Life Story

Lois Mea McLendon was born on June 23, 1930 in Wadesboro N.C to the late Jeremiah McLendon and Mary Tilghman. She was known as “Hope” growing up and attended school in Wadesboro N.C.. As a young woman she moved to Swedesboro N.J. with Inez and Willie Mae Horne (Sister and Brother-in-law). She then met and fell in love with George (Buddy) Cook Jr. They married on September14, 1955, and eventually settled in Camden, NJ where they raised 7 children together. Lois was a homemaker who was active in her community volunteering her time to support her children’s schools PTA as well as working as a pollster during local and state elections.

Her kind nature and calm demeanor were two of her greatest assets and she always exhibited patience and believed dearly in cultivating lifelong relationships with her dear friends Virginia Warren, Lillian Corley, Bessie Moore, Norma Tucker (and the late Gloria Monroe-Davis). She was an avid gardener whose love of plants and flowers created a place of peace and beauty and provided her with serenity that involves watching a plant’s life cycle of growth, change and renewal.

Lois was a long-time member of 10th Street Baptist Church and faithfully served on the Usher Board under the current leadership of Reverend Doctor Tony C. Evans Sr. She read the Bible daily and watched services on-line during the COVID crisis.

She was preceded in death by her parents, husband George Jr., sons Carnel and Calvin D. and daughter Naomi Brown, brothers Earle McLendon, William Jerry McLendon, Tyler McLendon and John Hudson, sisters Flora Bradley, Inez Horne, Gladys Brown, and Lorraine Coleman, niece Nora Fountain and nephew James Horne.

Lois leaves to mourn two daughters Annette and Mary Jane, Daughter-in-law Dawn Cook and four sons George III, Aaron M., Stephen D. and Charles I Simms and granddaughters Janine Wheeler, Azizza Davis, Saeedah Z, Jade Cummings-Creek and Nandi R Cook-Creek and grandson Denzel I (Special Caretaker), Daiyaan and the newest addition “Great Grandson Nasir” along with Special Nephew William Horne (Carol) and Special Niece Mary Lou Dent (Kenny Sr) along with a host of other relatives and friends

Sorrowfully Submitted by

The Family