Thelma Gibson, a South Florida trailblazer in health care, education and community leadership, has died at 99.

Gibson passed away Wednesday at her home, surrounded by family and a priest, according to her niece, Misty Brown. Funeral arrangements are pending.

Born in 1926 in Coconut Grove, Gibson grew up with a strong emphasis on education. She said her mother encouraged her and her siblings to pursue schooling so they would not have to work low-paying domestic jobs.

After graduating from nursing school in 1947, Gibson was hired at Jackson Memorial Hospital. But when she arrived, she said she was told she could not work in the operating room because of segregation and was instead directed to gain experience on the hospital’s “colored floors.”

Undeterred, Gibson built a nursing career that spanned more than three decades, saying she cherished the time she spent caring for others.

Beyond her medical work, Gibson served on numerous boards and committees and became a key community leader. She founded Miami-Dade County’s first Women’s Chamber of Commerce and, following the race riots that devastated Liberty City in the early 1980s, she and her husband launched Black Investors of Dade County to help rebuild the community.

Family members said Gibson considered her service to her community and her church, Christ Episcopal, among her greatest accomplishments.

Gibson often described herself simply as a proud American committed to helping others — a legacy her family says will endure for generations.

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ATLANTA – A man accused of beheading a dog on the front porch of his Fulton County home on Wednesday has been arrested after an hours-long SWAT standoff.

What we know:

Jalen Wade was charged with aggravated cruelty to animals, felony obstruction, and two counts of possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony.

According to the Fulton County Police Department, Wade was taken into custody around 8:30 p.m. after he spent hours barricaded inside a back room of his home, located on Illinois Avenue, near the intersection of Joseph E. Boone Boulevard.

Fulton County Police vehicles line a residential street during a SWAT standoff following an alleged animal beheading on Illinois Avenue on Feb. 11, 2026. (FOX 5 Atlanta)

Neighbors called 911 around 2:30 p.m. after witnessing the beheading on his front porch. When officers arrived, they found a dead dog outside with a machete lying nearby.

When Wade refused to come to the door, investigators obtained a search warrant. Attempts to serve that warrant failed, prompting the SWAT team to be called in to assist.

After a three-hour standoff, SWAT units successfully took Wade into custody. 

Fulton County Police vehicles line a residential street during a SWAT standoff following an alleged animal beheading on Illinois Avenue on Feb. 11, 2026. (FOX 5 Atlanta)

Police reported no injuries during the arrest.

What we don’t know:

Fulton County Police have not released information regarding a possible motive for the attack or if Wade has a history of mental health concerns or prior animal cruelty complaints.

Authorities have not confirmed whether the dog belonged to Wade or if it was a neighbor’s pet or a stray.

Fulton County Police vehicles line a residential street during a SWAT standoff following an alleged animal beheading on Illinois Avenue on Feb. 11, 2026. (FOX 5 Atlanta)

Although Wade faces two counts of firearm possession during the commission of a felony, police have not specified if shots were fired or if the weapons were used to threaten neighbors or responding officers.

It is unknown if police had been called to the Illinois Avenue residence for domestic or noise complaints prior to Wednesday.