Willie Mary Ruth Maxwell Watson, was born December 26, 1964 in Greensboro, North Carolina to the late Willie Ruth Knight Maxwell of Tarboro and the late Charles Wesley Maxwell of Greensboro. She departed this earth August 27, 2022.

Willie attended Greensboro Public schools, after which she participated in Upward Bound at NC A&T and later matriculated

at Rutledge College. Her career was in the food service industry in Greensboro at public schools, university cafeterias and local restaurants. At the time of her passing, she worked at Golden Corral. Her career was influenced by her late paternal grandmother, Mary Donnell Maxwell, who cooked at Mt. Zion School for many years.

She was a member of Mount Zion AME Church and served as an usher there for more than eleven years. Willie continued to worship during the pandemic by walking to a neighborhood church in Warnersville. She loved to walk and frequently did so to check on other family members, praying for them and with them.

Willie was married to the late Clarence Watson of Greensboro.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by four siblings: Marie Knight Cooke, Michael Winford Walker, William Earl Walker and Charles Jeff Walker.

She leaves three siblings to mourn her: Lucinda Shermaine Walker, Lillian Walker Hayes and Keith Walker; a maternal grandmother- Evangelist Bertha Knight Majette; four aunts, Juanita Giles, Susie Pass, Ella Bert and Mary McCauley; three uncles, Harry Knight, Jr., Nathan Knight and William "Bill" McCauley; special niece, Lakisha Walker; special nephew, Ronald Knight, and a host of other relatives and friends.

"Mary Ruth", as she is lovingly called, will be remembered as an easy-going person with a loving and giving nature. She touched the hearts of many persons who will cherish the fond memories they have of her.