Darlene Marie Davis Mincy

Darlene Marie Davis Mincy July 8, 1946 – July 17, 2025
Darlene Marie Davis Mincy was born on July 8, 1946, in Ridge Spring, South Carolina, to her proud parents, Iredell A. Davis and Juanita Lynch Davis Maxwell. She was the youngest of four children and was predeceased by her beloved brothers, John and Truedell. Her cherished surviving sibling is Bernadette Farrior of Trenton, New Jersey.
In the 1950s, the Davis family moved to Trenton, New Jersey, to live with Darlene's maternal grandparents. Every summer, however, Darlene returned to South Carolina to spend memorable months with her paternal grandparents. It was they who lovingly instilled in her the "southern way," shaping her into the sweet, gracious woman we all knew and loved. Darlene was raised with wisdom and care by a large family that included eleven aunts and three brothers. One of those aunts, her 95-year-old Tropzsy "Lee" Brewer of Atlanta, Georgia, remained especially dear to her heart throughout her life.
Darlene's greatest pride and joy were her daughter, Nina, and grandson, Clifford, whom she lovingly described as the "apples of her eye." She treasured sharing in their milestones, including Nina's graduations from Morgan State University and the University of Pennsylvania, and Cliff's advancement from Morehouse College. She supported them unconditionally and played an active role in their everyday lives. She also shared an unbreakable bond with two nieces whom she considered daughters: Channen Farrior McGhee of Hamilton, New Jersey, and Tisa Davis Jackson of Atlanta, Georgia. She often said there was nothing in the world she wouldn't do for them, and she knew that the feeling was mutual.
Darlene attended Junior #5 in Trenton and graduated from Trenton Central High School. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Social Studies and English from Trenton State College (now The College of New Jersey) and a Master of Arts in Educational Administration and Supervision from Rider University in Lawrence, New Jersey.
She began her professional career in the Hamilton Township School District, where she taught history at Hamilton High School West for ten years. She later served for 23 years with the New Jersey Department of Education as the State Director of Title I and Coordinator for Equal Educational Opportunity and Equity Issues. After retiring in 2001, she joined the Pemberton Township School District as an equity coordinator and compliance officer for District 504. Darlene's career reflected a lifelong commitment to equality and excellence in education. Among her many accomplishments were earning a Public Manager's Certificate in Supervisory Management, receiving honors from the New Jersey Association of Federal Program Administrators, and membership in both the New Jersey State Parent Coordinators Association and the National Association of State and Federal Coordinators of Compensatory Education.
A woman of deep faith, Darlene was a devoted member of Shiloh Baptist Church in Trenton under the leadership of Reverend Dr. Darrell L. Armstrong. She was married there by the late Reverend S. Howard Woodson, and it is also where Nina was christened. At Shiloh, she was active in the Women's Ministry, Bible study groups, the hospitality committee, and planning committees for Women's Day and the Pastor's Anniversary. She had begun Deaconess-in-Training classes but was unable to complete them due to relocating to Cherry Hill, New Jersey. In 2023, she became a member of Tabernacle Baptist Church in Burlington, New Jersey, under the leadership of Reverend Dr. Cory Jones. As always, she quickly became active in service, participating with members of the Deaconess Ministry.
Darlene was also a proud and active member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, joining on March 21, 1986. She served the Epsilon Upsilon Omega Chapter with distinction as chapter historian beginning in 2019 for several years. She was also an Ivy Leaf reporter from 2016 to 2018. Darlene co-chaired numerous events, including the publication of the chapter's 60th Anniversary Souvenir Booklet, and played a key role in organizing the Martin Luther King, Jr. Ivy League Educational Scholarship Breakfast. In 2015, she was appointed Philacter Chairwoman for the 84th Annual North Atlantic Regional Conference and led local efforts in national and international initiatives, such as the "One Million Backpack Challenge" and "Little Dresses for Africa." Darlene co-founded Excellence Through Education, an organization of minority educators in Hamilton Township that celebrates the academic achievements of underserved students through books and financial support.
After retiring, Darlene enriched her life with global travel, often combining it with missionary work. In 2010, she visited Accra, Ghana, where she supported local churches and donated more than 250 pairs of flip-flop sandals, as well as sewing machines and toiletries for girls. In 2011, she was baptized for a second time in the Jordan River during a spiritual pilgrimage to Israel and fondly recalled floating in the Dead Sea. In 2015, she toured South Africa with Global Linkages, Inc., including an unforgettable visit to Nelson Mandela's prison. Between 2018 and 2019, she traveled to Morocco with Nina and sorority sister Geri Eure, cherishing the handmade garments gifted to her by Moroccan women.
Darlene's passport was a colorful mosaic of stamps from London, Paris, Rome, the French Riviera, Monte Carlo, Sorrento, Capri, Panama, Egypt, Spain, Kenya, Zanzibar, and Tanzania (where she climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro). From 2015 to 2020, she spent her summers in Martha's Vineyard (where sherecently met former Vice President Soror Kamala Harris), Hilton Head, and the Outer Banks, often accompanied by Nina and close friends like Soror Barbara Anderson and lifelong friend, Soror Terri Grey. Darlene's fondest memory, however, was when she went on an African safari in the Serengeti with Nina and several of her sorority sisters in 2022. Darlene proudly discussed her lasting impact of raising money in 2022 for the creation of a borehole (water well) for the Maasai people living in the village of Amboseli, Kenya (Darlene continued a friendship with the trip's ambassador, Samy Twarari Kayiai, until her death). She was especially excited about the last vacations she took in 2023-first, to Paris, France, with Nina and some of her University of Pennsylvania's friends to tour the"African American Experience" and later a cruise to Greece with her dear friends Barbara Anderson and Aundretta Nichols Wright. She looked forward to those trips with great anticipation and joy.
Darlene found joy in reading novels, photography, wedding and event planning, gardening, visiting museums, attending Broadway plays, and collecting Lladró porcelain figurines. She lived life with energy, curiosity, and a deep sense of purpose.
Darlene Marie Davis Mincy is survived by her beloved daughter, Nina Juanita Muse, of Cherry Hill, NJ; former son-in-law Clifford J. Muse, Jr. ("Son") of Willingboro, NJ; grandson and "gem in her life," Clifford J. Muse III, of Beverly, NJ; her devoted sister, Bernadette Farrior of Trenton, NJ; her treasured aunt and "muse," Tropzsy "Lee" Brewer, of Atlanta, GA; and three special nieces: Channen Farrior-McGhee of Hamilton, NJ, Tisa Davis Jackson (Andrew) of Atlanta, GA, and Melissa McDonald (William), of Inwood, WV. She also leaves behind her adoring great-niece, Shakira Farrior-Rivera, of Princeton, NJ; her nephew and godson, Terence Farrior, Sr., a bonus son/nephew, Tristan Davis, of Newark, NJ; and four bonus daughters: Sonia Nuriddin (Jamal), of Bel Air, MD, Joyce Small, of Philadelphia, PA, Tomika Stroman, of Philadelphia, PA, and Vondalyn McKeithen, of Lawrence Township, NJ. She is also survived by her special cousin Lou Cynthia Ledbetter Johnson (Robert), of The Woodlands, TX, and a host of loving cousins, nieces, nephews, great-nieces, great-nephews, and friends.
Darlene's love, wisdom, laughter, and legacy of service touched countless lives. She lived a full, fruitful, and abundant life-always expressing gratitude to God for the blessings she received and the people whom she loved.
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