Mavis Mutisya

February 19, 1927 – July 26, 2026

Mavis Maud Mutisya passed away peacefully on July 26, 2026, at the magnificent age of 99, having spent nearly a century nurturing her passions for family, teaching, and fitness. A kind and generous soul, she proved that the secret to a long life is staying curious and active.

Born in 1927 in Saint Ann's Bay, Jamaica, Mavis spent her early years running wild with an enormous crew of cousins on her grandparents' farm. She studied at a teachers' college, then moved to Kingston, where a friend talked her into "just a little trip" to the United States. She said yes and never looked back.

After arriving in the US in 1957, she decided teaching wasn't quite enough and pivoted to nutrition, earning a bachelor's degree from New York University (NYU) and a master's from Cornell University. Then, she packed her bags and joined her husband-to-be in newly independent Kenya, where she conducted groundbreaking research on malnutrition in Kenya and Tanzania and became a highly popular professor at Kenyatta University, educating a generation of health leaders.

Eventually she returned to the U.S. to pursue her doctorate at NYU, then taught at Lehman College, and worked as a hospital dietitian. Most people would call this a full career. Mavis called it a warm-up. Upon retiring, she promptly un-retired and became a New York City public high school teacher — a job she held until she was almost 90, outlasting several generations of teenagers.

In her "spare" time, she taught Sunday School, studied French and Spanish for the sheer pleasure of it, read voraciously, gardened, traveled, and doted extravagantly on her grandchildren. She relished a good game of Scrabble, Monopoly, or cards, and was legendary for her daily brisk, exploratory, no-nonsense walks (trying to keep pace with her was humbling). She cultivated deep friendships that lasted a lifetime, and her generosity, kindness, and thoughtfulness knew no bounds. She also amazed everyone with an encyclopedic knowledge of plants — the more obscure, the better.

Mavis was predeceased by her husband (Martin) and a younger sister (Beverly Mathieu). She is survived by her three children (Elizabeth, Michael and Paul), her grandchildren (Desta and Karen), a younger sister (Birdette Davidson), and a loving circle of cousins, nieces and nephews.

She truly lived each one of her years fully. Walk briskly, stay curious, hug someone, and learn something new every day.

Visitation will be held on Saturday, August 22, 2026 from 10:00AM to 11:00AM at Stone Hill Church, 1025 Bunn Drive, Princeton, NJ.  Funeral Services will begin at 11:00AM with a reception following.  Private burial will then take place at Rocky Hill Cemetery, Rocky Hill, NJ

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in her memory to the Center for Aging at Weill Cornell Medical Center.