Mary McCullock

Mary Anna McCullock was born on February 6, 1926 in George's Plain in the parish of Westmoreland, Jamaica. She was the tenth child of the thirteen children of Alice Albertha and Thomas Theophilus McCulloch. Three of her siblings died as infants many decades before Mary was born, so for all of her life she has been the seventh child and the only girl among her nine brothers. She attended George's Plain Elementary School and from there to the Commercial School Department of Mannings High School. She completed stenography and commercial courses at Mrs. Whylie's School when the program was discontinued at Mannings. She had her first clerical job at Perry's Wholesale Establishment in Montego Bay. She boarded in Montego Bay with the Perry's while she worked in the business. When the Perry's closed the business she was hired by Browns Drug Store which later morphed into the famous Henriques Jewelry Store which was then the most popular "go to" shopping establishment in the heart of Jamaica's bustling tourist center. The re-direction of the Henriques brand and Mary's concern to be closer to her aging parents in Westmoreland provided the impetus for her venture into her own entrepreneurial calling. So guided by the business acumen she honed at Perry's, Brown's Drug Store and Henrique's Jewelry she developed a business model that reflected her special love for and connection with children. The result was MACS KIDDIES CORNER which she opened in 1974 in the then new plaza on Great George's Street in Savlamar. It was a boutique for children's outfits fashioned locally and occasionally supplemented with imports from one of New York's garment districts. MACS KIDDIES CORNER served a committed customer base faithfully for thirteen years before Mary migrated with her grand daughter Natalie to the US via New York to join her daughter Ava (Pat) who was by then a credentialed NY licensed Nurse. After three years in New York, Mary, Ava and Natalie fled the frigid north and relocated to sunny Florida.Here they connected with brother James and his wife Ruth and her niece Phyllis(Miss Cher). In Florida she lived a productive life caring for children as foster grandparent in the Broward School District and later her individualized baby sitting service spanning many decades. As a devoted practicing Anglican from birth at St Barnabas, she continued her membership at the Church of the Atonement until COVID19 changed her worship practice to online. Mary was alert, active, joyful and felt no discernible discomfort on Saturday December 7 when she retired at 11:30PM. By 3:30AM on Sunday December 8 she had breathing difficulties and by 4:30AM she transitioned peacefully. Mary Anna McCullock is survived by her daughter Ava Anne Hinds-Lawson, her grand daughter Natalie Ann Lawson, her brother Bertie Richard McCullock, an adoring host of nieces and nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews, cousins and in-laws that make up the McCulloch clan. May her sweet soul Rest In Peace.