Mariah Powers Bordelon, resident of Memphis, Tennessee, passed away on December 23, 2022, at the age of 81. Born on November 14, 1941 in Greenville, Mississippi to Millard Fillmore Powers, Jr. and Maria Hilliard Powers, Mariah was raised on Hilliard Plantation in Lamont, Mississippi and attended Saint Joseph High School in Greenville, Mississippi. She was a member of Sub-Deb Cotillion Club, served as president of the Junior Cotillion and made her debut in 1960 as a member of the Delta Debutante Club. She attended Mississippi State College for Women where she was a member of the Lockheart Social Club. She graduated from the University of Mississippi where she obtained a Bachelor of Education and was a member of Chi Omega Sorority of which she served as social chairman. She later obtained a Masters of Education from Delta State University. Mariah was also a member of the Greenville, MS chapter of Junior Auxiliary and the Junior Greenville Garden Club.
Mariah’s love of reading began at an early age and continued throughout her career as an educator of English at Washington School (Greenville, MS), Jackson Academy (Jackson, MS) White Station Middle School (Memphis, TN) and Evangelical Christian School (Cordova, TN).
She also had a love of gardening which was cultivated through her membership in the TN Master Gardener Program and Dixie Rose Club while living in the Memphis area. She enjoyed volunteering her time at the Memphis Botanic Garden and Agricenter International. She was a member of St. Francis of Assisi Church in Cordova, TN for many years where she served as Eucharistic minister.
Mariah was preceded in death by her mother and father. She is survived by her children Beth Bordelon Rainer (Reid) of Germantown, TN and Mariah Bordelon Pace of Tuscaloosa, AL; five grandchildren Elizabeth Culley Rainer, Mary Margaret Rainer, David Tate Pace, Alexander Manning Pace, and Mariah Manning Pace, who all mourn the loss of their “Sissy”; brothers Millard Fillmore (Buddy) Powers III (Mary Lynn) of Lamont, MS, Edward Johnson Powers (Cathy) of Lake Wales, FL, and Fletcher Clinton Powers (Louise) of Batesville, MS; sisters Mary Elizabeth MacDonald of Oxford, MS and Margaret Anne Schmitt (Andy) of Kingwood, TX. She also leaves behind three nieces and seven nephews who affectionately referred to her as “Aunt Sister”.
A funeral mass will be held on January 21, 2023 at 2:00 pm at Saint Joseph Catholic Church in Greenville, MS. Visitation will be prior to the service beginning at 1:00 pm. Burial will follow in Greenville Cemetery.
Memorial contributions may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital or the Alzheimer’s Association.