Mary Jalena Davis

MARY JALENA DAVIS, born September 13, 2002 in Raleigh, North Carolina, was the daughter of Diana Ureste Davis and Paul Wayne Davis. She entered into eternal rest on August 8, 2025.

Mary gave her hand to the pastor and her life to Christ and became an official member of New Hope Missionary Baptist Church on March 3, 2013. She was a very willing disciple. She attended Sunday School, sang in the Youth Choir, attended Vacation Bible School, participated in Black History programs and helped with the Nursery on Sunday mornings. She was very ambitious and a regular in the Tutoring Ministry; her desire was to be accepted in all eight of the Ivy League Universities.

Mary attended the Chatham County and Wake County schools. She won Spelling Bees in the Seventh and Eighth grades. She graduated Summa Cum Laude from Knightdale High School in 2020 and maintained a 4.25, or higher, grade point average (GPA) for all 4 years of high school. Other academic achievements are listed below: Member of National Honor Society, Member of TRIO Upward Bound NC State program; Received the Presidential Award for Educational Excellence; a weighted GPA of 3.5 or higher and scored in the 85th percentile or higher on the math or verbal section of college admissions examinations; Qualified to be an NC Scholar, maintaining an unweighted GPA of 3.5 or higher and taking rigorous courses; Received the AP Capstone diploma, having completed and passed the AP Exam for 6 AP courses. She played the Saxophone in the band and was a soloist. Athletically, she was an avid swimmer. She continued her education at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill. Mary displayed a very quiet personality and was loved and respected by her friends.

She was employed with Allied Security as a Security Guard.

She leaves to cherish loving memories her parents Diana Davis of Raleigh, NC and Paul Wayne Davis of Apex, NC; three sisters Amara Sanderford of New Hill, NC, Chanel Bunch of Raleigh, NC and Paulina Davis of Raleigh, NC; a grandmother, Juanita Davis of Apex, NC; four aunts, one uncle, six great aunts, four great uncles, one niece and a host of other relatives and friends.