Mary Ann Jones Cropp

Mary Ann Jones Cropp, 86, passed away on December 19, 2025. A visitation will be

held from 12:30 pm – 2:00 pm on Saturday, January 3 in the Fellowship Hall of First

Presbyterian Church in Oxford, Mississippi. A service of Witness to the Resurrection

will be held following the visitation at 2:00 pm in the sanctuary.

Mary Ann was born October 2, 1939 in Sevierville, Tennessee. Shortly thereafter, she

moved with her parents and brother Bill Jones to Maryville, Tennessee where she grew

up and attended Maryville High School (MHS). Mary Ann was a majorette in the

school’s marching band and enjoyed returning to Sevierville each summer to spend

time with her beloved Aunt Martha and work at the Ole Smoky’s Candy Kitchen in

Gatlinburg. While attending MHS, Mary Ann met and started dating her eventual

husband of 64 years, John Williamson Cropp.

In 1956, Mary Ann’s family moved to Chattanooga, Tennessee where she enrolled at

Brainard High School. Upon graduating in the spring of 1957, Mary Ann enrolled at the

University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and earned her bachelor’s degree in physical

education in 1961.

After college, Mary Ann wed John and moved to Nashville, Tennessee to be with her

husband who was pursuing his Master of Arts and Teaching at Peabody College and

playing his final year of college football at Vanderbilt University. The couple moved to

Frankfurt, Germany in 1963 where John served as First Lieutenant in the Army as a

football coach. It was here that Mary Ann began her role as the consummate

coach’s wife, cheering passionately for John’s teams, feeding his players, and hollering

at unfair referees for the duration of his career. She intimately cared for his players as

people, not just athletes.

While supporting John in his career, Mary Ann worked tirelessly to guide her family and

lived in 17 different homes including the following:

• Atlanta, GA (1967, Southwest High School Wolves)

• Bristol, TN (1967–1972, Tennessee High Vikings)

• Nashville, TN (1973–1974, Vanderbilt University)

• Lubbock, TX (1975–1977, Texas Tech University)

• Oxford, MS (1978–1982, University of Mississippi)

• Durham, NC (1983–1984, Duke University)

• Nashville, TN (1985-91, Vanderbilt University)

• Lexington, KY (1991–2013, University of Kentucky)

When John became an associate athletic director at the University of Kentucky, retiring

from his football coaching career, Mary Ann became a very loud supporter of John’s

new teams in the sports of baseball, softball, and golf. She and John returned to

Oxford, Mississippi, in 2016, where they enjoyed their retirement years together.

Along the way, Mary Ann worked in many different vocations of her own, including high

school basketball coach, kindergarten teacher, Director of Christian Education, and Administrative Assistant in athletic departments and transcript offices at several

universities. While at Ole Miss, working in the Registrar’s office, she was known to have

been reprimanded repeatedly for letting her daughter’s friends cut in line to enroll in

their preferred classes on campus, but continued to give preferential treatment all the

same.

Outside of work, Mary Ann was a devoted mother and an active presence in her church

community. She participated faithfully in women’s circles, taught Sunday School,

served as a Presbyterian Youth Fellowship (PYF) leader, led Scout groups, and brought

her signature loud and joyful cheer to every sporting event involving her children or

grandchildren. She will be remembered for her twinkling blue eyes, her deep affection

for her dogs—Taffy, Fritz, Josh, and Cody—her insatiable sweet tooth, her athleticism

as a tennis player and golfer, and her talent as an accomplished needle pointer,

seamstress, and quilter.

Mary Ann is preceded in death by her parents, Merlin and Lucille Jones, and her

brother, Bill Bryan Jones. She is survived by her husband, John Williamson Cropp; her

two children Karen Cropp Elliott (Bo) and David Cropp; and her three grandchildren

Baxter Elliott (Olivia), Kate Cropp, and Griffin Cropp.

The Cropp family is especially grateful at this time for the many coaches’ families Mary

Ann had the blessing to walk through football seasons and life with. The memories, the

laughter, and the honest friendships are among God’s greatest blessings.

Mary Ann’s family wants to thank Cindy and Susan at The Nail Bar for their warm-

hearted, unhurried attention to our mother during her monthly manicures. Mary Ann

was a woman more at home on the tennis court or golf course than in a dress and

heels; yet, she was incredibly serious about her manicures. Her love of Funny Bunny

and Bubble Bath (with chrome) sustained her through some difficult days late in her life.

In addition, we thank the many compassionate nurses and resident aides at The

Magnolia Assisted Living Facility who learned how to tease Mary Ann and make her

laugh during the most challenging season of her 86 years. We are also indebted to the

kind, professional sitters of Hearts of Love Home Health. And finally, the tender care of

the Arden Hospice nurses is evidence of God’s presence in our broken world. We are

better people to have witnessed your service.

Memorial contributions in Mrs. Cropp’s memory may be made to First Presbyterian Church, 924 Van Buren Avenue, Oxford, MS 38655.