Cora Jean (Buckson) Lyons Tilghman

With heavy hearts we the Family of Cora Buckson Tilghman announced her passing. Cora passed on December 5, 2022 at her home 126 Sollers Point Road in Turner Station, Maryland. She is the sister of Margie Buckson King. Family will receive friends at the home of her nephew John King 5054 Gatsby Circle Rock Hill, SC. 

Cora Jean Buckson Lyons Tilghman

Sunrise: 1940                                                                                                                  Sunset: 2022

        Heaven opened its windows over Baltimore, Maryland on January 20, 1940, and sent a beautiful baby girl, Cora Jean Buckson, as a blessing to her parents, Pansy Thomas Buckson and Elazer Buckson. Cora went on to live a stellar life that awarded her the affectionate names of, “Ma, Grandma and Aunt Cora,” by those who knew and loved her best.  

         Embraced with a meticulous love, she grew to become a stalwart in her family, church, and community until God beckoned her back to heaven on Monday, December 5, 2022, from the sanctity of her home at 126 Sollers Point Road in the southeastern area of Baltimore County called Turner Station.  Cora shed her earthly body and was united in heaven with her parents, and now lives eternally with Our Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ. 

        Cora was a bright child and was educated in the Baltimore County Public School System located in Baltimore’s historic Community Turner Station, where she graduated from Sollers Point High School. Yet, in their youth, Cora and her sister, Margie, adored their grandmother, “Big Mama.”  They would wait with bated breath each year for the day when they would be allowed to come to Blair, South Carolina to spend the summer. Big Mama quickly discovered that Cora had an enormous anointing upon her life and she entered into an early relationship with Christ. Cora joined Shiloh Baptist Church under the worthy tutelage of Reverend Banks in Turner Station, Maryland and when she visited South Carolina in the Summer she attended New Hope Baptist Church in Blair, S.C.  She attended Sunday School and vacation bible school and was a member of the Youth Choir. 

        Cora grew into a beautiful woman, was united in marriage with the late Rudolph Lyons and to this blessed union, three wonderful children: Derrick, Janice and Angela, “Angie,” were born.  Later in life, Cora met and married Jeff Tilghman.

        Cora had great compassion for her community and her generous spirit was well- known throughout. She was admired for her constant strength and courage in the face of adversity, as was evidenced when Cora was diagnosed with kidney disease. She accepted the diagnosis, trusting in God, and did not allow it to deter her spirit or faith.  Fearless until the end, her illness would not define her or prevent her from living life to its fullest.

        At a very young age she acquired an artistic flair for fashion that later served her well in her first job as a salesperson at a department store.  Having expressive integrity and strong stylistic inclinations in this field, she was more than very opinionated as she would give each customer an honest assessment on each item before purchase.  Because of her genuine spirit and down-to-earth personality, customers would enter the store and ask specifically for her assistance. Her popularity propelled the manager to elevate her to “Style Consultant.” 

Family was extremely important to Cora, and she not only lovingly raised her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, but also helped her sister rear her nieces and nephews from South Carolina, as they would come to spend each summer in Maryland. Cora possessed extraordinary culinary skills and enjoyed sharing cooking tips with all family members. She was indeed an exceptional cook and ensured that each meal was infused with love. 

Cora was preceded in death by her parents, Pansy Thomas Buckson and Elazer Buckson; her great-grandson, Kobe Jordan; her nephew, Christopher “Chris” King, II; niece Karen Page; and beloved cousins who were raised as brothers, Melvin Thomas, Roger Cockrell, Tony Thomas, and Donnie Feaster.

To mourn her beautiful life, Cora leaves to cherish her memories, her three devoted children: Derrick (Doris ) Lyons, Janice Lyons and Angela “Angie” Lyons; two step-daughter Rhonda Johnson and Anitra Tilghman; her precious 10 grandchildren 10 great-grandchildren; one great great grandchild; a loving and devoted sister, Margie Buckson King;  cousin raised like a sister, Shirley Collins; caring cousins who were raised as brothers, John Thomas (Jeanette) Cockrell, and Jesse Mack (Claudette) Cockrell; Willie (Shirley) Thomas, Jimmy (Ernestine) Thomas; loving nephews, William Robert King, II, of Chester, South Carolina; Dr. Nelson Maurice (Pauline) King, Marty Elazer “Capp” King, The Honorable John Richard King, all of Rock Hill, South Carolina, Robert Keith Lyons, and Eugene Glen Lyons, of Baltimore, Maryland; adoring nieces, Robbie King (Eugene) Boyd, of Chester, South Carolina, Pansy King-Reid, of Fort Mill, South Carolina and Margie King-Delk, Atlanta, Georgia, Mya Collins and Sharon Page, Turner Station, Maryland; special couins-in-law Valerie Starks-Thomas and Lutricia Belk, both of Chester, South Carolina; God-children Brenda Austin and Frankie Oliver; and a host of cousins, other relatives and friends.

Cora will be dearly missed. She was a beautiful soul, a rare treasure who spoke the truth with love and blessed the Buckson family and every generation immensely.  She is at peace now and the heavens rejoice at her arrival! Hallelujah! Another angel has received her wings! 

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