In Loving Memory of Edith May Cobb (née Kimbrough)

July 31, 1924 – September 28, 2025

On a warm summer day in Burlington County, New Jersey, Charles and Elizabeth Kimbrough welcomed their fourth child, Edith May, into the world. From the start, Edith loved sunshine, laughter, and being outdoors—a combination that would serve her well for the next 101 years.

She attended school in Moorestown, New Jersey, where her joy for learning and the arts took root. Later, she earned her Graduate Practical Nurse diploma from the National School of Nursing in Philadelphia, beginning a lifelong commitment to caring for others. Edith worked at Fort Dix, in the nutrition department for many years.

Edith was a people person in every sense of the phrase—outgoing, joyful, and known for her ability to make friends wherever she went. She was especially proud of her family and never missed a chance to brag (just a little!) about the accomplishments of her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

At the New Jersey Veterans Home, where she lived alongside her beloved sister Marion, Edith was a favorite among residents and staff alike. The two sisters were quite the pair—each living past 100, still teasing each other, and proving that good genes and good humor can take you far.

Edith was a long-standing member of Jacobs Chapel, A.M.E. Church.

Edith was one of nine children, and she loved every one of her siblings deeply: Jeanette, Marion (Russell), Dorothy (Harlow), Ellen (Arthur), Richard (Betty), Lawrence (Dora), Charles Jr. (Lillian), and Robert (Elva)—most of whom she has now joined in eternal rest.

She married her soulmate, James Houston Cobb, and together they shared over fifty years of love, laughter, and art. James was a photographer, and Edith a painter—two creative souls who saw beauty everywhere, especially in each other. Their home was filled with pictures, paintings, and the kind of love that makes every guest feel like family.

Edith was the proud mother of three sons: Reginald (deceased, wife Sue), James II (wife Cheryl), and Robert (deceased, wife Deirdre). She adored her boys and ruled their world with what they lovingly called “a velvet glove and an iron fist”—soft-spoken but never soft when it came to raising good men.

She enjoyed traveling, gardening, and had a legendary reputation at the card table. Whether she was hosting a gathering or just sipping coffee on the porch, Edith’s laughter filled every room—and if you were lucky, she’d tell you one of her stories that always started small and ended with everyone in stitches.

Above all, Edith loved the Lord. Her faith was unwavering, her prayers constant, and her words often prophetic.

She was known to send visitors off with her trademark blessing: “I’ll see you when I see you. Jesus is watching over you—and you’ll be blessed by your belief in Him.”

On the day before she passed, Edith preached her final sermon from her hospital bed, still encouraging others to hold fast to faith. With her son James holding her hand, she slipped peacefully into eternal rest on a beautiful fall Sunday morning.

Those who loved her take comfort knowing she is reunited with so many she cherished—and that she meant it when she said, “I’ll see you when I see you.”

She leaves to mourn her son, James II (Cheryl); sisters, Marion and Ellen; grandchildren, Mark, Monique (Amani), Olukemi (Nigel), Yewande (Chidi), and Ariana; great-grandchildren, Malachi, Miles, Mathias, Wyatt, Noa, and Imara; daughters-in-law, Sue Myers, Deirdre Cobb, and Yvette Sterling; and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, family, and friends.