The late Willie Belle Boone is being remembered as a powerful political activist and committed volunteer who made a lasting impact in Southeast Houston and beyond. She died July 15 at the age of 93. Funeral services are 11 a.m. Friday, July 25 at The Windsor Village Church Family, 6011 W. Orem.
She lived in the Sunnyside area for more than 60 years and was known as a neighborhood advocate and civic leader. Boone was the founder and president of the Southeast Precinct Judges Council. She established the Reynolds Elementary School PTO and the school’s library was named in her honor.
She believed in the power of the vote and served as treasurer of the State Democratic Party and Harris County Democratic Party. She was also a member of the State Democratic Executive Committee for Senate District 13 and a representative in the Texas Silver Haired Legislature.
Boone’s background includes working as a community liaison in Rodney Ellis’s State Senate and Harris County Commissioner offices and Congressman Ken Bentsen’s office, as an administrator with the Harris County Clerk’s Office and the Teamsters Union.
She was a charter member of the National Council of Negro Women, Barbara Jordan Houston Section and the South Post Oak Redevelopment Authority Board. She was also a member of the Top Ladies of Distinction, Missouri City/Houston Space City Chapter, National Women of Achievement, NAACP and UNCF. Additionally, Ellis honored her in the inaugural class of Living Legends in 2021.
Boone was a native of Beaumont. She was often accompanied by her husband of 59 years, Jesse Boone, who died in 2024. Survivors include her granddaughter, Geneva Williams and “special son,” Charles Foster.
Elected officials remember Willie Belle Boone
Harris County Commissioner Rodney Ellis:
“There are few people whose legacy spans generations, shapes movements and defines communities. Mrs. Willie Belle Boone was one of them.
“Mrs.Boone was a force – unyielding, principled and full of grace. A trailblazer in grassroots organizing, she built power from the ground up and nurtured it in others. Her work wasn’t just political; it was deeply personal. She poured her heart into our communities, mentoring leaders, empowering neighbors and demanding justice wherever it was lacking.
“I was honored to call her a friend and even more honored that she called me ‘son.’” That bond meant the world to me. Her impact on my life – and on the lives of countless others – is immeasurable. To all who knew and loved her, my heartfelt condolences. May we carry her legacy forward with the same courage and conviction she showed every day of her life.”
State Sen. Borris Miles:
“I knew Willie Bell Boone all my life and grew up around the corner from her. She was a fixture in our community and a political power broker. If someone wanted to be elected in Houston or Harris County, especially in Southeast Houston, they had to go see Mrs. Boone and they had to have her approval.
It was Mrs. Boone, along with Margaret Jenkins and Bessie Swindell, who inspired me and convinced me to pursue public service. She was a joy to be around, a loving person and a person who loved her community and the democratic process.”