Leola "Lele" Cole was born on September 2, 1944, in the beautiful city of Tampa, Florida. She was the seventh of eight children born to the late Susie and Bryant Williams, and the last of her siblings to take her final trip to be with the Lord. Leola attended Hillsborough County public schools and was a proud Middleton Senior High School graduate, Class of 1962. She attended Gibbs Jr College, then later moved to live with her aunt in New York City, where she worked as a secretary to earn an income. She later returned to Tampa and worked as a secretary for a small law firm. Her career started at GTE Data Services, where she was an Executive Secretary until she retired after 28 years of service.

Two final notes about Lele that most people knew is that she loved going to Publix on Saturdays and cooking Sunday meals.

Lele was preceded in death by her parents, Susie and Bryant William; husband, Robert "Bobby" Cole, Jr.; daughter, Valerie Cole; sisters, Delores James, Doris Moore, Beatrice Spearman, and Barbara Riley; brothers, LeRoy Williams, Herbert Williams, and Hilton Williams; nephews, Ulysses Moore, Gary Moore, Leon Williams, Gregory Williams, and Audwin Williams; niece, Carolyn Scarborough; sister-in-law Patricia Haynes; and best friend, Willie Mae VanHorn.

She leaves behind devoted children, Lisa D. Cole and Daryle A. Cole, Reco T. Cole, Sr., and Raymond Cole; grandchildren, Bryant A. Williams (Trish), Ashlie M. Lopez (Michael), Jordan A. Cole, Reco Cole, Jr., Rashad Cole, Terrance Cole, Aundrea Green, Martina and Jamice House; great-grandchildren, John-Miguel Lopez and Jahniah Pressley; adopted children, Toynita Martinez and Robert Dooley; sisters-in-law, Isabel Williams, Gloria Pondexter (Jesse), and Jacqueline Walker (Sonya); brothers-in-law, Anthony Cole (Janice) and Randolph Haynes; nieces, Elaine Pope, Gloria Washington, Brenda Williams, Barbara Jackson (Garfield), Sherry Way, Hope Scarborough, Suezette Williams, Debra Williams, Randria Haynes and Andrea Green; nephews, Richard Spearman (Linda), Michael James, Mark Williams, Rawn Haynes, Ricardo Haynes, Todd Cole to name a few; aunts, Thelma Acosta and Gladys Lang; cousin, Dorothy Williams; special friends, Jessie Parker, Connie Boone and Bennie Milford; and a host of other relatives, friends, and neighbors on 18th Avenue.

Visitation
Aikens Funeral Home
Friday, August 25, 2023
4:00 PM - 8:00 PM
2708 E Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd
Tampa, FL 33610

Celebration of Life
St. Luke AME Church
Saturday, August 26, 2023
11:00 AM
2709 N. 25th St.
Tampa, Fl 33605