Mary Lee Forest Person

Mary Lee Forest Exum Person, daughter of the late Ernest W. and Verla Purvis Exum, was called home to be with the Lord on December 22, 2021.  Mary, lovingly called “Forest” by family members, was second eldest of the six Exum sisters.  She was born on October 10, 1938, in Edgecomb County, NC where she attended Mullen Elementary School.  At a young age her family moved to Scotland Neck, NC where Mary graduated from Brawley High School.

After graduation, Mary relocated to Hampton, VA, first residing with her sister Ernestine and her husband Dace.  She soon moved out on her own, rented a room in the home of Ms. Tull, and began working at the Rebel restaurant.

It was in Hampton that Mary was introduced to Clarence Person.  The two began dating and were wed in 1962.  Mary and Clarence started a family, raising their three children, Kim, Bryan, and Tanya.  In 1967, the Air Force, in which Clarence served, ordered that he serve a tour overseas.  The family packed up and shipped out to Taiwan where they would spend 3 years before returning to Hampton, VA which would become Clarence’s last duty station and the family’s permanent home.  Back in Hampton, Mary started work at Oser Brothers shoe store.  She worked part-time so that she could be at home for her kids when they got out of school.  Mary worked diligently at Oser Brothers for 25+ years until the store closed.

After their active military days ended with Clarence’s retirement, Mary continued to travel to many new and distant places, including Alaska, Hawaii, France, and Greece.  Brittany and Aaron have seemingly sailed the entire Caribbean on cruises with ‘Nana’.

Mary was a faithful wife, loving mother, and world traveler, but first and foremost, she was a phenomenal woman of faith.  Mary LOVED the Lord!  She accepted Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior as a child, and boldly and passionately lived out her faith from that point until her passing.  Whether you knew Mary well or were just meeting her, you knew that she was a woman of God by the way she spoke and the way she lived.  She truly walked the Christian walk.  

Mary joined Zion Baptist Church in Hampton, VA in 1970 and served under the pastorates of Reverend Joshua N. King, Sr., Reverend Dr. Browlee Hailstock, Jr., Reverend Dr. Edwin Miller, and Reverend Dr. J. Dett Marshburn and remained an active member until her health no longer permitted.  She served faithfully as a Deaconess, head of the Youth Ushers Ministry and head of the Junior Deacons and Deaconesses Ministry.  Additionally, she was a devoted Sunday school teacher and Vacation Bible School coordinator and coordinator of the annual Christmas play.  Mary particularly loved serving those in need, especially the elderly and the sick and shut-in, as all who know her can attest.  It was not unusual for Mary to provide meals for others or spend hours on her knees in intercessory prayer for others. Mary was a devout believer in Jesus Christ.  A stronger prayer warrior cannot be found.

Two of Mary’s favorite pastimes were listening to and singing gospel songs and baking.  Her sweet potato pies and pineapple and pound cakes were always in high demand.  So much so that she would make enough pies and cakes for family and friends in Hampton and the Northern Virginia area.

Mary also faithfully served the community, standing in the gap wherever needed.  As one of her former cub scout troop members recounted, “When no one stepped up to be a cub scout leader she took command and was a firm, kind and loving leader all rolled into one.”

An avid gardener, Mary loved to get her hands dirty while working hard planting flowers and tending her yard, a hobby she continued for as long as her health allowed.

Mary loved the Christmas season and her house was among the most lit in the neighborhood, maybe in all of Hampton.  Time with family was always cherished by Mary but especially during the holiday season.

In later years, Mary would travel up to Northern Virginia to visit family, spending time with her beloved grandchildren.  At home, she continued to tend her yard and serve the Lord at Zion Baptist Church. 

In addition to her parents, Mary was preceded in death by her husband of 49 years Clarence W. Person; daughters Debra Exum and Kim Coleman; and sisters Verla Mae Exum and Gloria Tillery.

She leaves to cherish her memory one son, Bryan W. Person (Daleria) of Woodbridge, VA; daughter Tanya L. McInnis (Jonathan) of South Riding, VA; sisters Dorothy Blackley (Clarence) of Hampton, VA, Hazel Tillery of Whitakers, NC, and Ernestine Bazemore of Hampton, VA; four grandchildren, Maria Pittman (Eric) of Newport News, VA, Brittany Person of Alexandria, VA, Aaron Person of Woodbridge, VA, and Nathan McInnis of South Riding, VA and a great-granddaughter, Naomi Person of Woodbridge, VA and a host of relatives, neighbors, and friends.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Mary Lee Forest Person, please visit our floral store.