Mrs. Mary Louise Spann

On November 9, 1942, Mary Louise Liddell Span was the sixth child of ten siblings born to Eugene Liddell and Colia Robinson Liddell. She departed this earthly life on February 10, 2024, after surviving seven years from a major stroke and eleven months from stage-four breast cancer. She certainly made it this far by God’s Grace, one of her favorite songs. Being raised on a foundation of faith, Mary accepted Christ at an early age at Cade Chapel M. B. Church in Jackson Mississippi. From the beginning, she was very active in youth activities in her church and the community and was always eager to share her talents and gifts. Presenting her Easter speech was one of her favorites. Mary attended Jackson Public Schools throughout her public-school career, graduating in the top ten percent of her high school class at Brinkley High School in 1961. Her parents instilled in her and her siblings the importance of family prayer, academic excellence, and making positive contributions to society. To that end, as a teenager, Mary was a very active member of the NAACP and the Medgar Evers Youth Council. Also, she, along with members of her family, played an active role in the Civil Rights Movement during the sixties which she was just beginning of continuing to live out the qualities of service and empowerment taught by her parents. Mary attended Tougaloo College where she met Sylvester Spann, a basketball player, in a psychology class. Mary was so captivated with Sylvester when he made the first move, by calling every “Liddell” in the Jackson, Mississippi phone book, of which there were seven! After finally landing on the “Liddell” he was seeking, Sylvester slyly asked her for the assignment that the teacher gave on that day; an assignment that he actually already knew. Of course, the rest is history. In two months, they would have been married for sixty years! Mary earned a Bachelor Degree in Science from Tougaloo College in 1965, a Master’s Degree in Science from Jackson State University in 1972, and a Specialists Degree (AAA) from the University of Mississippi in 1976 in the Combined Sciences. During her forty years of teaching, she earned numerous awards as a Science teacher. An example of her excellence as a teacher is that when schools were forced to integrate in the sixties, outstanding Black teachers were the first chosen to send to the White community schools. Mary Louise was one of the first selected. Whenever she was assigned to a school that did not have a “Science Fair” she would start one and always had students whose projects would place in the State Science Fair Competition. One year, she had a student place in the National Science Fair Competition in Phoenix, Arizona. Jackson Public Schools sent her, her student and her husband free of charge to Phoenix, Arizona. Lastly, one of her most noteworthy accomplishments was to be named “Star Teacher” by Melvin Prester when he was the valedictorian of Murrah High school in Jackson. Continuing her journey in faith, Mary eventually joined Greater Fairview M.B. Church in 1966 under the leadership of her father-in-law, Rev. Dr. Silas Lee Spann. She loved Sunday School and eventuaassigned to teach the Adult Women’s Class. In addition, because of her eloquence and faithful service, one year, she was chosen as the keynote speaker at the church’s Annual Banquet. She eventually retired from teaching in Jackson in 1997 and taught one year in Tallulah, Louisiana. She and her husband relocated to Memphis, Tennessee and joined New Sardis M. B. church under the leadership of Dr. L. LaSimba Gray in 1998. Within one year Mary was teaching the Adult Sunday School Class. Also, she was a member of the Drama Ministry and played key roles in several productions including “The Crucifixion,” a skit from the book of “Ruth” and a dramatic reading from the “The Creation” by James Weldon Johnson. Mary became a Deaconess in 2002 after her husband was ordained as a Deacon at the church. After nine years in Memphis, she and her husband relocated to Stone Mountain, Georgia in 2008 and joined Antioch-Lithonia Missionary Baptist Church under the leadership of Pastor James C. Ward. She joined the Drama Ministry, the Couples Ministry, the Women’s Ministry, the Bowling League, traveled with the NTO (“Never Too Old”) group on their special trips, and faithfully attended the Co-Ed Sunday School Class and Wednesday Night Bible Class. Within a few years she was blessed to become Lead Teacher of the Co-Ed Sunday School Class. She became a Deaconess in 2010. She leaves to cherish her precious memories her husband Sylvester, Sr., a daughter Jacqueline Marie Spann, a son Sylvester Jr. (April) and three grandchildren – Maria, Laela, and Marcelus: three brothers, Lewis (Frances), William (Joyce) and Warren (Verdean); two-sister-in-laws – Larry and Eddie; and a host of nephews, nieces, cousins, and friends. Her parents, six of her siblings (Walter, John, Eugene, Jr., Coleman, Colia, and Sammy), and one daughter, Valerie Louise Robinson Browner, proceeded her in death. Mary Louise was a child of the Most High God, a faithful and devoted wife, a loving and caring mother, and with charming personality and beautiful spirit, was a friend to all.lly was

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Mrs. Mary Louise Spann

November 9, 1942 - February 10, 2024