Annabelle James

Celebration of Life Annabelle Seabrooke James, the daughter of the late Raymond Seabrooke and Wilhelmina Filmore Seabrooke of Edisto Island, South Carolina, was born August 19, 1927, on Edisto Island, and was the middle of three girls. Her sisters, Mary and Dorothy predeceased her. Her faith journey began at a young age, as she was baptized at the New First Missionary Baptist Church on Edisto Island. Later in life, she became a Sunday school teacher and served as a deaconess. Annabelle was educated in the Larimer Presbyterian private high school, and is a graduate of Coulter Memorial Academy in Cheraw, SC. Annabelle’s dream was to live in New York. Annabelle traveled to New York in the summers to spend time with relatives where one year she met a nice young man while walking her aunt’s dog. The young man, who lived on the same block, was Merrill James. They married on April 16, 1950, raised three children, and ultimately moved to Long Island where she remained in the family home for 62 years until being peacefully called home. Besides her roles as a wife and mother of three, she worked for many years as a supervisor at a manufacturing company. Driven by her belief in self-reliance, she eventually became her own boss and launched a commercial cleaning business. Annabelle was committed to giving back to her community. For many years, she volunteered at the Nassau County Games for the Physically Challenged, where she greeted athletes and enthusiastically cheered them on throughout the events. Mom strongly supported higher education. She offered guidance to many people and listened attentively as we talked about our dreams. Whenever she thought she could make a difference in achieving an educational goal and she had the means to do so, Mom offered financial assistance. Annabelle had many interests, as a music lover she enjoyed gospel music and Jazz/Blues particularly Nat King Cole and others of his time. She was passionate about baseball and became a New York Mets fan when the team was formed in 1962. Annabelle remained a staunch, faithful Mets fan despite the scorecard or season. She was also an avid gardener of both flowers and vegetables. She had a passion for cooking, and everyone loved her famous macaroni and cheese, London broil and bread pudding. Annabelle enjoyed traveling, especially by rail to see much of the countryside. She inherited that love of travel from her father who worked on the railroads connecting the South and the Northeast. In addition to travel by rail other memorable trips included London, Paris, Bermuda, San Juan and St. Thomas. Annabelle was a kind and remarkable woman, quiet, elegant, and always respectful in her demeanor, she touched and had a positive influence on the lives of many people and was affectionally known as Mrs. James, Miss Annabelle, Ann, Nana, Grandma James, Princess, sugar lump, and Auntie but to us, she was Mom. Annabelle was called home to rest on Tuesday, November 4, 2025, nearly forty-one years after the passing of her beloved husband. A heartfelt thank you goes out to the “village of women” who, at various times since April 2019, offered companionship, care, and support to Annabelle. The family’s love and gratitude for these women—Ava Burnett, Dawnell Fraser, Deborah Hill, Ann Marie Joachim, Margaret Kitt, Linette Morelli, Judette Raymond-Boles, Loretta Scotland, and Leila Wade ─ cannot be fully captured in words. Each of them made a lasting difference not only in mother’s life, but also in the lives of our entire family. Annabelle is survived by her beloved son, Merrill James of Hempstead, NY, her daughters, Barbara James of Westport, CT and Sandra James of Mineola, NY, her first cousin, Susan Knight of New York, NY, her sister-in-law Sonia Payne of Forney, TX and family, her sister-in-law Katherine James of Queens, NY and family, her niece Kady Blake of Bethlehem, PA and family, her goddaughter, Pamela Walker of Dallas, GA, her grand godson, Tommee Stone of Austin, TX, her grand goddaughter, BeAna Stone of Smyrna, GA and The Stroud-Fribbley Family of Spring Hill, FL. In addition, Annabelle leaves behind numerous nieces and nephews, other relatives, and many close friends who will cherish her memory.

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