Mrs. Mary Elizabeth Widemon Petty, an exemplar of motherhood, devout Christian, avid reader of religious books and other publications, as well as a civic leader passed away on Thursday, October 11, 2018. She portrayed unconditional and enduring love to family and friends.

A native of Greensboro, North Carolina, she was born on March 1, 1936 and was educated in the Guilford County school system. The family lived on the south side of Greensboro and she attended JC Price School and James B. Dudley High School. She enjoyed the arts, especially music. She was a talented seamstress and made her wardrobe along with the wardrobe of her daughters. Although a talented seamstress, she worked outside the home for United Daycare Services and later Western Electric, now known as Lucent Technologies, Inc., where she wired telecommunications boards for PBX systems until her retirement.

Her community service and civic work expanded more than four decades with Guilford County Department of Elections, where she worked the polls at Hampton Elementary School, the NAACP, she marched in the Poor Peoples March in 1967, served in the Morningside Resource Center with the Greensboro Police Department and a member of the Steering Committee for the revitalization of Morningside Homes to its current community known as Willow Oaks.

A charter member of Genesis Baptist Church of Greensboro she enjoyed working in service to her church for a better community. Her service extended across various organizations of the church: a member of the Speech Choir, Prison Ministry, the Angel Tree Network, the Missionary Society, and the former chairwoman of the Hostess Committee. In her youth, she held membership at Shiloh Baptist Church. Upon relocating to Morningside Homes she and her children worshiped at the Mt. Zion Baptist Church (Spencer Street) pastored by the late Dr. Frank Williams followed by Bishop George W. Brooks.

Mrs. Petty was formerly married to the late Daniel Porter Petty Jr., a union that produced eight children. Left to continue her legacy and celebrate her life are Pamela L. Petty of McLeansville, NC, Brenda D. Petty-Ball (Drexel), Danny LaMont Petty, Cezar Petty, Jonathan Petty, all of Greensboro; Michael Lynn Petty of Windsor, NC and Leslie Petty Glick (Marc) of Voorhees, New Jersey; a brother, Samuel L. Widemon, Sr. (Phyllis) of Upper Marlboro, Maryland; a sister, Cassandra Widemon Shipp of Greensboro; nieces, Courtney Ann Shipp of Auburn Hills, Michigan, Mary Ardeanna Widemon of Greensboro, and Debora Widemon Dunbar of Jacksonville, FL; one nephew Samuel L. Widemon, Jr.; eight grandchildren: Tyler A. Ball, Leslie Galloway, Sheanna Petty Kimber, Keyona, Christian, Destiny, Jonathan II, and Ashlyn Petty; three great-grandchildren and a host of other relatives and friends.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, October 20, 2018, at 12 pm at Genesis Baptist Church, 2812 East Bessemer Ave in Greensboro, NC. Visitation with the family will be held on Friday, October 19, 2018, from 7 pm until 8:30 pm at the Marriott Hotel (downtown) 304 N. Greene St., Greensboro, NC.