Mary Carolyn Mitchell affectionately known as “MaMa” or “Auntie MaMa” was born on October 20, 1946 in Carrollton County Georgia to the loving and late parents Catherine McAfee Smith and Millidge Mitchell. At 3 years old she moved to Port Monmouth, NJ with her late grandmother Jessie Lee Strickland. When she turned 6, she and her grandmother moved to Long Branch, NJ where she attended Long Branch Public Schools. After graduating from High School, she attended Brookdale Community College for 2 years where she studied art. She later started working at Wheelock in Long Branch where she was certified to work on the assembly line for electronic products. She worked at Depot America in Wall Twp., NJ where she assembled products for copy machines and cannon cameras. She also worked as a security guard being stationed at The Asbury Park Press, Kennedy Towers, Sears and Target.
Anyone who knows “MaMa” knows that she was a big fan of James Brown and the Moments and loved to have a good time! She was also a great cook and anyone who’s ever eaten her collard greens, potato salad and cornbread, ALWAYS came back for more! She loved to cook and would give you the shirt off of her back! She was also a jokester and loved to tell funny jokes to keep you laughing for hours.
After a lengthy battle with Diabetes, Heart Disease, and Alzheimer’s, she succumbed to Covid. God called her home the evening of December 21, 2021. She was predeceased by her late ex-husband and father of her children, Noah Henderson Cox, her daughter Mary Cox, her mother Catherine McAfee Smith, her father Millidge Mitchell and her stepfather Charles “Smitty” Smith.
Mary leaves to cherish her memories a daughter and a son, Antoinette M. Cox, Asbury Park, NJ, Noah K. Cox (Kim), Branford, CT, 3 special daughters, Esther Lowery (Maurice) CT, Jean White (Jeff) E. Hartford, CT, Naimah Moore (Kyshant) Hamden, CT, a brother and sister, Kevin C. Smith, Howell, NJ, Tarika Jean-Pierre (Jacques) Neptune, NJ, 9 grandchildren, Tamiesha Wilburn (Shareefa) Spartanburg, SC, Tyshaaon Cox and Tarik Cox, Asbury Park, NJ, Tevin Cox, Branford, CT, Matthew Davis, Alyssa Davis, William Davis, Alexa Davis, and Jason Cox all Branford, CT, 11 great grandchildren, Kavon Petersen, Jedidiah Z. Smith and Ava M. Wilburn, Spartanburg, SC, Sapheriah Cox, Tyshaaon Cox, Jr., Zavion Miles and Nyking Cox all Asbury Park, NJ, Nazir Jacob, Newark, NJ, Jade Cox, Brick, NJ, Shamea Cox Farmingdale, NJ, Iquan Mack, Sicklerville, NJ, 2 nephews, Emmanuel and Elijah Jean-Pierre, Neptune, NJ, 2 Special Cousins, Fannie Mae Matthis and Ethel Lee Giddings, Neptune, NJ, Michael Matthis, Aaron Matthis, Rhonda Matthis, Shanee Holloway, Aaron Williams and a host of other relatives and friends.
