DORETHA WILHEMINA WILCOX
Doretha Wilhemina Wilcox was born on New Year’s Day, 1927. She was known to family, friends and the community at large as “Dor”. Dor graduated from Mary Nottingham Smith high school in 1944. With her first husband, Frank Taylor, she had one daughter and two sons, Yvett Wilson (Nee Taylor), Gregory Taylor and Hampton Taylor (d. 2016). With her second husband, Andrew “AJ” Wilcox, she adopted three children, Quiana, Kente and John. She remained married to Andrew until his passing in 2007. Doretha was an entrepreneur and model citizen in her community. She owned several businesses, one of them being Horntown Hall, which was a very popular establishment and people from all over Maryland’s lower Eastern Shore as well as those from Accomack and Northampton counties attended every weekend. Doretha also owned a sandwich and ice cream shop in Pocomoke City, MD. Speaking of ice cream, she was the first black woman driver for Mr. Whippy ice cream. She also worked at NASA for 15 years. Doretha dedicated her life to social services, being a foster parent under the Accomack County foster program for many years. Because of her love and dedication to the Lord and church, she also taught Sunday School for many years and her devotion to the Lord was witnessed by all. Whenever she could, she would attend Bible Study on a weekly basis and made it her mission to attend every revival on the church calendar. Doretha was well known to family, friends and the community for her love of singing, so it’s no surprise that she was the head of the youth choir at Wattsville Methodist Church. Indeed, this wonderful woman was a “Jane of all trades” and master of love, as she was known to visit and minister to the sick and infirmity.
Doretha loved gardening and kept up her annuals and bi-annals with fastidious detail and care. She was also known for her baking skills with many in the family and the community, always asked for her sweet potato and coconut pies.
The loved ones left to carry her legacy are, children: Yvette, Gregory, Quiana, John and Kente; nephews and nieces: Dolly, Cynthia, Claudia, Lexy, Annette, Ronald, Larry and Tanisha; grandchildren: Tiara, Tracy, Yvonne, Hampton, Jr, Cornell, Isaiah, Lakeisha, Keisha, and Tiquisha; great grandchildren: Douglas, Desmond, Brandon, Leah, Satoria, Keyon and Xonder; great-great grandchildren: Carter, Elijah, Harlem and Damir. She also leaves behind a host of cousins and extended family, friends and a community whom from this day forward will cherish her memory. “May her work speak for her”.
