Marie A. Blackledge

Marie Ann (Moore) Blackledge was born on June 20, 1955, in Baltimore, Maryland. For those fortunate enough to know her, our lives changed on March 5, 2025, when she peacefully passed away at the age of 69 in Fallston, Maryland.

Marie was born at the former City Hospital, now Bayview Hospital, in Baltimore, Maryland, to the late Anna Moore and Wilbert Crenshaw. Depending on when or how you met her, you may have known her as Marie Ann, Mary Hubman, Re Re, Grandma, or Momma. She was a woman of many names, but each one reflected the love she shared with those around her.

Marie was a proud 1973 graduate of Fairmount Hill Vocational High School in Baltimore, but her life’s journey wasn’t defined by her academic achievements, it was her service to others that truly set her apart. From a young age, she felt called to help people and spent her life doing just that. She started her career working for The Department of Social Services, in the Food Pantry, where she distributed food to families in need. Over the years, she found her true calling in Geriatric Nursing, a career that would span more than 25 years and bring her numerous accolades. Her work at Social Services, Charlestown Retirement Home, and Oakcrest Village Retirement Home, to name a few, has touched countless lives. Beyond work hours, Marie continuously fulfilled her life’s purpose of serving her community. She joined Ark Church in 2017 and served faithfully as a member of the Standing Usher Board. No matter where she lived, whether it was on Spring Street or most recently Hornbeam Road, her home remained a place of refuge. She opened her door and her heart to anyone in need. If you came hungry, you left fed. If you came tired, she made sure you had a place to rest.

In the summer of 2002, Marie met someone who would change her life forever. She was out with one of her best friends at a popular Baltimore spot called Melba’s Place when, right there in the middle of the dance floor, she met Leroy Blackledge. What began as casual hangouts blossomed into much more. Their first official vacation together took them to Cape May, New Jersey, and countless more adventures afterwards. They traveled together, building memories, and sealed their bond with an unforgettable proposal followed by an extravagant wedding shortly after. Marie had a passion for traveling, whether it was return trips to Cape May, Jamaica, Niagara Falls, Cancun, Las Vegas, Atlantic City, Deep Creek Lake or Myrtle Beach. One of her favorite places to travel was Manning, South Carolina, where she would visit her best friend, Stella Lemon. When Marie wasn’t traveling, you could find her dressed up, excited, and ready for a fun night out. Over the years, she was lucky enough to see some of her favorite artists live, including Charlie Wilson, Fantasia, Babyface, The Whispers, and Tamela Mann. She also loved attending Stage plays, Ravens and Orioles events, and hosting family gatherings. Her gatherings were always filled with laughter and good food, where it was impossible to step out the door without an extra plate or two because she cooked the same way she loved — with more than enough to go around. Perhaps her greatest joy not yet mentioned were her trips to the casino, where she could be found happily placing 5-dollar bets at the penny machines.

To know Marie was to hit the jackpot, to love and be loved by Marie was to win the lottery. Marie’s love and kindness touched everyone she met, enriching their lives, and she will be deeply missed.She was preceded in death by her siblings Annie Mae Moore, Marion Crawford, Linwood Moore, William Moore, James Moore, Rosetta Morgan, Dorothy Tyler, and one bonus son, Kevin Blackledge.

Her memory lives on through those who survive her: her husband, Leroy Blackledge; her three children, Alesha Jones, Erick Jackson (his wife Antoinette), and Jasmine Jones; her seven grandchildren, Antonio Tracy Jr, Troy Mable, Tyquan Wilson, Latrell Mitchell, Da'Mya Hall, Chloe Jackson, and Konnor Jones; her two great-grandchildren, London Tracy and Ka'Mani Tracy; her four siblings, Wilbert Moore, Charles Moore (his wife Cherise), Elaine Moore, and Vivian Moore Stokes (her husband James); two nieces who were more like sisters Beverly Moore and Jean Hayes (her husband Reginald) and her four bonus sons, Richard Blackledge (his wife Susan), Wayne Blackledge, Robert Blackledge (his wife LaTonya), and Keith Blackledge (his wife Teresa).

Marie is also survived by a loving circle of family and friends who all cherished her immensely and are committed to uplifting her charitable spirit and impactful legacy.