Mary J. Stanford

Mary Joyce Stanford, the only child of the late Henry and Isadora Bland Hinton, was born on April 3, 1937, in Newark, New Jersey. She graduated West Side High School in 1954. Three years later, she graduated from Clara Maass Memorial Hospital in Belleville, New Jersey, as a registered nurse. For the next three years, she worked at Clara Maass as an OB Nurse and later became head nurse in the Cardiac Unit of Presbyterian Hospital in Newark. She worked as a public health nurse for the Newark Department of Health for seven years. She enrolled in Jersey City University and graduated with a B.S. in Health Education and School Nursing and a Master's Degree in Health Administration.

In 1970, she joined the East Orange Board of Health as an environmental supervisor under a Model Cities Program. She was employed by the city for 23 years, 17 years as the East Orange community health education officer, the first woman and African American to serve in this capacity. On June 1, 1774, she married Leon Andrew Stanford. Together they joined Bethany Baptist Church in Newark, New Jersey. Mary was active in her church as chairlady of the deaconess board, senior choir member, and member of the women's league. She was a world traveler and visited England, Spain, Denmark, Aruba and many other places. She retired and moved to Renaissance in Manchester in 1999. There she was active in the Unity Club. She made many friends and enjoyed th trips and activities. She became a member of Harmony Ministries in Lakehurst and loved the Wednesday morning Bible Study with Pastor Own Alston.

She is survived by a sister in law, Catherine Wright of Bridgeton, New Jersey; a brother in law Harold Stanford of Waldorf, Maryland; a nephew Larry Stanford of Carlisle, Pennsylvania and his wife Ann; a niece Marguerite Anderson of Philadelphia; a nephew Winslow Anderson, Jr. of Moorestown, and a host of other nieces and nephews. She will be greatly missed by her family and the many friends who knew her and loved her laughter and zest for life.