Mary A. Jackson Murray was born in Savannah, GA on July 8, 1922 and went home to be with the Lord on Wednesday, August 2, 2017.  She was the middle child of Ben and Anita Jackson. She received her early education in Savannah, was baptized and a member of what was then called Tremont Temple Baptist Church.  At the age of twelve and after the passing of her father, her mother made the decision to relocate herself and her children to Massachusetts where several extended family members already resided.  Mary continued her education in Boston and graduated from Girls High School.  A very important element in her life was her service to the Lord.  Thus, she became a member of New Hope Baptist Church in Boston where she served in the usher ministry and remained at New Hope until she relocated back to Savannah.

 Divorced early in her marriage, she was both mother and father to her five children and often worked more than one job to care for them.  In the early fifties she decided to pursue a career in hairdressing. She attended and graduated from the LaNewton School of Beauty Culture in Boston. She soon opened her own business and was the proprietor of Mary's Beauty Salon in the south end of Boston.  For a period of time she held the position of President of the Progressive Hairdressers Association.

 While still working as a hairdresser, as it was called in those days, Mary took on a second job as an aide to the elderly through the Massachusetts Department of Health.  Soon realizing that this was her true calling, she decided to change vocations. In 1966 she became a licensed social worker for the State of Massachusetts and was employed by the state in the Department of Positive Aging.  Mary held that position for twenty two years until her retirement in June of 1988.

 As children, we recall our mother talking about her life as a child in Savannah speaking fondly of the family, friends and places from that time.  Her dream was to come back to Savannah once she retired. On one of her visits to Savannah in the early eighties she bought a house, but illness and other family matters prevented her move until some ten years later.  Finally in 1992 the time had come.  Her children all grown with families of their own, although still not in the best of health, back to Savannah she came.  Back to reunite with the now Tremont Temple Missionary Baptist Church where she, her siblings, mother and grandmother were all baptized.  Back to her roots.  Back to where it all began.

 She leaves to rejoice and celebrate her life, daughters, Beverly Crawford of  Savannah, GA, Roberta Montgomery of Boston, sons, Ronald, Michael(dec.) and Bryant Murray of Boston, and brother, Jesse Jackson of Plymouth, MA.  Five grandchildren, Chauncey Crawford (Kyndal) of Chester, PA, Jay Montgomery of Philadelphia, PA, Kevin Montgomery (Donna) of Boston, MA, Jevonne Murray of Atlanta, GA, James Murray of Peabody, MA.  Nine great grandchildren, Anthony Johnson (Ashmere) of Hinella, NJ, Nia Crawford of Chester, PA, Jaynelle Murray of Haverhill, MA, Kayla Murray, Kevin Montgomery, Kailyn Montgomery, Jada Montgomery all of Boston, MA, Sydney Montgomery of Philadelphia, PA,  Jaden Murray of Peabody, MA along with a host of other family and friends.  Mary will be especially missed by her dear friend of many years¸Velma Hutson.

 Funeral services will be held on Friday, Aug 11, 2017, at 11:00 a.m., at Tremont Temple Baptist Church, located at 1110 Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd.  Body will be in repose at 9:00 a.m until the time of service. Pastor Quentin J. Morris Sr., Eulogist. 

Internment will be held at Lincoln Memorial Cemetery

 Service Information