Mrs. Maria Josephine Tucker

Mrs. Maria Josephine Tucker, age 94, of New Castle, DE, passed away on Wednesday, April 15^th, 2026. In addition to her parents, Maria was preceded in death by her husband, Rev. Canon Joseph Samuel Tucker; and her two younger sisters.

Born in Freetown, Sierra Leone on March 1st, 1932, she was a daughter of the late John and Josephine Barkie (Hook) Thomas. She is survived by her children: Mrs. Daphne Iyatunde Yema Sawyerr, Dr. Margaret Konima Sesay, Ms. Madonna Sandra Tucker-Coward, Mr. Desmond Dhad Tucker, Mrs. Doreen Onekalit, Ms. Hawa Henrietta Tucker, Mr. Henry Mattia Tucker, Ms. Lucy Tucker; grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and several adopted children at home and abroad.

Her family were devout Catholic and she went to the St. Joseph’s Primary and Secondary Catholic schools in Freetown, Sierra Leone and graduated with a Higher-Grade Domestic Science Certificate in the 1950’s. She later enrolled into the then Catholic Women’s Teacher Training Institute attached to the St. Joseph’s Nun Convent, in Freetown, Sierra Leone.

Her early formative years when her parents died at a very early age, she was raised by her grandmother, Mama Hook, and also mentored by the Catholic Nuns under whom she had her tutelage of sewing, catering and compassion for selflessness to others.

She was well known as a remarkable seamstress in Freetown throughout the years, and during her young adulthood she met and married the love of her life Mr. Joseph Samuel Tucker on 29^th June 1955, now deceased.

She lived a remarkable life with her beloved husband and family in Freetown, and they then moved to Njala University College, Njala, Sierra Leone in the 1970’s where her husband took up a post as part of the College administration. Mrs. Maria Tucker was a business entrepreneur with a Day Care, Restaurant and Catering Service business serving the Njala University Mokonde Community, where the family settled and where well known and loved by all.

Unfortunately, because of the Civil War that was going on in Sierra Leone at the time, they had to leave their beloved Njala Community in the 1990’s, with her husband and some family members to Freetown, where they remained until their repatriation to the Gambia as refugees for America.

In 2001, she and her husband with some family members moved to New Castle, Delaware, USA to be with her youngest daughter and her family. Maria adapted very well to life in the USA, and got involved with several local church communities including Hope Lutheran Church, New Castle, Delaware, the Episcopal Church of St. Nicholas in Newark, Delaware, and Christ Episcopal Church, Delaware City, Delaware where her husband served as a priest.

Maria and her husband Rev. Canon Joseph Samuel Tucker returned to their home country Sierra Leone, West Africa in January 2023, were he passed away at the age of 95 in July 2024, they were married for 69 glorious years.

She will be greatly missed for her service to humanity, selflessness, love, kindness, beauty, a God-fearing Proverbs 31 Woman.

Mummy till we meet again.

A visitation for family and friends will be held from 10:30 am until 11:30 am on Monday, April 27, 2026, at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton R.C. Church, 345 Bear Christiana Road, Bear, DE, where a funeral Mass will begin at 11:30 am.

Interment will be held in KingTom Cemetery, Freetown, Sierra Leone.