Mary Alice Hill (Johnson)

Mary Alice (Johnson) Hill, 86 years old, of White Plains (Greenburgh), New York; entered into eternal rest on the evening of Tuesday January 5, 2021, in White Plains, New York. She fought a long bout with several illnesses, including Alzheimer’s. Although not in the best of health, she participated in an annual Alzheimer Walk to help raise monies to help fight the disease.

Mary Alice (Named after her aunt May) was born in Newberry, South Carolina on August 20 (Same day as her Aunt Inez), 1934, to Hattie Bell and Eugene Johnson. Mary Alice was the sole child of that marriage. She then formed a very close loving relationship with her stepfather, Elazurs Ruff. She was predeceased by her mother and fathers; husband, Sylvester Hill and son, Sylvester Renard Hill.

Surviving her are; son, Reginald C. Johnson of White Plains, New York, 2 daughters, Verdell Hines and Renee Hill; 3 grandsons, Ajene Reginald and Davon Renard Johnson, and Stanley Ahmaad Martin; and one granddaughter, Anika Sade Hines; several brother and sister-in-law’s, including brother-in-law Leon Hill of New York City; and a close cousin who was more like a sister, Jo Patricia Adams of Newberry, SC, and many, many other close family and friends.

Mary Alice attended public schools in Newberry and was affiliated with Calvary Baptist Church in Newberry and later became a member of Union Baptist Church in White Plains (Greenburgh), New York. She loved going back to visit her many family and friends that attended Calvary.

Mary Alice left Newberry and spent some time in Philadelphia. She also lived in both Harlem and Elmsford (NY) for several years before becoming a permanent resident of White Plains (Greenburgh).

Mary Alice initially wanted to go into nursing, but she soon found out that the hospital environment was not for her. She held several jobs in dry cleaning before taking time off to raise a family and rounded out her career, working for A&S Department Store.

Mary Alice was raised in a very close knitted extended family, headed by her matriarch mother Hattie Bell. Although the only child, she grew up surrounded by her 4 aunts (Addie, May, Inez and Sue) and numerous cousins that were more like brothers and sisters, in addition to her many lifelong friends. She always put family first and carried and passed on this torch to those she raised and those she came across in her life.

Mary Alice made sure that her children had a chance to be exposed to family values by sending them on their annual summer vacation to stay with Hattie Bell. She established a close “family” friendship with her close neighbors.

In addition to family, Mary Alice had 3 other loves. Cooking, gardening and traveling. Anyone driving down our street in the Springtime frequently stopped and stared and commented on her beautiful roses. Like Hattie, no one left her house hungry as she loved to cook for both family and friends. While she never got her drivers license, she probably traveled more miles than many. She really enjoyed her annual trips to Newberry, Greenwood and Greenville S.C., Washington D.C. and Oklahoma, visiting family and friends alone the way.

Although small in stature, Mary Alice was referred to as “a small piece of leather, well put together”

Her lessons and love will live on.

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ATTENTION: During this COVID-19 crisis, as we slowly begin to phase back into small capacity public visitations/services, we need your help in limiting and controlling the number of people inside the funeral home AND cemetery. WE HAVE DETAILED INSTRUCTIONS FOR SERVICES THIS TUESDAY 1/12 - PLEASE READ IN DETAIL BELOW BEFORE EVEN ATTEMPTING TO ATTEND ANYTHING PLEASE! Thank you so kindly!

ALL seating for the visitation/wake & funeral on Tues., 1/12 is by invitation of the family explicitly only. What IS being ALLOWED for others, however, is a constant stream of attendees, in groups of two (2), to just BRIEFLY do a 'walk through visitation', give their respects and leave, during the 10:30AM-11:15AM TIME period ONLY. So during that time period, in groups of 2 with your masks on, you will be allowed to come to the front door, get hand sanitizer, sign our contact list/release, sign the family's register book (NOTE: please feel free to bring your own pen), walk through to offer any brief condolence to the family keeping social distance (NO touching/hugging/handshaking, ONLY elbow bumping briefly if at all), briefly view, and then immediately leave the building & premises if you've not been extended an invitation to sit & stay (you will literally be in the funeral home for a few minutes or less). Once 11:15AM comes, NO one else will be admitted and ALL not assigned a seat must leave the funeral home & vicinity. The Funeral Service itself is for INVITED attendees of the family explicitly only. But the family has created a ZOOM, that you may contact them to get the information for viewing the service. Burial to follow immediately after the PRIVATE Funeral Service, but with limited attendees allowed at Kensico Cemetery. There is a strict limited maximum capacity at Kensico of 50 people, which includes all family, clergy, & funeral home staff, as well as friends. So if you would like to plan to attend the graveside service & burial on 1/12, please inform the family and/or funeral home of your intent, so you can be part of the allowed count & told it's OK for you to attend. Once at capacity though, NO more will be allowed to attend. Please follow & abide by the directions of the funeral home staff and/or cemetery personnel at all times. We Thank You in advance for following directions & NYS law, so as to make all go smoothly the day of the services, to eliminate further burden on the family, and to maintain the health & safety of All. Any questions, or if any clarity is needed, please call ahead to the funeral home and/or speak to us from a safe distance if present.

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You MUST come to the funeral home & cemetery wearing a mask, & wear a mask inside the funeral home & at cemetery at all times. You must use hand sanitizer upon entering the funeral home. If you know you have a coronovirus/COVID-19; are sick/experiencing symptoms of coronovirus/COVID-19; are immuno-compromised and/or have health/other conditions that make your body more susceptible to illness, are under an imposed or advised quarantine, and/or are visiting from a state that requires you to quarantine upon entering NY for a designated amount of time before going out in public and you have not gotten an exemption, please do NOT attend any services nor come into the funeral home nor to the cemetery. Please feel free to bring & use your own pen for signing our contact list/release & the family's register book - you are encouraged to please BRING & use your own PEN for signing. Please follow & abide by the directions of the funeral home and/or cemetery staff/personnel at ALL times, for the health & safety of All. Thank you!

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The Entire Staff of Lee's Funeral Home, LLC respects that the family of Mary Alice Hill entrusted the care of their loved one to us, and that they value the level of service & attention our funeral home provides. We are honored, in turn, to provide comfort, assistance and service to the family of Mary Alice Hill during their time of bereavement.

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Please leave written and/or video condolences now herein on the Memory Wall to express your sorrow, share your memories, and as an expression of sympathy & way to communicate with/offer comfort to the family, that they and others may see, and may be a lasting tribute in her honor, whether you're able to attend or not. Definitely Please SIGN IN on the Memory Wall as a virtual way of signing a guest book & sharing with the family.


In lieu of flowers, the family requests contributions in her name/memory/honor to an organization helping with Alzheimer's (can be made through donation tab/link here in website at the bottom of this page, or on your own to one of your choice); and/or as another lasting tribute, you may choose to plant a tree in her name/memory/honor. If you're sending flowers despite the family's request, they may be delivered either on Mon. Jan. 11th, 2021 by/before 6:00PM to Lee's Funeral Home, or on Tues. Jan. 12, 2021 by/before 10:00am to Lee's Funeral Home. The Family Thanks You!