, her sister-in-law, Carole (Alonzo) and predeceased by her brother, Alonzo.
Family and friends are welcome to gather for the funeral service Saturday, September 27th at Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church, 3826 Wheeler Avenue in Houston TX. Funeral services will begin with private omega services from 9-10 am, public viewing from 10-11 am, and the funeral service from 11-12 pm CT. For those who may not be able to attend in person, a livestream of the service can be accessed on the Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church website (https://wheelerbc.org/live-streaming) at the start of service. Flower arrangements and plants may be sent to Mabrie Memorial Mortuary. In lieu of flowers, donations will be accepted at Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church. Judge Gladys Toney Bransford will be laid to rest at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Beaumont, Texas, 4955 Pine St, alongside her husband, Dr. Paris Bransford, who predeceased her by 3 months. Portions of this biography were adapted from the Portrait Ceremony for Judge Gladys Toney Bransford at the Herbert Gee Municipal Courthouse, November 1, 2014.
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