MANTEO — Maybell Holland Cox Stevens, affectionately known to close friends and family as Mazie, passed away peacefully on December 13, 2024, in Nags Head, North Carolina, at the age of 77. Born on January 16, 1947, in Goldsboro, Wayne County, North Carolina to Fannie Mavis, and Henry Holland. Maybell led a life filled with love, resilience, and dedication to her family and community.
Maybell was the beloved daughter of Fannie Mavis Holland Grady and Henry Holland. Her early years were marked by strength and adaptation, having been placed in the Odd Fellows Home in Goldsboro, where she attended Goldsboro Elementary and Goldsboro High School. At the age of 16, she was welcomed into the home of James Earl Cox and Julia Cox from Engelhard, NC, and continued her education at Mattamuskeet High School.
Maybell’s journey through life brought her to the Outer Banks from Hyde County, where she met and married Douglas Ray Liverman. The couple resided in Colington until Douglas’s untimely passing six weeks after their wedding. With courage and determination, Maybell returned to Hyde County, where she married Joseph Redden Cox. Together, they had two daughters, Heather and Heidi. After parting ways with Joseph, Maybell married Jerry Stevens and relocated back to Dare County. Though their relationship turned out to be less permanent than either of them expected, Maybell remained in Dare County and lived with her daughter for a period of time before residing at Bay Tree Apartments in Manteo.
Maybell’s professional life was diverse and dynamic. She moved to the Outer Banks and worked as a waitress at the Dare O’ Lina. While living in Hyde County, she pursued her passion for beauty by attending Beautician School. Her career also included roles as a waitress at the Dockside and White Plains Marina. She served as a courier for both the East Carolina Bank and Southern Shores Realty.
A woman of many talents, Maybell took great joy in refinishing furniture and tending to her garden and flowers. Her commitment to her faith was evident in her membership at Middletown Christian Church.
Maybell was preceded in death by her first husband, Douglas Ray Liverman; her daughter, Heidi Holland Cox; her sister, Elizabeth Holland; her baby sister, Ellen Grady; her mother, Fannie Mavis Holland Grady; her father, Henry Holland; her stepfather, Charlie Barley; and two cherished individuals, Naomi (Nell) Cox and Joseph W. Cox.
She leaves behind a loving family to cherish her memory: her daughter, Heather Cox Etheridge (Bobby) of Manteo, NC; her grandchildren, Trace and Zach Etheridge; her sister, Bonnie Glisson of Goldsboro, NC; her brother, Charles Ray; her stepson, Jerry Stevens, Jr.; her stepdaughter, Tammy Stevens; and her devoted little doggie, Teddy.
Maybell loved her family, her many friends, and the Lord with all her heart. Her kindness, warmth, and unwavering faith leave an indelible mark on all who knew her.
A memorial service to celebrate Maybell’s life will be held at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made in her memory to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105, or Adoration Hospice, PO Box 1329, Kill Devil Hills, NC 27948.
Maybell’s legacy of love and devotion will continue to inspire those she leaves behind, and she will be dearly missed by all whose lives she touched.
Twiford Funeral Homes, Outer Banks is assisting the family with arrangements. Condolences and memories may be shared at www.TwifordFH.com.
