Mary Jane Dungee was born May 21, 1951, to Isaac Leslie Dungee, Sr and Rosa Lee Dungee in
Prospect, Virginia. Mary Jane, as she was known by family and friends, attended Prince Edward
County schools until 1959 when her family moved from Virginia to New Jersey, as a result of the
county closing of schools to avoid segregation. Once in New Jersey, Mary Jane attended 15 th
Avenue School and then Vailsburg High School from which she graduated in 1969.
After high school Mary Jane took classes at Essex County College as well Katherine Gibbs
Secretarial School. Upon completing Katherine Gibbs, she gained employment at Mutual
Benefit and then Firemen’s Fund Insurance Companies. In 1979 she began working for Verizon
(Formerly Bell Telephone/New Jersey Bell), until her retirement in 2011. She returned to
Verizon as a contingent worker form 2012 until December 2022.
She is preceded in death by her parents Isaac and Rosa Dungee. She leaves to carry her
memory: her daughters Trinette Dungee of North Plainfield, NJ, and Kimberly Hawkins
(Braxton) of Monroe, NC. Five siblings: Hettie Dungee South Plainfield, NJ, Isaac Dungee
(Deneise) of Plainfield, NJ, Joan Hawkins (Marion) of Waxhaw, NC., Marvin Dungee (Jamie) of
Richmond, VA., and Dorothy Dungee, South Plainfield, NJ. Three grandchildren Shayla Dungee-
Brown, Xavier Dungee-Brown both of South Plainfield, NJ and Charlotte Fonville of Monroe, NC.
Six nieces and nephews; Jennifer Moore (Jason) Waxhaw, NC, Rodney Dungee (Katie), Anthony
Dungee, Leah Maignan (David), Jeremy Hawkins, and Lyle Dungee all of NJ. As well as a host of
aunts and uncles and cousins.
Mary Jane was an avid reader of mystery and romance novels with favorite authors, Mary
Higgins Clarke, James Patterson, Danielle Steele, and Nora Roberts. She also loved flowers and
enjoyed gardening. In her later years you could always find her in her favorite chair watching
the Hallmark Channel while she snacked on her Paydays and Little Debbie oatmeal pies.