Mary Frances (Lawson) Boyette

Mary Frances Lawson Boyette, beloved Mother, Grandmother, Great Grandmother, Aunt, Great Aunt and friend to many, transitioned and ascended to her heavenly home on Friday, August 11th, 2023 at the age of 92.
She was a woman of many names, her first and middle names coming from her maternal and paternal grandmothers, Francenia Stanley and Mary Thomas. But she was also affectionately known as Smoke, Murph, "T" (if you know you know), Sweet Mama, Queen Mary, Miss Mary, Sister Mary, Mother Mary, Mama Mary, Sister Boyette, Deaconess Boyette, Mighty Mouse, Sister Suki, Nana, Marmy, Mommy and Ma.
She was born on September 17th, 1930 in Brooklyn, New York, to parents Josephine Elizabeth Stanley and Joseph Lawson. She was the eldest of four siblings: Ernest, Joseph, Robert and Vivian. She married Faison Demosthenes Boyette in 1949, and they had 7 children.
Mary was a passionate and devout Christian who often attributed her faith in God firstly to her grandmothers, but also to her uncle and Pastor, the late Reverend Earl McKune, and her aunt and Evangelist, Annabelle McKune. She had her first communion at St. Peter Clavers R.C. Church. As a youth she worshiped and married at West Baptist Church, later serving as a deaconess for many years at Fellowship Baptist Church. Most recently she was a member at CCC (Christian Cultural Center). All of which were located in her beloved hometown, Brooklyn, NY.
In addition to being a good Christian, Mary excelled in the kitchen. She would "put her foot" in her cooking and would always make enough to feed a village. When she wasn't throwing down in the kitchen, Mary loved to read, and if given the chance she would and could finish a book in a week, and sometimes in a day. She had a love of puzzles and playing games, and would take you up on any opportunity to play, especially if it was one of her favorites like Pokeno, Bingo, or Scrabble. She also played hairdresser to everyone in the family and it wasn't rare to catch her frying up chicken and frying someone's hair at the same time. She could do it all, and although Miss Mary had a 4 foot and 11 inch frame, she had a grip and a fist like Mike Tyson.
While everyone delighted in her nourishing meals, she was admired for her strength and cherished for the countless lessons she taught us all, especially the phrases and sayings she would often use like, "God is gonna make a way out of no way", "Right is right and right ain't never wronged nobody", "Y'all gotta stick together because all you have is each other", and of course her signature sign off, "Love ya, Love ya."
Mary is survived by her brother Robert Lawson, children Elizabeth Boyette-Borden, Seretta Boyette,
Teresa (Owen) Thomas, Amelia Boyette (McKenneth Scott Jr.) and Charles Boyette, her daughter-in-law Carrie Gorham Boyette, nephew-son Keith Bussey, adopted sons Otis Charlow, Mike Lowry, Russell Carter, and Andrew Carter, godsons Trent Turner and Allen Jones, patriarch Paul Chandler, 16 grand children, 13 great-grandchildren, 1 great-great grandchild, numerous nieces, nephews, cousins, and best friends Millie Leverette and Carrie Grant. She is predeceased by her sons Johnnie and Robert Boyette. One simply cannot count the many men, women and children she graciously welcomed into her home to care for and to provide a warm meal.

Services
Memorial Service
Saturday, August 26th, 2023 at 11am EST
Ballard-Durand Funeral Home

Repast
Saturday, August 26th, 2023 at 1:30p EST
The Brazen Fox
175 Mamaroneck Avenue
White Plain, NY 10601-5302
914-358-5911