First Lady Teresa D. Tapley

To Know Teresa…

To know Teresa Tapley was to know a woman of elegance, poise, and class. Her loving spirit filled every room she entered, and her presence was made known, not by a boisterous roar, but by the grace that only our Heaven Father could have bestowed upon her.

Born Teresa Dawn Glenn in Jackson, Tennessee to the late Curcenia Perkins Glenn Scruggs and Taylor Roebuck on March 2, 1961, Teresa entered this world with the splendor that could light up a room. To know Teresa as a child was to know a young girl who had the most angelic and delicate presence you’d ever encounter. She was the youngest of her mother’s daughters, and her mother always treated her as a precious gem. 

Teresa was raised by her mother in Jackson Madison County, Tennessee, alongside her two older sisters, Pauline LaVern Glenn Chisholm and Marzan “Marty” Turley. She attended Northside High School (class of 1979), and was a devout Christian, who accepted Jesus Christ as her savior as a youth at Mt. Pleasant C.M.E. Church. To know Teresa as a young believer in Christ was to know a young lady who was faithful to her lifelong calling to be a disciple of Christ. Pauline and Marty knew very early on that their younger sister was anointed to serve in God’s kingdom, and only time would reveal the heights to which she’d climb in the ministry.

Teresa's early work career included a position as a Fashion Fair Cosmetics Consultant for Goldsmith's Department Store and a department manager at K-Mart; however, she transitioned from these professions to answer a higher calling as mother and wife. Teresa was the proud mother of one daughter, Briana Jackson. Briana is a beautiful manifestation of Teresa’s dutiful nurturing and maternal virtues. The most valuable legacy that Teresa left her daughter was that of Christian integrity; one of her favorite sayings was “do right, and right will follow.” In 1990, she met the love of her life, Elder Terry T. Tapley, and moved to Fontana, California. Terry and Teresa were a “dynamite TNT duo.” From raising Briana to serving as shepherds in the C.M.E. church, their union of 35 years has left an indelible mark on all who have been blessed to be in their sphere of influence. Terry has always said, “to know Teresa was to know the BEST Domestic Engineer to have graced this planet – and that’s putting it mildly.” If you were fortunate enough to partake of one of her delicious baked goods or delectable meals, then you’d know Terry’s words to be true! 

To know Teresa as a servant of Christ was to know a woman after God’s own heart. She served two terms as the president of the Ministers’ Spouses, Widows, and Widowers (MSWW) in the Southern California Region of the C.M.E. church. She was instrumental in organizing programs for the MSWW and ensuring that a loving spirit of belonging shaped every aspect of the organization’s operations. It was in Teresa’s nature to be a servant-leader for Christ; she was loved and appreciated by her family and friends for the Daily Devotionals that she’d text to everyone.   

To know Teresa as a person was to know a charmed southern girl with the sage wisdom of a griot. She was intelligent, thoughtful, resourceful, and canny – not to mention one of the most stylish fashionistas that you’d ever meet.  

After gracing us with 64 blissful years, the Lord called His good and faithful servant home on July 30, 2025. She made her transition peacefully at home, surrounded by her loving family.

Teresa was preceded in death by her parents, Mrs. Curcenia Perkins Glenn Scruggs and Mr. Taylor Roebuck, a brother Dewayne Roebuck, a great-nephew whom she loved dearly, Hezekiah Chisholm.

Teresa leaves to cherish her memory, her husband, Elder Terry T. Tapley of Moreno Valley, CA; daughter, Briana Jackson of Moreno Valley, CA; three sisters, Pauline LaVern Chisholm and Marzan Perkins Turley both of Jackson, TN, Edna Roebuck-Hill of Belleville, IL; a brother, Ronald Hopkins of East St. Louis, IL; two special nieces, Amina (Seydou) Sedi of Los Angeles, CA and Kimberly Niang of Aiea Hawaii; three special nephews, Kelby F. Turley of Jackson, TN, Bobbie Hill of Memphis, TN, and Stedmon Roebuck of Jackson, TN; father and mother in-law, Rev. Napoleon and Mrs. Edna Goshay of Moreno Valley, CA; and a host of family members and close friends.

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