Obituary of Mary A White

After living a full life of family, love, serving and laughter, Mary Ann White was ushered into heaven on the evening of August 29, 2023 as her children were home with her. Mary Ann was born in Wrens, Georgia on February 23, 1946 to her loving parents Lucius White and Gertie Mae Dixon. She attended elementary school in Miami, FL and later Mary Ann moved back to Louisville, GA to her grandparents the late James and Aseline Dixon. She grew up with her uncles, aunts and a cousin with whom she had a close bond like that of brothers and sisters. After attending Jefferson County High School in Louisville, GA, Mary Ann married the late John Wesley Hicks Senior and moved to Philadelphia, PA. Their loving union was blessed with a son John Wesley Hicks Jr. and a daughter Monique Monet Hicks-Waite, and later, Mary Ann and her husband John, a Chemical Engineer, moved to Sicklerville, NJ. Although Mary Ann and John were divorced in 1982, they both continued to pour their love, guidance and wisdom upon their children. Years later, Mary Ann met Claudius (Roy) White, a talented carpenter from Jamaica and they were married in 1989. They resided in the house he built from the ground up in Richland, NJ. Mary Ann worked at Ancora State Hospital as the Senior Human Service Assistant beginning in 1978 until she retired in 2006. Her more than 27 years of service was commendable and she worked in the Division of Developmental Disabilities supporting and monitoring patients whose families were not able to or interested in caring for them. Mary Ann had a special way of working with a population of our society for whom most don’t have the patience or compassion to love, but Mary Ann made a difference in their lives. After retiring, she even opened her home to adults with developmental disabilities to live with her as she cared for them. As a young girl, Mary Ann accepted Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior, and she believed in the power of prayer; she kept her family and friends lifted up in prayer. After moving to New Jersey, she became a member of Ebenezer Baptist Church of Glassboro, NJ where she was an Usher for 20 years and graciously served as the Vice President of the Usher Board. Mary Ann loved to travel and encouraged others to take time away from work and to be sure to make time to travel and enjoy life. She enjoyed trips to Jamaica, Trinidad, the Bahamas, Canada and many states along the East Coast. Mary Ann had a big heart for animals and always had a cat or a dog. She and her daughter Monique worked together to feed the stray cats and kittens they had that would wander into their backyard. Mary Ann was preceded by her father Lucius White and her mother Gertie Mae Dixon. She is survived by her son John Wesley Hicks Jr. (CA), her daughter Monique Monet Hicks-Waite (NJ) and her stepdaughter Jennifer White-Chambers (NJ). She is also survived by her grandson John Wesley (Dale) Hicks III (wife Zarinah) and her step grandson Johnathon White as well as her three great-grandchildren Zaniah Hicks, John (Teddy) Wesley Hicks IV and Lyric White. Also, she is survived by her uncle Joseph Dixon (Louisville, GA), her aunts Inez Dixon (NY), Vinetta Dixon (NJ), Mary Dixon (TX), and her Cousin Freddie Dixon (TX). She is also survived by her sister Bernestine Walker (Wrens, GA), her niece Bernette Walker (TX), her nephew Bernard Walker (CA/GA) and many cousins. We are eternally grateful to God Almighty for the life, love, encouragement, wisdom and laughter that Mary Ann White shared with her family, friends, church family, coworkers and neighbors. May we carry on her legacy of loving, helping and caring for others.