Obituary of Mildred Juanita Dobey

"MUSIC IS MY WHOLE EXISTENCE" No truer words could describe the life of Dr. Mildred Juanita Hankins Dobey. Pianist, Accompanist, Pipe Organist, Choral Director, Vocal Arranger and Music Minister. Born in Detroit, Michigan on August 30, 1930, to Cordelia "Mama Dee" and Millard "Daddy Dee" Hankins. Dr. Dobey was the first of five Hankins siblings; Donald, Thomas, James and Joann. Mama Dee, Daddy Dee and Donald preceded Mildred in death. Mildred was a child prodigy who excelled in piano. Her first lessons came from her grandfather James Hankins and her uncle Alvis Hankins. Alvis was a self-taught boogie-woogie pianist. She had a very personal relationship with God and in 1939 she began her music ministry at Greater Macedonia Baptist Church in Detroit. It was there that Mildred played for Sunday school and Ms. Johnnie Gilbert Reid taught Mildred how to master the piano, pipe organ and to be a chorale director. In 1948, Dr. Reid became the minister of music at Hartford Avenue Baptist Church and appointed Mildred her accompanist. Mildred graduated from Northwestern High school at the age of 16 in 1947. Thereafter, she attended the University of Detroit and the Detroit Institute of Musical Arts. She returned to U of D later in life to attain her degree, but stopped going because (in her words) she knew more than her professors!! In September 1951, she married Alexander Dobey from Edgefield, South Carolina whom she met when she worked as the accompanist for The Troubadours male chorus. Alex was a 1st tenor in the choir. From this union they were blessed with two daughters Millicent Alexis and Deborah Malia "Mickee and Debby". The Hankins and Dobey families were members and major players in the music ministry of Hartford Avenue Baptist Church under Rev. Charles Hill. Alex was the choir director and Mildred was the church pianist and organist. Under their direction, Hartford's Inspirational Chorus was one of Detroit's premiere church choirs. Dr. Dobey was the accompanist for her Mother, Cordelia Hankins, an accomplished Contralto soloist, Rev. Dr. Charles Adams, her brother Donald Hankins and her oldest daughter now known as Miche Braden, a professional entertainer. One of Mildred's great Hartford memories is when she was asked by Rev. Hill to accompany a special guest coming to sing at the church. She didn't feel worthy when she found out the special guest was the great Paul Robeson. She tried to back out of it, but Rev. Hill insisted. Mr. Robeson so liked her playing that he started using her instead of his regular accompanist when he would travel to Detroit to perform in 1953, 1956 and 1958. At Hartford, she and Alex formed The Dobey/Weems ensemble with their best friends Doris and Calvin Weems. They sang classic compositions such as Rigoletto and This is My Beloved. She also formed a trio with her brothers Donald and Jimmy called Hankins, Hankins and Hankins. She produced many family concerts that featured the younger talent of the rest of the family including Donald's daughter, classically trained, Allyson Hankins-Robinson and the Father/Son bassists Jimmy and Bryon Hankins. Mildred and Alex divorced in 1964 and he preceded her in death in 1984. After she left Hartford, Dr. Dobey served as musician, choral director and music minister at many Detroit churches including St Mark's Presbyterian Church, People's Community Church, Fellowship Chapel, and Plymouth United Church of Christ. Also, the United Church of Christ Minister's Conference in Orlando, FL 1993 and the Joint Synod of United church of Christ and Disciples of Christ. She returned to Hartford Memorial Baptist as their Minister of Music in the late 70's and resigned in 1986. For 30 years, Dr. Dobey worked as a piano accompanist for the Detroit Public School Music Departments at Post Jr, High, Southeastern and Mackenzie High Schools retiring after working at her Alma mater Northwestern High School in 1990. Other Musical Accomplishments: *She sang with and occasionally accompanied the Brazeal Dennard Chorale and the Cantata Academy. *She was the vocal coach for and also named the group that sang background for Motown, The Andantes. She was mentioned in the book about the Andantes entitled, Motown From the Background, by Vickie Wright (2007 Bank House Books). *When Mildred worked at Southeastern High School. She formed a professional high school vocal ensemble also named The Andantes. They sang all over the Detroit Metro Area. *She was Choral Director of the Dave Brubeck orchestral piece, Gates of Justice performed at Orchestra Hall in 1986. All proceeds from this performance was donated to provide scholarships for poor urban youth. *Choral director for many performances of Duke Ellington's Sacred Music with big band leader Jimmy Wilkins. *She worked for many years as a Parks and Recreation accompanist for Detroit and its professional theater company The Civic Center Theater playing for the Rogers and Hammerstein/Hart Musicals at Ford Auditorium. It was here that Miche and Debby got there first taste of acting and where Miche was bitten by the performing bug. *Played at city functions like the unveiling and dedication of the Spirit of Detroit statue (jolly green giant) in1958. *She was the dean of a distinguished circle of Detroit church musicians such as; Geraldine Duncan, Dr. Robert Harris, Rudolph Hawkins, John Massenburg, Johnnie Reid, Rosa Lee Smith, and Stanley Walden. *The Ecumenical Theological Seminary of Detroit, MI, conferred an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree on Mildred. It was bestowed upon her by Rev. Dr. Adams on June 4, 2006, for her multiple decades of service in music ministry. Mildred leaves to celebrate her life her immediate family: Two loving daughter's Millicent Alexis "Miche" Braden and Deborah Malia Mecks, son-in-law Rodney Allen Mecks, two grandsons Charles Alexander (Kadiri Sennefer) Dobey-Dobbs and Andrew Lawrence Dobbs, Jr., one great grand-daughter Kailee Imani Ariel Holloway and two 'grand-dogs' Rocky and Xena. Her siblings, Thomas and James Hankins and Joann Moncrief, many cousins, nieces and nephews, and a host of other family and friends. Everything Has Its Time Ecclesiastes 3: 1-8 3 To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven: 2 A time to be born, And a time to die; A time to plant, And a time to pluck what is planted; 3 A time to kill, And a time to heal; A time to break down, And a time to build up; 4 A time to weep, And a time to laugh; A time to mourn, And a time to dance; 5 A time to cast away stones, And a time to gather stones; A time to embrace, And a time to refrain from embracing; 6 A time to gain, And a time to lose; A time to keep, And a time to throw away; 7 A time to tear, And a time to sew; A time to keep silence, And a time to speak; 8 A time to love, And a time to hate; A time of war, And a time of peace