Roscoe Todd, was called home to the Lord on August 26, 2025, at the age of 95 in Brundidge, Alabama. Born on November 26, 1929, in Attapugus, Georgia, to the late John Todd and Mary Powell Todd, Roscoe’s life showed the power of determination and the pursuit of the American dream.
From his early days working on tobacco farms in the Quincy, Florida area, Roscoe’s entrepreneurial spirit began to shine brightly. Even though he lived the majority of his adult life in Miami, Florida, where he and Ora Belle raised their children, when he retired, he sought a quieter life. After retirement, they moved to the quiet countryside area of Madrid (Cottonwood), Alabama and built a house and spent his retirement years travelling, fishing, hunting, and playing golf. Even at the age of 93, he stayed active, walking at least two miles a day.
He was a man who could create tools out of necessity and turn a simple hardware store into a thriving bait and tackle business. His business acumen led him to the ownership of rental properties and an investor as well as held a respected position on the Board of Directors of the first African American owned bank in Miami, Florida. Roscoe’s work history was as diverse as it was impressive. Starting as a young man parking cars at a hotel, he left for Newark, New Jersey, at 17, with dreams of joining the Barnum & Bailey Circus—a ticket out of Quincy that took him as far as New York. His adventurous nature was also evident in his service to his country. Roscoe proudly served in the United States Air Force during the Korean War and the Vietnam Conflict, with a station in France, further showcasing his dedication and resilience.
His interests were as vast as the landscapes he traveled. Roscoe accepted Christ at an early age and grew up singing in the church. He believed firmly that he could achieve anything he set his mind to, a belief that propelled him throughout his life. Roscoe’s love for travel took him and his family camping across the United States, Mexico, and Canada, visiting landmarks such as Mt. Rushmore, Yellowstone National Park, and Niagara Falls.
His love for his family was unparalleled. A devoted husband to his late wife, Ora Belle Todd, whom he married, after she finally said yes on the third try, on Christmas Eve in 1950, Roscoe was also a loving father to his late son, Roscoe Todd, Jr., his late daughter, Carolyn Williams, and his surviving daughter, Marilyn Todd. Roscoe was the cherished brother of Nona P. Gray and Horace Todd, and he was predeceased by his siblings Margaret Correthers, James Todd, John David Todd, Willie J. Todd, Thelma Wilcox, Booker T. Todd, Hazel Lundy, and Joe Luis Todd. His legacy continues through his grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-great-grandchildren, as well as numerous nieces and nephews who will remember him for his adventurous, generous, and selfless nature.
Funeral services will be held at 11 AM, Saturday, September 6, 2025 at the Springfield AME Church, 4194 Union Road, Marianna, Florida 32446 with Pastor Jonathan Broyles officiating. The family will receive friends at the church from 10 AM until 11 AM, prior to the service. Burial will follow in Memory Hill Cemetery in Dothan, Alabama.
