Funeral service will be 2:00 P.M. Saturday, December 17, 2022, at the Willie L. Shaw Jr. Memorial Chapel.  Burial will follow in Pine Forest Cemetery.

*Celebration Of Life Click Here*

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Mary Ruth Jefferson Stukes , daughter of the late Dorothy Harrison and James Jefferson was born September 6, 1946, in Warrenton North Carolina. She departed this earthly life December 9, 2022. Mary, affectionately known as "Pooley" was educated in the Henderson Institute in Henderson NC. As the oldest of 7 children, much of her childhood was spent helping her parents raise her younger siblings.  After graduation, Mary moved to New York. She absolutely loved NY and spent most of her young adult life there, exploring, meeting new friends, and enjoying her young adult life. While living in New York, beautiful Mary met the love of her life, predeceased Joseph Donnie Lee Stukes. It truly was love at first sight. They were wed and shared their union until Donnie's sunset in 2017. Their love for each other and the life they created together were the highlights of Mary's life. After moving to Wilmington to nurture and grow their family, Mary gained employment at City Hall and then ventured to American Crane where she retired. She loved her community, Parkwood Estates. She enjoyed participating in neighborhood events, her favorite being the Parkwood Ladies Club. Their evening walks became a staple in the community. And everyone knows her love of butterflies and the actual color purple is unmatched. Mary leaves to cherish her memories: two sons McKinney E. Russell and Joseph Anthony Stukes, one daughter, LeShea Nicole Stukes; four grandchildren, Symone Gilmore, Stefon Stukes, Antony Stukes and Mykya Greg; two great-grandchildren, Yakira Tijuana Gilmore and Nyomi Rose Gilmore; two sisters, Teresa Jefferson Barnes and Helen Mae Jefferson; three surviving brothers, James "Sonny Boy" Jefferson, William Jefferson and Larry Jefferson; a host of nephews, nieces, cousins, other relatives and friends.