Rev. Zelma E. Bostick

Zelma Edina Bostick was born in Boston, Massachusetts on August 30, 1950 to the late Delano M. Bostick, Sr. and Claudia G. (Clarke) Bostick.

Zelma was educated in the Boston Public Schools. At a young age, she became an avid reader. When she attended Boston Latin School for Girls, she began her love for languages which continued throughout her entire life. She loved linguistics.

Zelma received her bachelor’s degree in Business Management from the University of the State of New York, followed by a Master of Divinity from the Boston University School of Theology. She later received two Master of Education degrees; one from Suffolk University, followed by another from Cambridge College.

Zelma was a loving and fiercely protective mother of her only child Alinda Asiam who she showered with love and guidance every day of her life.

The Reverend Zelma E. Bostick was an Itinerant Elder for almost 40 years and a member of the Grant African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church in Roxbury, MA.  She served in several AME Churches faithfully. She was active in the New England Annual Conference Women in Ministry, and she served with members of Grant's Commission on Social Action with the Greater Boston Interfaith Organization; together she worked faithfully to seek resolution on critical issues that impacted people including affordable healthcare, unfair housing, and decarceration. Her grant writing skills were invaluable to the congregations she served. Rev. Bostick also demonstrated an unquenchable thirst for mentoring young people through their undergraduate and graduate college experiences.

Rev. Zelma Bostick served as a Lieutenant and Active-Duty Chaplain in the United States Navy and as a tertiary hospital chaplain. Rev. Bostick was the 7th female African American Chaplin on active duty and she was a founding member of the Cambridge Women Veterans’ Organization.

Preceding her in death are her siblings: Delano M. Bostick, Jr., Laurazelle (Bostick) Harris, and Cleophas “Jeff” Bostick.  She leaves to cherish her memory and to carry on her legacy, her daughter Alinda Bostick, her brother Charles “Statts” Wyon Bostick, and her sister Muriel (Steven) Randolph. She also leaves nephews: Earl Bostick, Otis Harris, Jr., Delano Bostick III, and Vincent Randolph, niece: Damita Godfrey, great nieces: Delaney and Nayani Bostick, great nephews: Osiris and Steven Randolph and a host of other family members and friends scattered around the globe. 

Zelma was a shining light to everyone that she met.  Almost everyone that knew her, referred to her as “mother” or “sister” and her memory shall be forever cherished by all those whose lives she touched.

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In lieu of flowers

Though it is customary to send flowers to express your sympathy. we would love (no matter how large or small) if you would donate to the following organizations as they were close to her heart.

God bless, and in the words of my mom “God is Able”

Cambridge Veterans' Department Veterans' Fund

51 Inman Street, 2nd floor, Cambridge MA 02139

or

Lahey Hospital & Medical Center, 

c/o Philanthropy, 41 Mall Road, Burlington, MA 01805

You may also donate online at support.laheyhealth.org/LHMCgive

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Rev. Zelma E. Bostick, please visit our floral store.