A memorial service will be held in Los Angeles March 21 at 9 a.m. at Greater New Vision Missionary Baptist Church for Mary Alice Miller, affectionately known as “Mae Alice.” She passed away peacefully on Saturday, March 14, at Cedar Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles, Calif. She was the mother of Our Weekly co-founder, David Miller.
Born on May 13, 1926, in Marlboro County, N.C., to Willie Davis-McRae and Bubba Quick, Mary Alice was the third youngest of seven children and the last living sibling of that union. She was 88.
Mary Alice received her formal education from various schools within Marlboro County, which she has always called home.
She accepted Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior at an early age and was a faithful member of Goodwin Chapel A.M.E. Zion Church in Gibson, N.C.
On July 15, 1944, she married Ranzie Miller, and the union was blessed with eight children.
After a brief illness, Mary Alice relocated to Los Angeles in 2009 to live with her son David and his family. While in California, she became a member of Greater New Vision Missionary Baptist Church under the leadership of Pastor Lucious Pope.
Fishing was among Mary Alice’s favorite pastimes. Some of her other hobbies included cooking and canning, quilting, attending church services, doing word search puzzles, spending quality time with her children and talking on the phone to her many friends.
Over the years, she has traveled to various places; however, she did not take her first airline flight until 1992 to attend the wedding of David and his wife Paula in Los Angeles. This took a lot of courage because she had never flown. Since then, she traveled to Los Angeles every year until she finally relocated.
Mary Alice’s legacy includes two daughters, Catherine (William), Thomasville, N.C. and Penny, High Point, N.C.; six sons, Ranzie Jr. (Virginia), Bobby (Shirley) and Guy (Sylvia), High Point, North Carolina; Tony, Bennettsville, S.C.; David (Paula), and Donald, Los Angeles, Calif.; 21 grand children; 36 great grandchildren and eight great, great grandchildren; a special niece, Sarah Pearson, Bennettsville, S.C.; and an adopted mother relationship with Dorothy Dines, Bennettsville, S.C.; Carl Brand (Brenda), High Point, N.C. and a host of nieces, nephews, relatives, friends and extended California family.
Home Going Celebration:
Saturday, March 28, 2015
2:00 p.m.
Berea Baptist Convention Center
1062 Highway 38 South
Bennettsville, S.C. 29512
Flowers and other condolences can be sent to:
Bethea Funeral Home
207 King St.
Bennettsville, S.C. 29512
(843) 479-2422
