Mary Virginia Fuqua was born March 16, 1938 to the late Leonard and Nora Malone Montgomery in Tuscumbia, Alabama.
She passed away peacefully, February 16th, surrounded by her children, grandchildren and a special friend in order to return to the
arms of her loving God. She gave her life to God as a young girl at First Missionary Baptist Church and maintained her faith throughout her life.
Mary grew up in Tuscumbia and was the youngest, and only surviving sibling, of thirteen brothers and sisters. She graduated from Trenholm High School.
She was married to Mr. Edd Henry Fuqua, Sr. with who she brought five children into the world. The late Mr. Edd Henry Fuqua Jr and the late Ms. Anita Diane Fuqua. Her surviving children are daughters Dr. Patricia “Pat” Sanders (Lintord), Ms. Gwendolyn Jones, son, Mr. Keith Fuqua and a special granddaughter whom she raised, Ms. Christy Fuqua.
Mary and Edd worked together to build a home and to raise a family in the country in Tuscumbia, a place they loved. They remained there for the entirety of their 59 years of marriage. They were known as “two-peas-in-a-pod,” as you never saw one without the other, and they were the love of each other’s lives. She never got over his passing in 2016, often saying, “I sure do miss Edd.” She showed resolute strength when she had to bury her two oldest children, whom she never forgot.
Mary and Edd loved their grandchildren: Amhad Freeman, Christopher Freeman, Erica Sanders Butler (Mason), Patrick Sanders, Justin Jones, Jirehn Jones, Chealsea Fuqua, Chasity Fuqua and Keshanna Fuqua and their great grands: Destyni Goode, Jabralyn, Talon and Jordyn Jones, Carmen, Christopher, and Julien Freeman, and Ailani Randolph.
They enjoyed fishing, growing gardens, visiting family and friends, church functions with First Missionary Baptist Church, tooling around town, traveling late in life and the Trenholm High School Reunion events. Mary worked for and later retired from the Colbert County Health Department as a home healthcare worker where she loved taking care of her clients. She also helped care for several of her ailing sisters and late family members with a passion.
Mary was known for her quiet, non-assuming spirit and sweet smile. Her family knew her for her tasty and wonderfully made home-cooked meals, especially her chicken and dressing, potato salad and homemade sweet tea and lemonade.
Mama, Granny, Grandma and Aunt Nene and Auntie, as she was known, will be sorely missed.
