Mary Oneida Grace (Sell) Kingdon

Mary Oneida Grace (Sell) Kingdon went to be with her Lord on Sunday, August 1, 2021 at her home in High Point, North Carolina with her immediate family by her side.  She was 87.  Born in Canton, Ohio to Virgil Ezra and Mabel Donnie (Rowe) Sell, she graduated from McKinley High School in Canton, earned her Bachelor degree at Houghton College, Houghton, New York, and Master of Science in Education, specializing in Reading, from Alfred University, Alfred, New York.  She taught school for thirty-five years.  Thirty of those years were at Friendship Central School in Friendship, New York teaching Reading for grades four, five and six.  She served a number of terms as president of the Friendship Central School Teachers Union.  She also represented a cluster of western New York public schools for several years at the annual meetings of the New York State Teachers Retirement System in Albany, New York.

She is survived by her husband of sixty-four years, Harold Ivor Edwin Kingdon Sr.  They resided in Houghton, New York for fifty years prior to moving to North Carolina to be near family.  She is also survived by their daughter Sheryl Lynn Kingdon Johnson of Chattanooga, Tennessee; sons Harold Ivor Edwin Kingdon, Jr. (Debbie) and James Todd Ezra Kingdon (Paula) of High Point, North Carolina; twelve grandchildren, three great grandsons, and many nieces and nephews and great nieces and nephews.  She was predeceased by her parents, Virgil and Mabel (Rowe) Sell; sister, Ruth (Sell) Hague; brothers Paul Sell (Mary) and Robert Sell (Wilma); daughter Jill Renée Kingdon Tyson (John); infant grandson, Kel Jonathan Kingdon, and son-in-law, Spencer Allen Johnson.

Her Christian faith was her rock and foundation and she instilled that faith in her children.  She was a devoted wife and companion, gracious and humble, with the gift of hospitality.  She enjoyed cross-stitching baby blankets for grandchildren and she and her husband traveled extensively in the U.S. and Canada in their Airstream travel trailer.  She was deeply loved by her family and will be greatly missed by all who knew her.

To honor her passions as an educator and a follower of Christ, memorials may be given to a Christian school or a church of the donor’s choice.

A Celebration of her life will be held at the Cumby Family Funeral Service, 1015 Eastchester Drive in High Point, North Carolina at 10:00 AM on Wednesday, August 11, with the Rev. Dr. Harold Kingdon officiating.

To plant a beautiful memorial tree in memory of Mary Oneida Grace (Sell) Kingdon, please visit our Tree Store.