Mary Jones

December 25, 2020

Mary Jones was a gift to this world. She was an amazing photographer, poet, computer whiz, and world traveler. She will be remembered for the positive impacts she had on many people’s lives. But most of all, she will be remembered as the greatest sister and aunt anyone could ever ask for. Mary Jones was born on May 19th, 1956 in Charleston South Carolina, To Elijah Drayton and Francis Jones, but was affectionately raised by her loving parents Ernestine Jones and Gernal Morgan in Harlem, New York alongside her identical twin sister Martha Jones Saunders. Mary enjoyed life. You’d be hard pressed not to find her smiling and laughing. Her love of family was intense, unmatched and unapologetic. She helped raise her niece and nephew Danielle Shelese and Lamont Idris Saunders as her own. She was a model colleague and dedicated spirit. Her personality - bold, courageous, opinionated and headstrong. But above all, Mary personified love and kindness, the kind of love that can only radiate from the beauty of vulnerability, radical acceptance and an unshakeable faith. Even in her untimely crossing, Mary continues to teach us all about being beautifully human. Her memory will proudly live on through the lives of her beloved twin sister Martha, her loving brother-in-law Lamont Saunders, and her niece and nephew Danielle and Idris. Left to cherish her memory is her birth mother Frances Jones Drayton, older sister Mary Drayton Fyall and family, younger brothers MacAuthur Drayton and family and Eugene Drayton and family as well as a host of nieces, nephews and extended family too numerous to list. Mary also leaves to cherish her memory a number of beloved colleagues and friends; sister friends Soha and Dianna Hahn turned family from her 20-plus year tenure at the American University of Beirut. We praise God knowing that Mary knew God. We love you, Mary and we’ll see you again in Glory.