Ms. Mary Johnson

Obituary For Ms. Mary Johnson

Mary Alice Johnson received her gift of life on April 9, 1935, in Caryville, Florida, to Rebecca C. McBride and Jesse Deloich. She made her transition on December 19, 2023 at Memorial Regional Hospital in Hollywood, Florida.

She lived in DeFuniak Springs, where she graduated from Tivoli High School. She played basketball and sang in the local church choir at St. Joseph A.M.E. Church.

Mary Alice later married before relocating to Chicago, Illinois, with her husband the late James Edward Powell, Sr., several years later she had the opportunity to travel to Germany and New Mexico with her second husband the late Joseph S. Johnson, Jr., while he was in the military. Mary Alice enjoyed traveling and visited Alaska, New York, Tennessee and California, often.

Mary loved people and enjoyed talking with them. She worked at Sunland (Landmark Learning Center) where she always loved working with children. She believed in the simple lesson to help one another and she would open her home to anyone in need. Mary loved cooking and feeding the community and treated every child she met like they were her own. She was not only the matriarch of this family but to everyone she met and was known as “Granny” to anybody she knew. She believed in peace and keeping family together. Mary will be fondly remembered for her laughter, personality and her consistency to give every family member a phone call to sing “Happy Birthday.”

She was preceded in death by her mother and fathe,r Rebecca C. McBride-London and Jesse Deloich; two sons, James Edward Powell, Jr., and Joseph S. Johnson, III; and her great-granddaughter, Ariana Williams.

Mary was an only child and always wanted a large family. She leaves all her love and memories with her family: two daughters, Loreli Montez Washington of Brentwood, California, Rebecca Dawkins of Dania Beach , Florida; three sons, Charles Powell (Valerie) of Baldwin Harbor, New York, Ronald Johnson (Tamika) of Nashville, Tennessee, Walter Still II (Pam); daughter-in-law, Paulette Jackson-Powell of Greenwood, Florida; seven granddaughters, Sheila Zeno (Tony), Kendra Wynn (Zar’Kelia), Kayla Johnson, Shannora Johnson (Cedric), Shatanise Dawkins, Mercedes Mahony, and Quantanya Williams; seven grandsons, Corey Powell, James Edward Powell III, Angelo Ponds (Charmaine), Charles Powell, Jr., Joseph S. Johnson IV, Ronald Johnson, Jr. and Raymond Williams. She also shares her love with 38 great-grandchildren, seven great-great-grandchildren, and will share her love with all the future grandkids still to come. She loved each and every one in her large family and all those whose lives she touched as “Granny.”

Homegoing services will be held on Thursday, December 28, 2023, at St. Joseph AME Church located at 117 Graham Avenue in Defuniak Springs, Fl with Rev. Michael Johnson officiating. Interment will follow in the Magnolia Cemetery in Defuniak Springs with the caring staff of Peoples Funeral Home of Marianna, Florida directing.

The body will lie in state at the church from 9:30 am until funeral time at 11:30 am

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