Mary Ann McLemore Sims

Mary Ann McLemore Sims was born on April 19, 1950, the third daughter of John, Sr. and Lucille McLemore. She was educated in Richland County Public Schools. She graduated from Hopkins High School in June of 1968 wherein after she pursued many vocations with the South Carolina Government and on the Fort Jackson Military Installation, with the last being a Certified Nursing Assistant. She was very passionate about providing care for others, especially the elderly. She gave her life to Christ at an early age and remained a member of St. John Baptist Church in Hopkins until her death. She married Walter W. Sims, Sr. on August 29, 1970, and the two shared three sons: the loves of her life: Walter, Jr., Anthony, and Christopher, Sr. She never met a stranger, and she loved to cook—everyone was welcome to a plate—until she closed her kitchen for the night. She was an avid gardener, taking special interest in her pride and joy rose bushes and she honed a love of fashion which fueled one of her favorite pastimes: shopping and finding a good bargain, especially at the Boutique. She was a family woman who loved her grandchildren more than anything. She was immensely proud of Demetrius, Brittany, Devin, Makayla, and Christopher, Jr. She was also blessed to see the birth of three great grandchildren, Onyx, Ariyah, and Christopher, Jr. She also loved her bonus grandchildren Kasi Francis and Dominique Bilbo.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her parents-in-law, Robert Sr., and Nellie Sims, her sister, Dorothy Reese, her brothers Samuel Douglas McLemore, and James Lee Gadson (Sophia*), brothers-in-law Mark Anthony Sims, Robert Sims (Rosa*), and Frank Sims, Sr., and sister-in-law Vera Sims.

She leaves to honor her memory, her husband of 55 years, sons, son-in-law, David, grandchildren, great grandchildren, sisters, Mattie Cole (Willie Lee*), Rosa Sumter (Leroy*), Lottie Patricia Wesley (Ronald), Brenda Jordan, Celia Anderson (Matthew*), Bonitha Sistrunk (Devin), brothers John McLemore, Jr. (Mary Lee), Stephen Anderson, Derrick McLemore, sisters-in-law Nancy Parker, Dorothy Wiggins (Hollister), Nellie Sims Francis, Rosetta Washington (Kevin*), Gertrude Daniels (Clay), Doris Sims, aunts Mae Bell Taylor, Cheryl Singletary, life-long friend Sarah Mae Weston, and a host of nieces, nephews, family, and friends.

*Deceased spouses