Obituary of Agnes Maddox
The Life of Agnes O. Maddox
Agnes Ophelia Maddox, affectionately known as Aggie, Mom, Grandma, Gigi, and Ms. Maddox began her eternal rest at home in Houston Tx on July 15, 2025.
Agnes was born to May Albertha Morgan and Norman Corneilus Webster on April 26, 1937 in the Republic of Panama. She attended elementary and high school in her native land. Upon graduation she migrated to Brooklyn NY in 1956 where she continued her education. She attended Erasmus Hall High and Brooklyn College in the evenings until transferring to Phillips University in Enid Oklahoma 1963. While living in New York she worked as a typist and a stenographer at the United Nations. Agnes had a personal and up close view of the civil rights movement during her tenure at the Amsterdam News - the oldest Black Newspaper in New York The stories she shared of meeting the icons most people only get to read about is just one of the invaluable gifts she left behind with her family.
Williamstown High School in Williamstown NJ is where she began her teaching career in 1966. There she met Henry B. Maddox. They fell in love, got married and Agnes’ family now included her husband and his son Mark. In 1967 she began her tenure at West High School in Newark NJ. A few years later the couple welcomed a daughter, Julia. Agnes worked at West Side until her retirement in 1998. When it’s stated that she “worked” at West Side, she loved, taught, encouraged, fed, clothed and transported her students. For a number of years she was the advisor for the Pep Squad and was present at every football game with her team rain, shine, sleet or snow. Agnes always went the extra mile and gave more than asked or required. Most importantly, she gave love. She gave her students the extra push they needed to help them realize the value she saw in them. She invested in them so that they would be able to build up their own self esteem to surpass all potential she saw in them.
She not only invested in her students, she also invested in and sacrificed for her family. Words can not explain the love and pride she had for her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She beamed and thrived in their presence. She included them in her hobbies of cooking, baking, and gardening. And they included her in their activities too from building with Legos, water gun fights and even to a quick game of soccer on the side of the house. Agnes took pride not just in her biological family, but just as important to her were the other families of which she was a part during her life including neighbors, coworkers, former students, and last but not least, her church family at St. Mark's Episcopal Church. She was loved, respected, and revered by all.
Agnes was preceded in death by her parents Norman Webster and May Morgan, and her husband Henry Maddox. She is survived by her brother William Ivan Simpson, her daughter Julia (Maurice) Watts, son Mark (Faya) Johnson, grandchildren Nur (Domanique) Watts, Naeem Watts (Ty’Quantia Peay), Marissa Watts, Amir Watts, Nicole Johnson, Antoine (Kyra) Lamar, Lililian (Jeffrey) Arrington, and Donald Maddox. Her great grandchildren Kanzah, Kaysan, Serenity, Zion, Leylah, Nemari, Jahadi, Zariah, Zayan, Love, Natiyah, Amir M, Naeem J, Julia A, Selena, Jennifer, Josh, Patrice (Lamar), Naquita. She leaves countless relatives, friends and loved ones to cherish her memory.
Live Stream Funeral Service - Saturday, August 9th at 12:00 PM
