Mary Nicholson

Mary Lillian Lane Nicholson transitioned on the morning of Friday, March 24th, 2023, at the age of 94 in Tampa, Florida, her birthplace. Mary was born on August 5th, 1928, the youngest sibling and only girl of seven children born to Lillian S. and Walter Lane, Sr.. Due to the death of both her parents at a very young age, she was supported and raised by close family members and in-laws. She graduated from Boylan-Haven High School, a private school, in Jacksonville, Florida in 1946. Having been touched, moved, and inspired to achieve high educational accomplishments by her eldest brother Julius, Mary started her undergraduate college studies at Bennet College in Greensboro, North Carolina immediately following high school. From there she transferred to Fisk University, in Nashville, where she completed undergraduate studies and received a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology in 1950.

As an early adherent of ‘black excellence’, Mary continued her pursuits by way of seeking an advanced degree. At the time, the State of Florida prohibited “negroes” from pursuing advanced degrees and instituted a stipend program to pay them to attend school out of state. Mary acquired her stipend, applied, and was accepted into Atlanta University. She matriculated and received a master’s degree in social work in 1952 at the age of 23 which was a stellar achievement for any young person of her time. While completing her graduate course work she did an internship in Gary, Indiana where she met and married her husband of 25 years, Fred Nicholson. Mary and her husband moved to Cleveland, Ohio in 1955 with their two-year-old son, Bruce. She gave birth to their second child, Leah in 1958.

Mary was employed as a substitute elementary school teacher with the Cleveland Public School District before entering her career as a counselor in child and family services. She served in both government and non-profit agencies before retiring in 1995. She moved back to live in Tampa in 1997.

Mary loved to travel and visited Africa, The Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Japan, on multiple occasions, & Italy, which included an audience with Pope John Paul II at the Vatican, and many favorite places in the U.S including Hawaii, New York & California. Some of her favorite things included chocolate, bacon, avocado, Johnny Walker Red, and yellow roses. While retired she volunteered at the Moffitt Cancer Center for 4 years. And knowing first-hand the importance of the right to vote, she worked as an election poll worker in support of the community election process.

In mid-life, Mary took faith in Nichiren Buddhism, as a member of Soka Gakkai International, in the United States. She received her Gohonzon in April of 1982. She once said “[my] spiritual self has been nurtured by way of the Soka Gakkai International’. Sharing that “my purpose in life is to help people including myself to be happy and thereby overcome suffering”. In 2022, she received her Distinguished Pioneer of Kosen-Rufu Award for 40 Years of Practicing Nichiren Daishonin’s Buddhism. (Kosen-rufu is a global movement spreading the ideals of peace and individual empowerment through inner transformation). She leaves a legacy of making tremendous causes over those years of practice. She freely opened her home to guests and members for meetings and it became a bastion of district and other local activities for Kosen-rufu for over 20 years. She deeply appreciated the opportunity to make value creating causes for herself and others.

Mary was preceded in death by her six brothers, Julius Forbes Lane Sr., twins, Earl Russell Lane & Lawrence Alexander Lane, Edward Carey Lane, Alexander Hamilton Lane, and Leo Lane.

Mary is survived by her two offspring, Bruce H. Nicholson, J.D., and daughter Leah A. Brown. She is also survived by daughter-in-law Danyale Nicholson; four grandchildren, Mercedes Russell (& husband Christopher Russell), Brandon Nicholson, Ph.D. (& wife Rachel Nicholson), Ingrid Richman (& husband Keith Richman) and Bruce Mack Nicholson, step- granddaughter, Morgan Lewis; five great grandchildren, London Hugh Radway, Milan Serene Radway, Riley Skye Russell, Nico Lee Nicholson and Raine Soleil Russell; sisters-in-law, Sadie Nicholson and Willie Mae Lane; nephews, Earl Lane (& wife Sharon Lane); Darrell Lane, Larry Lane, Julius Lane Jr., and Daniel Nicholson; nieces, Julie Lane, Ph.D., Jasmine Lane, Nicky Lane, Adrienne Lane, Sylvia Lane, Vanessa Nicholson and Janice Nicholson. In addition, Mary leaves her dear friend Catherine McKinney and a host of dear friends and fellow Buddhists from Cleveland, OH & Tampa, FL, some referring to her affectionately as ‘Mary San’, ‘Ma Mary’, ‘Ms. Mary’ or ‘Mur Lil’.

A Celebration honoring Ms. Mary's life will be held on Saturday, August 5, 2023 at 10:30am at Blount and Curry Funeral Home Carrollwood Chapel, located at 3207 W. Bearss Ave, Tampa, FL 33618. The family will receive visitors 30 minuets prior to service, and a reception will follow the service at 11:30am.