Hortense Kinard, the eldest of three siblings, was born on October 2, 1958 in Chicago, Illinois to the parentage of Claude and June Kinard.At the age of nine, Hortense relocated with her family to Wheaton, Maryland, where she grew up and completed her high school education at Northwood High School. She later furthered her education at the Montgomery Junior College in Wheaton, majoring in retail merchandising.Hortense worked for many of the major department stores in her profession of retail merchandising. She received a number of honors for her professionalism in her field of work.Hortense departed this life from a sudden illness Wednesday, August 27, 2002 at 12:30 PM. She was preceded in death by her baby brother Claude Kinard, IV. She leaves to cherish her memory; her father Claude Kinard, III of Washington, D.C.; mother June Kinard of Chicago, IL; sister Emily Kinard of Chicago, IL; Grandmothers Hortense Kirkman-Bey of Chicago and Emily Kinard of Gary, IN.; grand uncle Melvin Moody; and numerous aunts, uncles, cousins, nephews and nieces.