Biography:
In the late evening of Thursday December 5th, 2019, God delivered Elaine ever so peacefully and subtly from all of life’s sorrows and then into his heavenly kingdom. Elaine Wright-Drayton was born December 31, 1956 in Brooklyn, New York to the late Mr. Wilson Mayo Sr. and Mrs. Rebecca Mayo, a devoted mother.
Elaine who was well known as Lee-Lee was raised in New York City where she attended the New York City Public School system. After graduating from Stewart Park High School she attended Hunter College. For a few years afterwards, Elaine held various jobs until she landed her dream job at the James J Peters VA Medical Center in Bronx, New York in January 1985. There, Elaine worked at the VA hospital for 32 years until her retirement in January 2017.
Growing up in Harlem, Elaine (Lee-Lee) developed some beautiful and loving friendships with members of the “Hellified 12”, the “Taylors”, and the “Drew Crew”, which still exists until this very day. In fact, if anyone would look around the room, you would see most of them here this evening. In addition, she was committed to her lifelong friendship to Renardo Wright. Through the years, their friendship turned into true love and they later married in July 1990. During this union, they had two beautiful children, Shanise Mallory Wright and Travis J.R. Wright. To provide their children with a safer community and a solid education, they relocated to New Rochelle, New York in 2000.
Because of Elaine’s loving heart and her devotion to her niece, she expanded her family by adopting her great-nephews, Tyler Wright and Trevor Wright in 2008. During this time, she also found true love again and a soulmate with Christopher Drayton and remarried April 25, 2014.
On March 8, 1984 Elaine made the most important decision of her life to become a born-again Christian when she joined the Mt. Calvary Baptist Church in New York under the direction of Rev. Dr. Adolph Roberts and in that same year she was baptized.
Elaine continued her devotion to her faith when she relocated to New Rochelle and in 2003 found a new church home and became a member of the New Union Church of New Rochelle under the direction of Dr. Reginald L. Hudson, Sr. Pastor and Overseer. Elaine was a faithful and devoted member and truly a woman of God. She could be seen and heard praising the Lord at the doors as she ushered in the people on Sundays. During Elaine’s membership she served as an usher, a trustee, a deacon in training, sang in the Golden Chorale chorus and on occasions helped out at the Manna Ministry by cooking and serving the community.
Elaine’s favorite past times were cooking, bowling and caring for her family, especially her grandkids. She will definitely be missed for her enormous heart, great cooking, and infectious smile. And we will never forget her sayings of “Keep it moving” and “Stay in your lane!”
Elaine (Lee-Lee) leaves to cherish her precious memories and continue her legacy: her mother: Mrs. Rebecca Mayo, her husband Christopher Drayton, her children: Shanise Mallory Wright, Travis J.R. Wright, Tyler Wright and Trevor Wright; her grandchildren Destiny Herring, Dezmen Herring and Elliot Chase Wright; her siblings; Lucille Mayo-Cummings (William) of the Bronx NY, Carol Mayo-Carter( Johnnie) of Huntsville AL, Sylvia Mayo-Morton (James Scott) of Prospect, VA, Cassandra Latimore of Mount Vernon NY, Wilson Mayo Jr of New York NY, Veronica Mayo-Weathers (Henry) of New York NY, Kevin Mayo of Albany NY, Sabrina Davis (Nathaniel) of Mount Vernon NY, Pamela Prince of Lakewood, CA, Brittany Mayo of Brooklyn NY and Pamela Smith of Rochester NY, Mother-in Love; Mrs. Gloria Drayton of Conway SC ,her Brothers-in-law; Mahdi Rashada of Queens NY, Johnathan Drayton, Falton Drayton and Jessie Drayton all of Conway SC, sisters-in-law; Telisa Gore of Norfolk VA, Christina Christian of Bronx NY, Lisa Laws of Atlanta GA, and Niyah Rutledge of Miami FL ,her Godparents; Mr. and Mrs. William C. Taylor of Elizabeth City, NC, her goddaughters; Ashley Davis and Velour Davis; and a host of uncles, aunts, nieces, nephews, family and friends.
Sorrowful Submitted By,
The Family