Services for Joni Sledge, 60, a member of Sister Sledge, were held Saturday, March 25 at Deliverance Evangelistic Church, 2001 W. Lehigh Ave, Philadelphia, PA. Burial was in Ivy Hill Cemetery. Sledge died on Friday, March 10, 2017.
She and her sisters Debbie, Kim and Kathy formed Sister Sledge in 1971 in Philadelphia. The group was known for their hit song “We Are Family.“ Sledge wrote and produced many of the groups songs.
She was born on Sept. 13, 1956 in Philadelphia. She was the daughter of the late actress Florez Kathy Sledge and Broadway tap dancer, Edwin Edgar Sledge.
Her family said her passion for the arts and academics was unmatched.
Some of her favorite extracurricular activities included playing tennis at the Arthur Ashe Tennis Camp, participating in theater and mastering foreign languages.
She had an extremely advanced IQ and sailed through school. Her brilliance and work ethic afforded her nothing less than straight A’s. She earned her bachelor’s degree in communications from Temple University.
As a sophomore attending Temple she produced and directed her first sold out production “WildFlower.” After graduating from Temple, she traveled the world extensively and sang on numerous stages. She lived in Paris, France briefly and attended Sorbonne University. She later moved to Marina del Rey, Calif. She loved spending time on the beach, basking in the warm glow of the sun, she frequently hiked mountains and made sure to stay fit.
She married Thaddeus E. Whyte III and relocated to Scottsdale, Ariz. where she gave birth to her only child, Thaddeus E. Whyte IV. Her son was the light of her life and joy of her world. She loved having him by her side as she traveled the world.
Sledge was a philanthropist who passionately stood against inequality, gender and racial discrimination and often used her stardom to bring light to lesser known causes.
“She loved to sing with her sisters, and just as Sister Sledge’s Grammy award winning hit “We Are Family” became a worldwide mantra for steadfast love, she will be remembered for her unwavering love: love of family, love of friends and love of life.“
She is survived by: her sisters, son and aunts, Geraldine Rhodes Kennedy and Marian.
Beckett-Brown and Hodges Funeral Home handled the arrangements.