Obituary for Mary Payne Dupree
Mary Payne Dupree was born on December 1, 1933 to the late Virginia and Malcolm Payne in New York, New York. Mary was the only child born to this union. Mary departed this life after a brief illness on February 1, 2022.
Mary was educated in the New York City Public School system and graduated from George Washington High School. Mary grew up playing the piano and loved listening to music and dancing. She went on to pursue a degree in Zoology from Hunter College. After completing her Bachelor of Arts degree, she worked as a microbiologist for the Westchester County Department of Labs and Research retiring after 35 years of service. As a microbiologist, she worked closely with the New York State Health Department and the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta.
She met and married Collen Dupree Jr. in September 1966 and to this union two children were born, Michael H. Dupree and Carole Dupree-Fennell, who she fiercely loved. Mary loved being a mom. Her home was always full of kids from the neighborhood who affectionately called her “mom” and throughout the years she became a surrogate mother and grandmother to her neighbor’s children and grandchildren. Mary’s loving and caring spirit motivated her to adopt extended family throughout her life. She and Marion Young became sisters and then they became sorority sisters. Their two families celebrated holidays and special events with great joy until Marion’s passing in 2017.
Mary was initiated into the Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated - Delta Mu Zeta Chapter, New York, New York in Spring of 1959. After living in Yonkers, New York for a while, Mary transferred her membership to the Gamma Xi Zeta Chapter in Westchester County, New York. Mary served and chaired dutifully on many committees in both chapters. Mary was a staunch supporter of the March of Dimes for 32 years. She received many awards and recognitions from her Zeta Chapter for her dedication to the March of Dimes. One of Zeta’s National programmatic themes is: Zetas Helping Other People Excel (Z-Hope). This is truly how Mary lived her life during her 62 years of service in the Zeta Sisterhood. She volunteered for Voter Registration Campaigns, Research for AARP, HBCU College Fairs, Stork’s Nest (creating and training) and spent 20 years as a tutor in Public School #31 in Yonkers, New York, her children’s former elementary school.
Mary spent a significant amount of time in Harlem with her family and friends. She attended many cultural events and enjoyed music and the theater. She was a staple at the New York Hampton Alumni Club, Inc. events where she took pictures and always had a story to tell. Mary was also an avid reader, loved great food and traveled the world to see and explore all the countries on her bucket list. One of her favorite trips was to Thailand where she got to ride an elephant. The final country on her list was Iceland, which she got to experience with her daughter and grandson in 2020.
She leaves to celebrate her life and legacy of love: daughter Carole Dupree-Fennell of New York, New York; son-in-law Wylie Fennell; grandson Hunter Fennell; daughter-in-law Nicole Dupree (Michael, who preceded her in death) of Bayonne, NJ and sister-in-law Carol Dupree of New York, NY. Mary loved her extended family and her extended family-by-choice that includes adopted grandsons Patrick and Keith Kong; adopted daughters including Karen Young, adopted sons and a host of cousins, friends, neighbors, and Zeta sorority sisters, including Gertie Tippit, who held a special place in Mary’s heart.
A lover of biology and as a final act of research, Mary donated her body to science at the New York Medical College.
Mary was educated in the New York City Public School system and graduated from George Washington High School. Mary grew up playing the piano and loved listening to music and dancing. She went on to pursue a degree in Zoology from Hunter College. After completing her Bachelor of Arts degree, she worked as a microbiologist for the Westchester County Department of Labs and Research retiring after 35 years of service. As a microbiologist, she worked closely with the New York State Health Department and the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta.
She met and married Collen Dupree Jr. in September 1966 and to this union two children were born, Michael H. Dupree and Carole Dupree-Fennell, who she fiercely loved. Mary loved being a mom. Her home was always full of kids from the neighborhood who affectionately called her “mom” and throughout the years she became a surrogate mother and grandmother to her neighbor’s children and grandchildren. Mary’s loving and caring spirit motivated her to adopt extended family throughout her life. She and Marion Young became sisters and then they became sorority sisters. Their two families celebrated holidays and special events with great joy until Marion’s passing in 2017.
Mary was initiated into the Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated - Delta Mu Zeta Chapter, New York, New York in Spring of 1959. After living in Yonkers, New York for a while, Mary transferred her membership to the Gamma Xi Zeta Chapter in Westchester County, New York. Mary served and chaired dutifully on many committees in both chapters. Mary was a staunch supporter of the March of Dimes for 32 years. She received many awards and recognitions from her Zeta Chapter for her dedication to the March of Dimes. One of Zeta’s National programmatic themes is: Zetas Helping Other People Excel (Z-Hope). This is truly how Mary lived her life during her 62 years of service in the Zeta Sisterhood. She volunteered for Voter Registration Campaigns, Research for AARP, HBCU College Fairs, Stork’s Nest (creating and training) and spent 20 years as a tutor in Public School #31 in Yonkers, New York, her children’s former elementary school.
Mary spent a significant amount of time in Harlem with her family and friends. She attended many cultural events and enjoyed music and the theater. She was a staple at the New York Hampton Alumni Club, Inc. events where she took pictures and always had a story to tell. Mary was also an avid reader, loved great food and traveled the world to see and explore all the countries on her bucket list. One of her favorite trips was to Thailand where she got to ride an elephant. The final country on her list was Iceland, which she got to experience with her daughter and grandson in 2020.
She leaves to celebrate her life and legacy of love: daughter Carole Dupree-Fennell of New York, New York; son-in-law Wylie Fennell; grandson Hunter Fennell; daughter-in-law Nicole Dupree (Michael, who preceded her in death) of Bayonne, NJ and sister-in-law Carol Dupree of New York, NY. Mary loved her extended family and her extended family-by-choice that includes adopted grandsons Patrick and Keith Kong; adopted daughters including Karen Young, adopted sons and a host of cousins, friends, neighbors, and Zeta sorority sisters, including Gertie Tippit, who held a special place in Mary’s heart.
A lover of biology and as a final act of research, Mary donated her body to science at the New York Medical College.